Products
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.3
Updated Nov 25, 2025 01:48 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v0.9
Updated Nov 27, 2025 02:03 PM
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Amazon.com
Size
15.3"
Operating System
macOS
Size
14"
Operating System
macOS
Our Verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025)
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) is better than the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) for most uses. The MacBook Pro 14 is a higher-end device, sporting better features like a 120Hz Mini LED display that gets significantly brighter, better-sounding speakers, and a wider port selection. Performance-wise, the MacBook Pro's base M5 chip performs better than the MacBook Air's M4, but you likely won't notice the difference unless you perform tasks that are intensive enough to stress the system.
Variants
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1L3LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1M3LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC6L4LL/A) (Midnight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1G3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1H3LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC6J4LL/A) (Silver - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC7A4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC7C4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC7D4LL/A) (Sky Blue - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1J3LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MW1K3LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MC6K4LL/A) (Starlight - M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU)/24GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE54LL/A) (Silver - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE44LL/A) (Silver - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE64LL/A) (Silver - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/24GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE14LL/A) (Space Black - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/1TB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE04LL/A) (Space Black - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/16GB/512GB)
- MacBook Pro 14 (MDE34LL/A) (Space Black - M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)/24GB/1TB)
Main Differences for
School
School
Threshold
School
8.7
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
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Compare High-Res
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
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Compare High-Res
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
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Compare High-Res
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.7
8.5
Dimensions Photo
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Compare High-Res
Size
15.3"
14"
Thickness
0.6" (1.4 cm)
0.7" (1.7 cm)
Width
13.4" (34.0 cm)
12.3" (31.3 cm)
Depth
9.3" (23.7 cm)
8.7" (22.1 cm)
Volume
68.8 in³ (1,128.1 cm³)
71.5 in³ (1,172.2 cm³)
Weight
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
Charger Size
4.2 in³ (68.6 cm³)
7.3 in³ (120.4 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
3.5
3.5
Internals Photo
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Ease Of Access
6.0
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
0
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
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Compare High-Res
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
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Compare High-Res
Resolution
2880 x 1864
3024 x 1964
Aspect Ratio
16:10
16:10
Pixel Density
224 PPI
254 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
No
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
87%
89%
Refresh Rate
5.9
8.7
Motion Blur
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Compare High-Res
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
Apple ProMotion
Contrast
7.4
10
Contrast Photo
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Compare High-Res
Native Contrast
1,348 : 1
20,460 : 1
Brightness
8.4
9.0
Maximum Brightness
448 cd/m²
588 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
2 cd/m²
1 cd/m²
Reflections
9.0
8.9
Reflections Photo Off
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Reflections Photo Max
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Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.61%
1.79%
Indirect Reflections
0.29%
0.22%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.31%
1.57%
Black Uniformity
7.7
10
Black Uniformity Photo
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Compare High-Res
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.924%
0.241%
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
9.9
10
White Balance Screencap
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Gamma Curve Screencap
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Color Screencap
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Avg. White Balance dE
1.51
1.26
Avg. Gamma
2.23
2.2
Avg. Color dE
0.95
0.93
Avg. Color Temperature
6,755 K
6,403.5 K
Color Gamut
9.4
9.5
Gamut SDR
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Compare High-Res
sRGB xy
99.99%
99.99%
sRGB uv
99.98%
99.97%
Adobe RGB xy
87.86%
89.35%
Adobe RGB uv
93.21%
94.42%
Gamut HDR
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Compare High-Res
DCI-P3 xy
99.47%
99.8%
DCI-P3 uv
99.5%
99.7%
Rec. 2020 xy
72.17%
73.34%
Rec. 2020 uv
73.79%
74.19%
Flicker
9.0
9.0
Flicker Graph
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Compare High-Res
Flicker-Free
No
No
Flicker Frequency
> 1000Hz
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
100%
100%
Interface
Keyboard
8.0
7.9
Keyboard Photo
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Compare High-Res
Typing Quality
8.0
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
61 gf
61 gf
Actuation Force
37 gf
39 gf
Pre-Travel
0.80 mm
0.72 mm
Total Travel
0.90 mm
0.78 mm
Touchpad
9.6
9.2
Touchpad Photo
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Compare High-Res
Tracking Quality
9.5
9.5
Size
21.4 in² (138.0 cm²)
16.1 in² (104.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
8.6
9.1
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
77 dB SPL
80 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
4.4 dB
4.1 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
1.8
0.9
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
138 Hz
110 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
16 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
1.7 dB
3.3 dB
Webcam & Microphone
8.7
9.1
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.0
9.5
Resolution
1080p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
No
No
Connectivity
Ports
5.0
8.5
Ports Photo
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Compare High-Res
USB-A Ports
0
0
USB-C Ports
2
3
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 4
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
No
2.1
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
SD UHS 2
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Apple MagSafe 3
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M4
M5
Core Count
10
10
Thread Count
10
10
GPU
Brand
Apple
Apple
Model
M4
M5
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP)
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
16 GB
Modules
Unknown
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5x
LP-DDR5x
Speed
7,500 MHz
9,600 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
256 GB
512 GB
Usable Capacity
211 GB
442 GB
Drive 1
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Apple SSD AP0512Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
9.5
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
2,638 points
CPU Multi-Thread
12,987 points
GPU Compute
40,460 points
CPU/RAM Performance
8.5
Cinebench 2024 - Single Core
199 points
Cinebench 2024 - Multi Core
1,162 points
Geekbench 6 - Single Core
4,310
Geekbench 6 - Multi Core
17,981
Blender - CPU (Avg)
92 samples/min
PassMark PT - CPU Mark
29,293
PassMark PT - Memory Mark
5,312
PassMark PT - Memory Mark (Android)
N/A
Mozilla Kraken
233 ms
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
9.9
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
2,175 points
Multi-Thread
12,004 points
Low Tier Graphics
7.9
Geekbench 6 - GPU Compute
76,876
Basemark Web 3.0
2,211
PassMark PT - 2D Mark
N/A
PassMark PT - 2D Mark (Android)
N/A
PassMark PT - 3D Mark
N/A
PassMark PT - 3D Mark (Android)
N/A
Novabench 5 - GPU
217.0
mprep - Stress My GPU
34,640
Blender (3D Rendering)
9.2
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
3.0 min
GPU Render Time
0.5 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
High Tier Graphics
5.9
3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12)
N/A
3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal)
1,142
Basemark GPU (DX12)
N/A
Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal)
70,336
GFXBench - High Level Test (Vulkan/Metal)
4,821 Frames
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
7.5
Basemark Image
Overall Score
46,774
Professional 3D (GPU Accelerated)
2.3
Blender - GPU (Avg)
575 samples/min
Cinebench 2024 - GPU
5,875 points
CPU-Intensive Game Performance
6.0
Civilization VII - AI
15.4 s/turn
Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg)
164.3 fps
Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low)
98.6 fps
Total War: Warhammer III (Avg)
24.5 fps
Baldur's Gate 3 (Avg)
71.5 fps
Baldur's Gate 3 (1% Low)
58.5 fps
Previous Methodology Score
N/A
Previous Methodology Score Converted
N/A
GPU-Intensive Game Performance
3.3
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
21.5 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
19.0 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
15 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
8 fps
GTA V (Avg)
N/A
GTA V (1% Low)
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
N/A
Resident Evil 4 (Avg)
58.7 fps
Resident Evil 4 (1% Low)
40.0 fps
Previous Methodology Score
N/A
Previous Methodology Score Converted
N/A
Borderlands 3
4.2
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
30 fps
1% Low
15 fps
0.1% Low
8 fps
1% Low Delta
32 ms
0.1% Low Delta
94 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
51 fps
Ray Tracing Performance
2.1
Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg)
15.8 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Min)
13.3 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg)
12 fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low)
6 fps
Black Myth: Wukong (Avg)
N/A
Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low)
N/A
Civilization VI
6.4
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
43 fps
1% Low
29 fps
0.1% Low
26 fps
1% Low Delta
11 ms
0.1% Low Delta
15 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
80 fps
Avg. Turn Time
6.97 s
Storage Drive Performance
9.3
9.6
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
2,802.5 MB/s
7,788.2 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
3,192.6 MB/s
5,304.3 MB/s
Random Write Speed
46.5 MB/s
46.5 MB/s
Random Read Speed
62.3 MB/s
80.9 MB/s
Battery
8.8
9.7
Capacity
67 Wh
72 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
11.6 hrs
16.1 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
12.9 hrs
15.7 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
3.2 hrs
2.0 hrs
Charge Time
3.0 hrs
1.9 hrs
Counter-Strike 2
0.0
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
N/A
Thermals And Noise
8.2
7.6
Keyboard Temps Picture
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Compare High-Res
Keyboard Temp While Idle
25 °C (77 °F)
26 °C (79 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
49 °C (120 °F)
45 °C (112 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
N/A
25.0 dBA
Fan Noise Under Load
N/A
45.0 dBA
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
5.3
SOTTR Graph
Avg. FPS
39 fps
1% Low
24 fps
0.1% Low
15 fps
1% Low Delta
16 ms
0.1% Low Delta
41 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
63 fps
Performance Over Time
7.3
10
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
87 °C
100 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
4% loss
0% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
84 °C
95 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
13% loss
0% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
macOS
macOS
Additional Software
None
None
Extra Features
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen Support
No Stylus Support
No Stylus Support
Secondary Display
No
No
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Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025)
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Comments
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025): Main Discussion
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