Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 4 for Dell XPS 14 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.9/10).
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: which one should you buy?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 if you care most about overall score (7/10 vs 5.9/10), performance score (8.1/10 vs 6.1/10) and battery score (8.6/10 vs 6.7/10).
Choose the Dell XPS 14 2026 if you care most about portability score (9.2/10 vs 8.1/10), connectivity score (8.9/10 vs 7.9/10) and refresh rate (120 Hz vs 60 Hz).
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
 Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7/10 | 5.9/10 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 8.1/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.36 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm | 14.62 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Available colors | Black, Silver, Gold, Blue | Gray |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 0.8 mm |
| Cooling system | Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm | 309.52 x 209.71 x 14.62 mm |
| Footprint | 809 cm2 (125.3 inches2) | 649 cm2 (100.7 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | — | 15.0 x 7.3 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Glass |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 8.1/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 1162 | 593 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 202 | 109 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 17463 | 9084 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4121 | 2463 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 10 | 8 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 325 |
| CPU cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 8 (4P + 4E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 4.5 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 2 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 (10-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 325 Intel Core Ultra 7 355 Intel Core Ultra X7 358H Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 4.1 TFLOPS | 2.5 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 GPU (10-Core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (4-Core) |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 GPU (10-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 128 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | — | 300 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | 2450 MHz |
| GPU power (TGP) | — | 25 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 GPU (10-Core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (4-Core) |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 7467 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x8 GB | 4x4 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 16GB|24GB|32GB | 16GB|32GB|64GB |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 5.4/10 | 5.4/10 |
| Display size | 15.3 in | 14 in |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Pixel density | 224 ppi | 162 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1200 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Matte |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Contrast ratio | 1223:1 | 2000:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Response time | 27 ms | 35 ms |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~83.9% | ~87.6% |
| Side bezels | 5.4 mm | 4 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 130° | 140° |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.6/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Battery capacity | 66.5 Wh | 70 Wh |
| Charging speed | 35 W | 100 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Battery voltage | — | 11.49 V |
| Full charge time | — | 1:30 hr |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7.9/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | No | No |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | No | No |
| USB-A ports | No | No |
| USB-C ports | 2x USB 4.0 | 3x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 2.4 (2 tweeters and 4 woofers) | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) |
| Audio chip | — | CirrusLogic CS42L43 |
| Speaker loudness | ~84.8 dB | ~87 dB |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W, 2x3W |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1440p QHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
- Overall score: 7/10 (vs 5.9/10)
- Performance score: 8.1/10 (vs 6.1/10)
- Battery score: 8.6/10 (vs 6.7/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 1162 (vs 593)
- Cinebench (single-core): 202 (vs 109)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 17463 (vs 9084)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4121 (vs 2463)
- CPU threads: 10 (vs 8)
- GPU compute: 4.1 TFLOPS (vs 2.5 TFLOPS)
- Display size: 15.3 in (vs 14 in)
- Pixel density: 224 ppi (vs 162 ppi)
- Thickness: 11.5 mm (vs 14.62 mm)
Dell XPS 14 2026
- Portability score: 9.2/10 (vs 8.1/10)
- Connectivity score: 8.9/10 (vs 7.9/10)
- Storage upgradable
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz (vs 60 Hz)
- Battery capacity: 70 Wh (vs 66.5 Wh)
- Charging speed: 100 W (vs 35 W)
- Weight: 1.36 kg (vs 1.51 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Dell XPS 14 2026?
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 4 for Dell XPS 14 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.9/10).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Dell XPS 14 2026?
The Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 costs around $1299, $350 less than the Dell XPS 14 2026 at around $1649.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 and the Dell XPS 14 2026?
The biggest gaps are in overall score (7/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 5.9/10); performance score (8.1/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 6.1/10); portability score (9.2/10 on the Dell XPS 14 2026 vs 8.1/10).