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Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in general use, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is excellent with its high-quality screen and silent operation, plus it runs MacOS which may be preferred for certain applications. It's lightweight and slim, enhancing portability, but also means less storage and RAM compared to the Gigabyte A5, which may affect multitasking and data-intensive tasks. In contrast, the Gigabyte A5, with its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, is suited for gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software. It tends to be less expensive but is heavier and thicker, which compromises portability. The A5 also offers more storage space right out of the box and has a high refresh rate display, which is a boon for gaming but it comes at the cost of overall build quality and lower battery life compared to the MacBook Air. 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 Gigabyte A5
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is highly praised for its stellar screen quality, long battery life, and silent operation due to its efficient M2 chip, making it ideal for users prioritizing portability and frequent use throughout the day without needing a power outlet.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.1
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The MacBook Air with its integrated M2 GPU is designed for everyday use and lighter creative tasks, leading to fair 3D performance; however, games may be limited due to macOS compatibility issues. The Gigabyte A5's dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and higher screen refresh rate make it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, offering good performance for these more graphically demanding tasks.
Content Creation
8.0
7.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A5 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.
Software Development
8.1
7.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A5 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
7.2
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display and superior color accuracy, which ensures vibrant and precise colors necessary for detailed design work. However, the lower refresh rates make it less suitable for 3D applications that benefit from smoother motion. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A5, while offering decent resolution and adequate color reproduction for everyday tasks and engineering software, falls short in gaming and 3D performance because of its less capable refresh rate not meeting the demands for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A5 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.2
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte A5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$830
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte A5 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) suits engineering and design due to its high-resolution screen, powerful Apple M2 processor with integrated graphics, and lightweight design enhancing portability; however, it has less RAM and storage than the Gigabyte A5.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Gigabyte A5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Gigabyte A5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $830 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.2'' x 10.2'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.68 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.21" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.15" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 49 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"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."
Gigabyte A5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | September 2022
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Gigabyte A5
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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