Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 comes out ahead overall, scoring 85% to 15% across the categories compared — particularly overall score (7 /10 vs 5.6 /10).
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 scored 85%, Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 scored 15%.
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 is priced around $1099, Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 around $1299.
How Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 Rank
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
Apple M5 (8-сore GPU) ranks in the top 12% of 45 CPUs we track.
Apple M5 GPU (8-Core) ranks in the top 49% of 29 GPUs we track.
LPDDR5X RAM ranks in the top 25% of 4 RAM types we track.
Custom storage interface ranks in the top 75% of 4 storage interfaces we track.
IPS LCD display ranks in the top 60% of 5 display types we track.
Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.
Wi-Fi 7 ranks in the top 34% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
Adreno X1-45 ranks in the top 80% of 29 GPUs we track.
LPDDR5X RAM ranks in the top 25% of 4 RAM types we track.
PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) storage interface ranks in the top 50% of 4 storage interfaces we track.
IPS LCD display ranks in the top 60% of 5 display types we track.
Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.
Wi-Fi 7 ranks in the top 34% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
 Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7 /10 | 5.6 /10 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 9.4 /10 | 9.6 /10 |
| Weight | 1.23 kg | 1.22 kg |
| Thickness | 11.3 mm | 15.6 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | No |
| Build material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Available colors | Black, Silver, Gold, Blue | Silver, Gray, Purple |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 1.5 mm |
| Cooling system | Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm | 285.65 x 214.14 x 15.6 mm |
| Footprint | 654 cm2 (101.3 inches2) | 612 cm2 (94.8 inches2) |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Glass |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 8 /10 | 6 /10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 1126 | 670 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 199 | 101 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 16670 | 10824 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4091 | 2281 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 10 | 8 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (8-сore GPU) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus |
| CPU cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 8 |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 3.4 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 6 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 4 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 (8-сore GPU) Apple M5 (10-Core) | X1P-42-100 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 3.3 TFLOPS | 1.7 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 GPU (8-Core) | Adreno X1-45 |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 GPU (8-core) | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 128 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | — | 280 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | 1107 MHz |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 GPU (8-Core) | Adreno X1-45 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 8448 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x8 GB | 2x8 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 16GB|24GB|32GB | 16GB|32GB|64GB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1 TB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 5.3 /10 | 4.1 /10 |
| Display size | 13.6 in | 13 in |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 400 nits |
| Pixel density | 225 ppi | 178 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Display type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1280 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Glossy |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 3:2 |
| Contrast ratio | 1437:1 | 1000:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 97.6% |
| Response time | 20 ms | 37 ms |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~82% | ~82.3% |
| Side bezels | 5.6 mm | 5.5 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 130° | 135° |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.4 /10 | 7.7 /10 |
| Battery capacity | 53.8 Wh | 50 Wh |
| Charging speed | 35 W | 45 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Full charge time | — | 2:10 hr |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7.9 /10 | 7.2 /10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 5.4 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | No | No |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | No | No |
| USB-A ports | No | 1x USB 3.2 |
| USB-C ports | 2x USB 4.0 | 2x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) | 2.0 |
| Speaker loudness | ~82.1 dB | ~83.5 dB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1080p FHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
- Overall score: 7 /10 (vs 5.6 /10)
- Performance score: 8 /10 (vs 6 /10)
- Battery score: 8.4 /10 (vs 7.7 /10)
- Display score: 5.3 /10 (vs 4.1 /10)
- Connectivity score: 7.9 /10 (vs 7.2 /10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 1126 (vs 670 )
- Cinebench (single-core): 199 (vs 101 )
- Geekbench (multi-core): 16670 (vs 10824 )
- Geekbench (single-core): 4091 (vs 2281 )
- CPU threads: 10 (vs 8 )
- GPU compute: 3.3 TFLOPS (vs 1.7 TFLOPS)
- Storage: 512 GB (vs 256 GB)
- Display size: 13.6 in (vs 13 in)
- Brightness: 500 nits (vs 400 nits)
- Pixel density: 225 ppi (vs 178 ppi)
- Battery capacity: 53.8 Wh (vs 50 Wh)
- Thickness: 11.3 mm (vs 15.6 mm)
- Bluetooth version: 6 (vs 5.4 )
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13
- Portability score: 9.6 /10 (vs 9.4 /10)
- Storage upgradable
- Touchscreen
- Charging speed: 45 W (vs 35 W)
- Weight: 1.22 kg (vs 1.23 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
More Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 Comparisons
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which has the better overall score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 has the better overall score at 7 /10, versus 5.6 /10 on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.
Which has the better performance score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 has the better performance score at 8 /10, versus 6 /10 on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.
Which has the better portability score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13?
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 has the better portability score at 9.6 /10, versus 9.4 /10 on the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5.
Which has the better battery score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 has the better battery score at 8.4 /10, versus 7.7 /10 on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.