The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is more portable with a lighter build and a high-quality screen suitable for general use; it operates silently without a fan and provides a longer battery life, making it a good fit for on-the-go productivity with less intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i boasts stronger processing capabilities with a dedicated GPU, more memory, and more storage, enhancing its performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, and gaming, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may affect portability. Both are similarly priced, so consider whether mobility or performance is your priority. 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
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 Slim 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
8.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers superior gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU which better supports demanding games and graphics tasks, and it also runs Windows 11 Home which has a wider range of compatible games than the Apple MacBook Air 15's MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher RAM, more powerful Intel processor, and dedicated Nvidia graphics, which provide superior performance for intensive tasks and software, although it has lower portability and greater operating noise compared to the sleeker and quieter Apple MacBook Air 15, which offers excellent screen quality and sufficient power for less demanding engineering tasks with its Apple M2 chip.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.0/10
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for engineering and design, and software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 delivers high resolution and brightness, which are pivotal for clarity and visibility in everyday use, and its wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation essential for engineering and design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate limits its capability for smooth rendering in 3D applications. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, while offering a good display for general purposes and satisfactory color range for design, lacks a high refresh rate which impacts its performance for gaming and 3D, where fluid motion is crucial.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
5.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,000.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation.
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
8.1/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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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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.