The Apple MacBook Air 15 is less expensive and includes an M2 chip with integrated graphics, excelling in general use with superior battery life, silent operation due to fanless design, and it's more portable. On the other hand, the Eluktronics RP-15, while slightly more expensive, offers better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, thanks to its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics. It's heavier and thicker, which can impact portability, and it has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air. If you prioritize high performance for specialized tasks and don't mind the tradeoff of portability and battery life, the RP-15 is a strong choice; otherwise, for general day-to-day use with an emphasis on mobility and long battery life, the MacBook Air may be more suitable. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Eluktronics RP-15
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Eluktronics RP-15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Eluktronics RP-15 is more suited for gaming and 3D applications than the Apple MacBook Air 15 due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and higher screen refresh rate which enhance visual performance and provide smoother gameplay. Additionally, the MacBook Air, with its integrated Apple M2 GPU and a lower refresh rate, is not optimal for gaming, especially since many popular games are incompatible with macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Eluktronics RP-15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Eluktronics RP-15 outshines the MacBook Air 15 in engineering and design use due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, allowing for more demanding computational tasks and better handling of graphics-intensive applications, coupled with double the RAM for multitasking and larger storage for projects. The MacBook Air 15, on the other hand, provides a sleeker form factor with a lighter weight and silent, fanless operation, but compromises on raw performance for engineering software compared to the RP-15.
Software Development
8.1/10
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Eluktronics RP-15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.0/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Eluktronics RP-15 for software development, and content creation, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the MacBook Air's high-resolution Retina display and exceptional brightness offer a clear and vibrant visual experience. Engineers and designers will appreciate the wide color gamut on the MacBook Air, ensuring accuracy for professional color work. However, the lower refresh rate of the MacBook Air's screen makes it less suitable for 3D applications, which benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals, something the Eluktronics RP-15 also lacks for gaming and 3D tasks.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Eluktronics RP-15 has 6 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,199
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,199 and the Eluktronics RP-15 costs $1,399.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Eluktronics RP-15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of efficient CPU performance, high-quality screen, and long battery life in a very portable design, making it ideal for day-to-day tasks and on-the-go usage. The Eluktronics RP-15, on the other hand, provides a more robust CPU and additional RAM, which can handle more demanding applications and multitasking, but it is typically heavier and may not have as long battery life, making it less portable but better suited for performance-heavy tasks.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Eluktronics RP-15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Eluktronics RP-15 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"To conclude, I’m genuinely impressed with Eluktronics and what they have been able to deliver with the RP-15. You see this is all about maximizing performance, cooling, and giving users the most flexible I/O, and then wrapping it into a chassis that doesn’t feel super cheap. Let’s also not forget the price point, I think they have really nailed it in that department."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Eluktronics RP-15
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Eluktronics
Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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