Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026)
Which Laptop Is Better?
Products
Tested using Methodology v1.0
Updated Oct 23, 2026 05:49 PM
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Amazon
Tested using Methodology v1.0
Updated Oct 23, 2026 03:48 PM
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Screen Size
13.6"
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Operating System
macOS
Touch Screen
No
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Tested RAM Capacity
16 GB
Screen Size
13.8"
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Operating System
Windows 11
Touch Screen
Yes
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Tested RAM Capacity
16 GB
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) are premium ultraportables for everyday productivity. The Surface is available in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes and offers a 120Hz touchscreen, facial recognition, and a wider port selection that includes USB-A. The MacBook Air is also available in 13.6- and 15.3-inch sizes. It runs macOS and has a fanless design, so it stays completely silent. The better choice depends largely on which operating system and applications you use, along with whether you want touch input. The Surface uses ARM-based Snapdragon processors, so check support for any specialized Windows software and peripherals.
Variants
- MacBook Air 13 (MDHF4LL/A) (Midnight - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Air 13 (MDHG4LL/A) (Midnight - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/24GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 8th Edition (EP2-59296) (Black - 13.8"/Snapdragon X2 Elite/16GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 8th Edition (EP2-59499) (Black - 13.8"/Snapdragon X2 Elite/16GB/512GB)
Main Differences for
Gaming
Gaming
Threshold
Gaming
Full Comparison
Design
Chassis Quality
Style Photo
Chassis Quality Photo
Hinge
Hinge Photo
Stability
Form Factor
Range
One Finger Lift
Portability
Dimensions Photo
Screen Size
Thickness
Width
Depth
Volume
Weight
Charger Size
Charger Weight
Serviceability
Internals Photo
Operating System
Ease Of Access
RAM Slots
Storage Slots
Replaceable Battery
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
Aspect Ratio
Pixel Density
Panel Type
Touch Screen
Touch Pen Support
Screen-To-Body Ratio
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Contrast
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
Minimum Brightness
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
Avg. Gamma
Avg. Color dE
Avg. Color Temperature
Color Gamut
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
sRGB uv
Adobe RGB xy
Adobe RGB uv
Gamut HDR
DCI-P3 xy
DCI-P3 uv
Rec. 2020 xy
Rec. 2020 uv
Reflections
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Total Reflections
Indirect Reflections
Calculated Direct Reflections
Flicker
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Flicker Frequency
Flicker Active Below
Battery
Battery
Capacity
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
Battery Life (Video Playback)
Battery Life (Gaming)
Charge Time
Interface
Keyboard
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
Numpad
Backlighting
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Peak Tactile Force
Actuation Force
Pre-Travel
Total Travel
Fingerprint Sensor
Touchpad
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
Size
Material
Dedicated Buttons
Speakers
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
Webcam & Microphone
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
Resolution
Privacy Cover
Face Unlock
Connectivity
Ports
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
USB-C Charging
USB-C Display Out
HDMI
DisplayPort
3.5mm Jack
Card Reader
Ethernet
Proprietary Port
Security Lock
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Model
Core Count
Thread Count
GPU
Brand
Model
Dedicated/Integrated
VRAM Size
GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP)
RAM
Tested RAM Capacity
Modules
Type
Speed
Storage
Advertised Capacity
Drive 1
Drive 1 Type
Performance
CPU/RAM Performance
Cinebench 2024 - Single Core
Cinebench 2024 - Multi Core
Geekbench 6 - Single Core
Geekbench 6 - Multi Core
Blender - CPU (Avg)
PassMark PT - CPU Mark
PassMark PT - Memory Mark
PassMark PT - Memory Mark (Android)
Mozilla Kraken
GPU Performance
Geekbench 6 - GPU Compute
Basemark Web 3.0
PassMark PT - 2D Mark
PassMark PT - 2D Mark (Android)
PassMark PT - 3D Mark
PassMark PT - 3D Mark (Android)
Novabench 5 - GPU
3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12)
3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal)
Basemark GPU (DX12)
Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal)
Blender - GPU (Avg)
Cinebench 2024 - GPU
CPU-Intensive Game Performance
Civilization VII - AI
Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg)
Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low)
Total War: Warhammer III (Avg)
GPU-Intensive Game Performance
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) (No Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) (No Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) (With Ray Tracing)
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) (With Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) (Low Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) (Low Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) (With Ray Tracing)
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) (With Ray Tracing)
GTA V (Avg)
GTA V (1% Low)
Resident Evil 4 (Avg)
Resident Evil 4 (1% Low)
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
Sequential Read Speed
Random Write Speed
Random Read Speed
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
Keyboard Temp Under Load
Fan Noise While Idle
Fan Noise Under Load
Power & Fan Control App
Performance Stability
Performance Stability Graph
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026)
Comments
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 8th Edition (2026): Main Discussion
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