Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 4 for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10).
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: which one should you buy?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 if you care most about overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10), performance score (8.1/10 vs 6.8/10) and battery score (8.6/10 vs 6.5/10).
Choose the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 if you care most about portability score (9.4/10 vs 8.1/10), cpu threads (12 vs 10) and charging speed (65 W vs 35 W).
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7/10 | 5.7/10 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 8.1/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm | 15.3 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Carbon fiber |
| Available colors | Black, Silver, Gold, Blue | Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 1.5 mm |
| Cooling system | Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm | 312.5 x 215.75 x 12.3-15.3 mm 12.3 x 8.49 x 0.48-0.6 inches |
| Footprint | 809 cm2 (125.3 inches2) | 674 cm2 (104.4 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | — | 12.0 x 8.0 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Glass |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 8.1/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 1162 | 845 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 202 | 115 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 17463 | 12807 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4121 | 2594 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 10 | 12 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (10-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 336H |
| CPU cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 12 (4P + 8E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 1.9 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 4.6 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 18 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 2 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 (10-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Intel Core Ultra 5 338H Intel Core Ultra 7 356H Intel Core Ultra 7 366H Intel Core Ultra X7 358H Intel Core Ultra X7 368H |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 4.1 TFLOPS | 2.4 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 | 2300 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 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 9600 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x8 GB | 2x8 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 16GB|24GB|32GB | 16GB|32GB|64GB |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 5.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB |
Check Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 price on Amazon
Check Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 price on Amazon
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 5.4/10 | 4/10 |
| Display size | 15.3 in | 14 in |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Pixel density | 224 ppi | 162 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Adaptive refresh rate | 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 | — |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Response time | 27 ms | — |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~83.9% | ~84.3% |
| Side bezels | 5.4 mm | 5.5 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 130° | 180° |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.6/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Battery capacity | 66.5 Wh | 58 Wh |
| Charging speed | 35 W | 65 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7.9/10 | 8.2/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 5.4 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | No | Yes |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | No | No |
| USB-A ports | No | 1x USB 3.2 |
| USB-C ports | 2x USB 4.0 | 3x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 2.4 (2 tweeters and 4 woofers) | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) |
| Speaker loudness | ~84.8 dB | — |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5
|
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 5.7/10)
- Performance score: 8.1/10 (vs 6.8/10)
- Battery score: 8.6/10 (vs 6.5/10)
- Display score: 5.4/10 (vs 4/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 1162 (vs 845)
- Cinebench (single-core): 202 (vs 115)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 17463 (vs 12807)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4121 (vs 2594)
- GPU compute: 4.1 TFLOPS (vs 2.4 TFLOPS)
- Storage: 512 GB (vs 256 GB)
- Display size: 15.3 in (vs 14 in)
- Pixel density: 224 ppi (vs 162 ppi)
- Battery capacity: 66.5 Wh (vs 58 Wh)
- Thickness: 11.5 mm (vs 15.3 mm)
- Bluetooth version: 6 (vs 5.4)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14
- Portability score: 9.4/10 (vs 8.1/10)
- Connectivity score: 8.2/10 (vs 7.9/10)
- CPU threads: 12 (vs 10)
- Storage upgradable
- Charging speed: 65 W (vs 35 W)
- Weight: 1 kg (vs 1.51 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
- HDMI port
Check Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 price on Amazon
Check Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 price on Amazon
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14?
Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 wins 6 of the 12 categories we compared, against 4 for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14?
The Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 costs around $1299, $733 less than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 at around $2032.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14?
The biggest gaps are in overall score (7/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 5.7/10); performance score (8.1/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 15 M5 vs 6.8/10); portability score (9.4/10 on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 vs 8.1/10).