The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is known for its silent operation since it doesn’t have a fan and offers solid performance for general use, with a lightweight and thin design enhancing its portability. Although more affordable, it may struggle with demanding tasks like 3D rendering or intensive engineering software. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i is much heavier and thicker but stands out for intensive gaming and high-performance tasks, including engineering and 3D work, thanks to its powerful processor and graphics card. It is costlier and less portable than the MacBook Air, but if those high-performance tasks are a priority, it provides significantly better capability for those workloads. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Best in class overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is appreciated for its portability and long battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go use with good screen quality for everyday tasks, though it has less power and storage compared to the Lenovo Legion 9i. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i, with its high-performance CPU, abundant RAM, and superior screen, excels in demanding applications, but its heaviness and shorter battery life make it less portable and more suited to stationary use.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
9.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i outshines the MacBook Air 15 for gaming and 3D applications primarily due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, which supports hardware ray tracing and has a higher screen refresh rate, highly beneficial for fast-paced gaming visuals. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air 15, with its Apple M2 GPU, delivers less graphical performance, lacks hardware ray tracing, is limited by a 60Hz screen refresh rate, and cannot run many popular games due to MacOS compatibility issues.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
9.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i outshines the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, substantial 32 GB RAM, and advanced Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, which together provide superior performance for demanding tasks and visualizations. While both laptops have high-quality displays, the Legion's screen is brighter and has a higher contrast ratio, though the MacBook Air excels in portability and offers a silent, fanless operation which may be preferable in quiet environments.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 9i is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
9.7/10
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air's display shines in general use and engineering tasks due to its excellent resolution and brightness paired with a wide color gamut, providing crisp visuals and accurate colors, but its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion 9i stands out in both general use and engineering with a high-quality panel that offers superior resolution, brightness, and color range, ensuring that details are sharp and colors are precise for various tasks. However, despite its higher quality display, the Legion's subpar refresh rate diminishes its appeal for gaming and 3D work, where a faster refresh rate is crucial for a fluid visual experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for software development.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion 9i 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."
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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.
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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