Laptops / Compare
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020) vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
Product A: Apple
MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
88 of 179 known
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026)
Acer Googlebook 14 GP714-91N-50A0
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
ASUS Zenbook S 14 (2026) UX5406AA
ASUS Zenbook A16 UX3607OA (Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, touch)
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (14", Gen 11) 14IPH11
Dell XPS Googlebook LDX13267
ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407NA (Snapdragon X2 Elite)
Dell XPS 14 (2026) DA14260
Dell XPS 13 (DX13260)
ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407QA (Snapdragon X Plus)
Change Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
Compare the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) with
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026)
Acer Googlebook 14 GP714-91N-50A0
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
ASUS Zenbook S 14 (2026) UX5406AA
ASUS Zenbook A16 UX3607OA (Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, touch)
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (14", Gen 11) 14IPH11
Dell XPS Googlebook LDX13267
ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407NA (Snapdragon X2 Elite)
Dell XPS 14 (2026) DA14260
Dell XPS 13 (DX13260)
ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407QA (Snapdragon X Plus)Product B: Apple
MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
99 of 179 known
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5-inch (Ryzen 5)
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Intel, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch (Ryzen 5)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (2020)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch (Ryzen 7)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2017)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
Acer Swift Go 14 AI SFG14-01-X006
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (7th Edition, X Plus)
Change Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
Compare the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020) with
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5-inch
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5-inch (Ryzen 5)
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Intel, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch (Ryzen 5)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (2020)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch (Ryzen 7)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2017)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
Acer Swift Go 14 AI SFG14-01-X006
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (7th Edition, X Plus)85 of 171 fields differ
- 50 different values
- 35 known for one only
- 20 the same
- 66 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 220 laptops.
- Battery life on Wi-FiA: 11.02hB: 16.18hMacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026) is 5.16 h higher.
Weight
0 to 3 kg
Weight (published)
A1.29kg
B1.23kg
All 179 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
8 of 9 differ
Series
Model numbers
MDH74LL/A, MDHA4LL/A, MDHE4LL/A, MDHH4LL/A6Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/102869Read 30 September 2026Model Identifier Mac17,3. Part numbers MDH74, MDHA4, MDHE4, MDHH4 (xx/A) and others for other configurations9Maker spec sheet (PDF)apple.com/education/pricelists/pdfs/Apple_US_Education_Institution_Price_List.pdfRead 30 September 2026Page 2 identifies all four exact US 16 GB/512 GB/8-core-GPU part numbers.
GTIN / EAN
Announced
Status
Predecessor
Not available
Successor
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1, 2020)19Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2020/11/introducing-the-next-generation-of-macRead 23 October 2026Apple compares the MacBook Air with M1 with the previous-generation Intel Core i7 13-inch MacBook Air.
Not available
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Markets
Colours
Segment
Not available
Form factor
Not available
Chassis
2 of 6 differ
Dimensions
Width304.1Depth212.4Thickness (min)4.1Thickness (max)16.1mm(12 × 8.4 × 0.2 to 0.6 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026Maker centimetres converted exactly to millimetres. Published wedge minimum 4.1 mm and maximum 16.1 mm. Retailer rounded metric conversions excluded.
Width304.1Depth215Thickness (max)11.3mm(12 × 8.5 × 0.4 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026Height 1.13 cm, width 30.41 cm, depth 21.5 cm
Weight (published)
Lid material
Bottom material
Max hinge angle
Not available
Not available
MIL-STD-810 testing (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Display
6 of 25 differ
Screen size
Native resolution
Pixel density
227ppi
224.5ppi
Panel type
Backlight
Not available
Not available
Dimming zones
Not available
Not available
Panel part number
Not available
Screen surface
Touchscreen
Stylus
Not available
Not available
Refresh rate modes
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Width (px) | Height (px) | Maximum operating refresh (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| 2560 | 1600 | 60 |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Width (px) | Height (px) | Maximum operating refresh (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| 2560 | 1664 | 60 |
Max refresh rate
60Hz
60Hz
Adaptive sync
Not available
Not available
Gray-to-gray response time (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Native panel colour depth
Not available
Not available
Brightness (SDR, claimed)
Not available
Peak brightness (SDR outdoors, claimed)
Not available
Not available
Sustained brightness (HDR, claimed)
Not available
Not available
Peak brightness (HDR, claimed)
Not available
Not available
sRGB coverage (claimed)
Not available
Not available
DCI-P3 coverage (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Adobe RGB coverage (claimed)
Not available
Not available
HDR certification
Not available
Not available
Factory calibrated
Not available
Not available
Second display
Not available
Not available
Processor
10 of 14 differ
Processor
Intel Core i3 (1.1 GHz, dual-core, 10th generation)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026Exact original base dual-core 1.1 GHz Core i3 row. Original maker and inventory do not state the custom processor suffix, so neither suffix nor chip process node/thread count is inferred.
Apple M5 (10-core CPU)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026
Processor brand
Core configuration
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Count | Base clock (GHz) | Max clock (GHz) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Core type | Count | Core |
|---|---|---|
| Super | 4 | Super |
| Efficiency | 6 | Efficiency |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026Chip section: 10-core CPU, 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores. Apple publishes no clock maxima.7Measurementnotebookcheck.net/Insane-performance-and-efficiency-without-fans-Apple-MacBook-Air-13-M5-Entry-Review.1242707.0.htmlRead 30 September 20264 x 4.6 GHz M5 S-Core (up to 4.608 GHz), 6 x 3.0 GHz M5 E-Core (3.048 GHz)
CPU cores
2
10
Cores labelled performance
Not available
0
Cores labelled efficiency
Not available
6
Threads
Max boost clock
3.2GHz
Not available
L3 cache
Not available
Process
10nm11Spec databaseeverymac.com/systems/apple/macbook-air/specs/macbook-air-core-i3-1.1-dual-core-13-retina-display-2020-scissor-specs.htmlRead 7 October 2026Exact model overview identifies 10 nm Ice Lake Core i3-1000NG4. Custom Apple chip suffix also identified by matching Notebookcheck review. Public indexed maker-independent specification read.18Maker product pageintel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/196586/intel-core-i31000ng4-processor-4m-cache-up-to-3-20-ghz/specifications.htmlRead 7 October 2026Intel Essentials for exact i3-1000NG4 states Lithography 10 nm. Chip maker evidence corroborates EveryMac without borrowing a different Core i3 suffix.
Sustained CPU power (configured)
Not available
Not available
Peak CPU power (configured)
Not available
Not available
Combined CPU and GPU power
Not available
Not available
NPU performance
Not available
Not available
Graphics
1 of 9 differ
Discrete GPU
GPU
Not available
Not available
GPU brand
Not available
Not available
VRAM
Not available
Not available
Max GPU power (TGP)
Not available
Not available
Dynamic Boost
Not available
Not available
GPU boost clock
Not available
Not available
GPU switching
Not available
Not available
Integrated GPU
Intel Iris Plus Graphics1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026Maker Graphics section identifies Intel Iris Plus. Optional external Thunderbolt GPU support is not installed discrete graphics.
Apple M5 8-core GPU1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026
Memory
4 of 9 differ
Installed RAM
RAM type
RAM speed
Memory channels
Not available
Not available
RAM upgrade
Memory slots
Not available
Not available
RAM slots
Not available
Not available
Free RAM slots
Not available
Not available
Maximum supported RAM
Storage
2 of 7 differ
Installed storage
Storage type
Installed drive PCIe generation
Not available
Storage slots
Not available
Not available
M.2 slots
Not available
Not available
Free storage slots
Not available
Not available
Maximum slot PCIe generation
Not available
Not available
Ports
1 of 7 differ
Ports
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Type | Version | Count | Maximum data rate (Gbps) | Thunderbolt or USB4 | DP Alt Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C | Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1 Gen 2 | 2 | 40 | Thunderbolt 3 | Yes |
| 3.5 mm audio | Not available | 1 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Type | Version | Count | Side | Maximum data rate (Gbps) | Thunderbolt or USB4 | DP Alt Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagSafe | MagSafe 3 | 1 | Left | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| USB-C | Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 | 2 | Left | 40 | Thunderbolt 4 | Yes |
| 3.5 mm audio | Not available | 1 | Right | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026MagSafe 3, 3.5 mm headphone jack, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 up to 40Gb/s. Sides from the user guide2Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/macbook-air/take-a-tour-of-macbookair-apd7e765329d/2026/mac/27Read 30 September 2026Left side: MagSafe 3 port, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. Right side: 3.5 mm audio jack7Measurementnotebookcheck.net/Insane-performance-and-efficiency-without-fans-Apple-MacBook-Air-13-M5-Entry-Review.1242707.0.htmlRead 30 September 2026Left: MagSafe, 2x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery). Right: 3.5 mm
USB-C ports
2
2
Thunderbolt
Yes
Yes
Highest HDMI version
Not available
Not available
Card reader
No
No
Ethernet speed
Not available
Not available
Maximum USB-C charging input
Not available
Not available
Wireless
3 of 5 differ
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi bands
Not available
Not available
Wi-Fi module
Not available
Bluetooth
Cellular
Not available
Not available
Keyboard and touchpad
4 of 8 differ
Keyboard layouts
Not available
ANSI (78 keys), ISO (79 keys)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 202678 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys
Key switches
Not available
Keyboard backlight
Not available
Numpad
Not available
Not available
Key travel
Not available
Pointing stick
Not available
Not available
Touchpad size
Not available
Not available
Touchpad mechanism
Haptic1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026Exact sheet specifies Force Touch. Separate maker support source explicitly establishes haptic feedback.6Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/102309Read 5 October 2026Maker support explicitly states Force Touch trackpads provide haptic feedback. Exact model sheet specifies Force Touch.
Camera and audio
4 of 7 differ
Webcam
IR face login
Not available
Webcam privacy
Not available
Not available
Built-in speaker drivers
Not available
Total speaker power
Not available
Not available
Audio features
Dolby Atmos, Wide stereo sound1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026
Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, Voice Isolation microphone mode, Wide Spectrum microphone mode, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking using supported AirPods models1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026Exact 13-inch model Audio section explicitly lists Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes, alongside Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. Dynamic head tracking requires supported AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. It is not an unconditional built-in-speaker feature. No 15-inch speaker count or component measurement inherited.
Battery and power
5 of 5 differ
Battery energy
Claimed battery life
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Use case | Hours (h) |
|---|---|
| Web browsing | 11 |
| Video playback | 12 |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Use case | Hours (h) |
|---|---|
| Video streaming | 18 |
| Web browsing | 15 |
Adapter rated output
Laptop charging connector
Charge 0 to 50 % (claimed)
Not available
Cooling
1 of 4 differ
Fans
Vapor chamber
Not available
Not available
Liquid metal
Not available
Not available
Power modes
Not available
Not available
Security
0 of 4 differ
Fingerprint
TPM
Not available
Not available
Remote management
Not available
Not available
Security lock slot
Not available
Not available
Software
1 of 3 differ
Operating system
OS family
Security updates until
Not available
Not available
Measured display
11 of 12 differ
Brightness (measured, centre)
Brightness (measured, average)
Contrast ratio (measured)
HDR peak brightness (measured)
Not available
Not available
sRGB coverage (measured)
DCI-P3 coverage (measured)
Not available
Colour accuracy (measured Delta E)
PWM flicker found
PWM frequency (measured)
Not available
PWM at or below brightness
Not available
Response black to white (measured)
Response grey to grey (measured)
Measured performance
7 of 8 differ
Cinebench 2024 single-core
Not available
Cinebench 2024 multi-core
Not available
Geekbench 6 single-core
Not available
Geekbench 6 multi-core
Not available
3DMark Time Spy graphics
Not available
Not available
3DMark Steel Nomad
Not available
SSD sequential read (measured)
Not available
Game frame rates
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
Not availableBApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Game | Width (px) | Height (px) | Preset | Upscaling | Average FPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 1920 | 1080 | Low | Off | 35.8 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 1920 | 1080 | Medium | Off | 27.3 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 1920 | 1080 | High | Off | 22.8 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 1920 | 1080 | Ultra | Off | 19.5 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 1920 | 1080 | Low | Not available | 46 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 1920 | 1080 | Medium | Not available | 35.1 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 1920 | 1080 | High | Not available | 29.2 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 1920 | 1080 | Ultra | Not available | 28.5 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1280 | 720 | Lowest | Not available | 87 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1920 | 1080 | Medium | Not available | 45 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1920 | 1080 | High | Not available | 42 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1920 | 1080 | Highest | Not available | 38 |
| Total War Pharaoh | 1920 | 1080 | Low | Not available | 58.8 |
| Total War Pharaoh | 1920 | 1080 | Medium | Not available | 54.9 |
| Total War Pharaoh | 1920 | 1080 | High | Not available | 51 |
| Total War Pharaoh | 1920 | 1080 | Ultra | Not available | 38.1 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | 1920 | 1080 | Low | Not available | 22 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | 1920 | 1080 | Medium | Not available | 20 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | 1920 | 1080 | High | Not available | 17 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | 1920 | 1080 | Ultra High | Not available | 11 |
Measured noise and temperature
6 of 9 differ
Fan noise per mode
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Load | Noise (dB(A)) |
|---|---|
| Idle | 29 |
| Medium load | 31.6 |
| Max load | 39.4 |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
Not availableMax fan noise
39.4dB(A)
Not available
Fan noise while gaming
Not available
Not available
Top surface under load
Bottom surface under load
Palm rest under load
CPU temperature in stress test
Not available
Not available
CPU clock in stress test
Not available
GPU temperature while gaming
Not available
Not available
Measured battery and power
7 of 10 differ
Battery runtime per test
AApple MacBook Air 13-inch (Intel, 2020)
| Test | Brightness (nits) | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi browsing | 150 | 11.02 |
| Wi-Fi browsing | Not available | 7.28 |
| Video playback | 150 | 11.1 |
BApple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5, 2026)
| Test | Brightness (nits) | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi browsing | 150 | 16.18 |
| Wi-Fi browsing | Not available | 6.65 |
Wi-Fi browsing runtime
11.02h
16.18h
Video runtime
11.1h
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
Not available
Not available
Power draw idle
Power draw max
Sustained CPU power (measured)
Not available
GPU power while gaming (measured)
Not available
Not available
Weight (measured)
Not available
Not available
Certifications
1 of 6 differ
Intel Evo
Not available
Not available
Copilot+ PC
Not available
Not available
Colour certifications
Not available
Not available
ENERGY STAR
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
1 of 2 differ
In the box
MacBook Air, 30W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111991Read 5 October 2026Original standard maker box contents. Optional adapters and later bundles excluded.
13-inch MacBook Air, 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/126320Read 8 October 2026US spec page
Warranty
0 of 2 differ
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Warranty service
Not available
Not available
Links
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
Manual
cdsassets.apple.com/live/6GJYWVAV/start/ma1931_macbook-air-13-2020-qsg.pdf5Owner's manualcdsassets.apple.com/live/6GJYWVAV/start/ma1931_macbook-air-13-2020-qsg.pdfRead 5 October 2026Exact Intel 13-inch 2020 model Quick Start PDF, two pages downloaded/read/rendered. Big Sur Control Center UI reprint used only for unchanged hardware controls.
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Both are also in the API. Back to all laptops.