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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air (2023) and the Lenovo Legion 5 depends on your priorities. The MacBook Air is more portable with its lightweight and thin design, and its battery life is excellent for everyday use and general productivity tasks. It operates silently without a fan and uses Apple's own M2 chip, providing good performance but not typically suited for heavy gaming or intense 3D tasks. The Legion 5, although heavier and thicker, offers more power for gaming and engineering software due to its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card. It also has a higher refresh rate display which is great for gaming. If you need more storage and memory at a lower price, the Lenovo may be advantageous, but you'll compromise on battery life and portability 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 Lenovo Legion 5 15"
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
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
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) comes with an integrated Apple M2 GPU and a 60 Hz screen refresh rate, which provides moderate performance for 3D tasks and games tailored for macOS, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 165 Hz screen refresh rate, enhancing its capabilities for gaming and 3D applications, especially given the wider selection of games compatible with its Windows 11 Home operating system.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers better performance for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, and a powerful GPU that supports ray tracing and machine learning features, which are crucial for rendering and computational tasks. While the MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a high-quality screen and a fanless design for silent operation, making it more portable and better for design work that does not demand intensive processing power.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
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 Lenovo Legion 5 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.
Software Development
8.1
7.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 5 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
8.0
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 Lenovo Legion 5 15" for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Air features a high-resolution, bright display with accurate color representation, making it excellent for everyday tasks and suitable for professionals in engineering and design who need precise color accuracy like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. The Lenovo Legion, while also having a quality display for daily use, offers good color gamut coverage that's important for engineering and design but lacks the higher refresh rates sought after by 3D applications and gaming enthusiasts. This makes the Legion less ideal for fluid motion graphics or fast-paced games which benefit from quicker screen refreshes, whereas the MacBook Air's limitations in this area affect its suitability for 3D tasks where frame rate is key.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
5.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.6
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$999
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Legion 5 15" are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is highly suited for general use with its efficient M2 CPU, ample RAM for everyday tasks, an excellent screen quality, and a lightweight design that enhances its portability along with a long battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" also performs well for general use thanks to its powerful AMD CPU, larger amount of RAM valuable for multitasking, and high-quality screen, but it's heavier which lowers its portability and has a shorter battery life, also being equipped with features aimed more for gaming.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Lenovo Legion 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 5.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.33" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
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."
Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo Legion 5 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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