A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air is slimmer, lighter, and offers a higher-resolution display, which makes it excellent for general use and portable. It also has superior battery life, is ideal for premium business tasks, and features a fanless design for silent operation. However, the Gigabyte G5 has a more powerful processor and dedicated GPU, providing better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. The G5 also has a higher refresh rate display which is better for gaming and it comes with more ports, including Ethernet, which can be important for connectivity. Keep in mind, the MacBook Air is typically more expensive and the G5 has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. 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
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte G5
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.1
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte G5 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in general use due to its superior CPU, RAM effectiveness, high screen quality, lightweight design offering great portability, and long battery life, coupled with excellent build quality and a silent operation.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.3
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
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 G5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The MacBook Air 15 (2023) is limited in 3D capabilities by its integrated GPU and maxes out at a 60Hz screen refresh rate, while the Gigabyte G5 boasts a stronger Nvidia RTX GPU suitable for gaming and supports a higher 144Hz refresh rate, thereby providing smoother visuals and better performance for gaming and 3D applications; however, keep in mind the availability of games since many popular games do not run on MacOS.
Content Creation
8.0
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte G5 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
6.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 G5 is only fair.
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
6.8
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air typically boasts a high-resolution Retina display with bright and accurate colors, making it great for everyday tasks and engineering where precise color representation is key. However, it may not have the high refresh rate required for smooth 3D rendering, affecting the quality of visuals in tasks like gaming or 3D modeling. On the other hand, the Gigabyte G5, while catering to gamers, may cut costs on display features such as resolution and color accuracy, leading to only fair screen performance for general and engineering use, with the added disadvantage of a lower refresh rate, limiting its 3D capabilities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte G5 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 G5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$868
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Gigabyte G5 costs $868.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte G5 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-quality screen, powerful integrated GPU in the Apple M2 chip, and it excels in portability with its lightweight and fanless design for silent operation. In contrast, the Gigabyte G5 offers a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU suited for demanding engineering software, has a higher refresh rate screen which is beneficial for design fluidity, but is less portable and noisier under load due to its gaming-focused build.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Gigabyte G5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Gigabyte G5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $868 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.2" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i5-12500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 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 | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 54 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 | 248 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
See more
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 G5
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | April 2023
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Gigabyte G5
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) vs. ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
VS
Compare Gigabyte G5 vs. MSI Bravo 15
VS
Compare Gigabyte G5 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
VS
Compare Gigabyte G5 vs. Dell Latitude 5430
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
113,595
Recommendations made
24,613
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
