Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025)

Which Laptop Is Better?

Products

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025)
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) 
early access

Tested using Methodology v0.8.3

Updated Oct 31, 2025 08:08 PM

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Tested using Methodology v0.9

Updated Nov 13, 2025 04:37 PM

This review is in Early access

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Our Verdict

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025)

Full comparison details regarding individual product score sets can be found in the section below
0 

Variants

  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q6002HUS) (Thunder Grey - Touch/Ultra 5 226V/16GB/512GB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q60024US) (Thunder Grey - Touch/Ultra 5 238V/32GB/1TB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q60029US) (Thunder Grey - Touch/Ultra 7 258V/32GB/1TB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q60027US) (Thunder Grey - Touch/Ultra 7 258V/32GB/1TB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q6002BUS) (Thunder Grey - Touch/Ultra 7 268V/32GB/1TB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q6002AUS) (Thunder Grey - Ultra 5 226V/16GB/512GB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q60026US) (Thunder Grey - Ultra 5 226V/16GB/512GB)
  • ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (21Q60025US) (Thunder Grey - Ultra 7 268V/32GB/1TB)
  • ‎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)
Read more

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

9.0
N/A
No major differences between these laptops for school. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Style Photo Sample

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Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Locked
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

9.5
N/A

Build Quality Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Build Quality Photo Sample

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Hinge 
 

9.4
N/A

Hinge Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Hinge Photo Sample

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Range 
 

177°
Lock°

Stability 
 

Good
Locked

One Finger Lift 
 

Yes
Locked
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.7
N/A

Dimensions Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Dimensions Photo Sample

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Size 
 

15.3"
Lock"

Thickness 
 

0.7" (1.7 cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

Width 
 

13.4" (34.1 cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

Depth 
 

9.3" (23.5 cm)
Lock" (Lock cm)

Volume 
 

83.1 in³ (1,362.3 cm³)
Lock in³ (Lock cm³)

Weight 
 

3.1 lbs (1.4 kg)
Lock lbs (Lock kg)

Charger Size 
 

5.5 in³ (90.0 cm³)
Lock in³ (Lock cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Lock lbs (Lock kg)

Serviceability 
 

6.5
N/A

Internals Photo  

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Ease Of Access 
 

9.0
0.0

RAM Slots 
 

0
Locked

Storage Slots 
 

1
Locked

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Locked

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

No
Locked
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

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Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Display Photo Sample

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Resolution 
 

2880 x 1800
Locked

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:10
Locked

Pixel Density 
 

221 PPI
Lock PPI

Panel Type 
 

OLED
Locked

Touch Screen 
 

Yes
Locked

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

91%
Lock%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

8.7
N/A

Motion Blur  

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Refresh Rate 
 

120 Hz
Lock Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

Dynamic Refresh Rate
Locked
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

10
N/A

Contrast Photo  

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Native Contrast 
 

32,997 : 1
Lock : 1
Show Text 

Brightness 
 

8.5
N/A

Maximum Brightness 
 

469 cd/m²
Lock cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

1 cd/m²
Lock cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

7.7
N/A

Reflections Photo Off  

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Reflections Photo Max  

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Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Locked

Total Reflections 
 

3.77%
Lock%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.89%
Lock%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

2.88%
Lock%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

10
N/A

Black Uniformity Photo  

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Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

0.251%
Lock%

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

7.1
N/A

White Balance Screencap  

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Gamma Curve Screencap  

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Color Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Color Screencap Sample

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Avg. White Balance dE 
 

2.39
Lock

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.26
Lock

Avg. Color dE 
 

4.38
Lock

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,396.5 K
Lock K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

9.6
N/A

Gamut SDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Gamut SDR Sample

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sRGB xy 
 

148.29%
Lock%

sRGB uv 
 

142.95%
Lock%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

92.55%
Lock%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

97.1%
Lock%

Gamut HDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Gamut HDR Sample

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DCI-P3 xy 
 

99.99%
Lock%

DCI-P3 uv 
 

99.99%
Lock%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

78.33%
Lock%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

82.53%
Lock%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

7.2
N/A

Flicker Graph  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Flicker Graph Sample

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Flicker-Free 
 

No
Locked

Flicker Frequency 
 

480 Hz
Locked

Flicker Active Below 
 

100%
Lock%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

8.5
N/A

Keyboard Photo  

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Typing Quality 
 

8.5
0.0

Numpad 
 

No
Locked

Backlighting 
 

Adjustable
Locked

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

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Operating Force 
 

59 gf
Lock gf

Actuation Force 
 

34 gf
Lock gf

Pre-Travel 
 

1.05 mm
Lock mm

Total Travel 
 

1.39 mm
Lock mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

9.3
N/A

Touchpad Photo  

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Tracking Quality 
 

9.5
0.0

Size 
 

16.7 in² (108.0 cm²)
Lock in² (Lock cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Locked

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
Locked
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

8.1
N/A

Frequency Response Plot  

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Max Volume 
 

81 dB SPL
Lock dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

5.9 dB
Lock dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

1.9
Lock

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

143 Hz
Lock Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

17 kHz
Lock kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

5.4 dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

8.7
N/A

Webcam Video Sample  

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) Webcam Video Sample Sample

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Video Quality 
 

9.0
0.0

Resolution 
 

1440p
Locked

Position 
 

Top Center
Locked

Privacy Cover 
 

No
Locked

Face Unlock 
 

Yes
Locked
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

8.0
N/A

Ports Photo  

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USB-A Ports 
 

1
Locked

USB-C Ports 
 

2
Locked

Thunderbolt 
 

Thunderbolt 4
Locked

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Locked

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Locked

HDMI 
 

2.0
Locked

DisplayPort 
 

No
Locked

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Locked

Card Reader 
 

No
Locked

Ethernet 
 

No
Locked

Proprietary Port 
 

No
Locked

Security Lock 
 

No
Locked
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Locked

Bluetooth 
 

5.4
Locked
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Locked

Model 
 

Core Ultra 7 268V
Locked

Core Count 
 

8
Lock

Thread Count 
 

8
Lock
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Locked

Model 
 

Arc 140V GPU
Locked

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Locked

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Total Graphics Power (TGP) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

32 GB
Lock GB

Modules 
 

8 (Soldered)
Locked

Type 
 

LP-DDR5x
Locked

Speed 
 

8,533 MHz
Lock MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

1,000 GB
Lock GB

Usable Capacity 
 

930 GB
Lock GB

Drive 1 
 

SK Hynix HFS001TEM4X169N
Locked

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
Locked

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
Locked

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
Locked
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.2
N/A

Geekbench Image  

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CPU Single-Thread 
 

2,032 points
Lock

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

9,729 points
Lock

GPU Compute 
 

29,320 points
Lock
Show Text 

CPU/RAM Performance 
 

N/A

Cinebench 2024 - Single Core 
 

1,948 points
Lock points

Cinebench 2024 - Multi Core 
 

9,440 points
Lock points

Geekbench 6 - Single Core 
 

2,032 points
Lock

Geekbench 6 - Multi Core 
 

9,729 points
Lock

Blender - CPU (Avg) 
 

4.3 min
Lock samples/min

PassMark PT - CPU Mark 
 

Lock

PassMark PT - Memory Mark 
 

Lock

PassMark PT - Memory Mark (Android) 
 

N/A

Mozilla Kraken 
 

Lock ms

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

9.7
N/A

Cinebench R23 Photo  

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Single-Thread 
 

1,948 points
Lock points

Multi-Thread 
 

9,440 points
Lock points
Show Text 

Low Tier Graphics 
 

N/A

Geekbench 6 - GPU Compute 
 

29,320 points
Lock

Basemark Web 3.0 
 

Lock

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 
 

Lock

mprep - Stress My GPU 
 

Lock

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

7.8
N/A

Blender Image  

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CPU Render Time 
 

4.3 min
Lock samples/min

GPU Render Time 
 

N/A

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
Show Text 

High Tier Graphics 
 

N/A

3DMark - Steel Nomad (DX12) 
 

N/A

3DMark - Steel Nomad (Vulkan/Metal) 
 

Lock

Basemark GPU (DX12) 
 

N/A

Basemark GPU (Vulkan/Metal) 
 

Lock

GFXBench - High Level Test (Vulkan/Metal) 
 

Lock Frames

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

7.1
N/A

Basemark Image  

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Overall Score 
 

40,254
Show Text 

Professional 3D (GPU Accelerated) 
 

N/A

Blender - GPU (Avg) 
 

Lock samples/min

Cinebench 2024 - GPU 
 

Lock points

CPU-Intensive Game Performance 
 

N/A

Civilization VII - AI 
 

Lock s/turn

Civilization VII - Graphics (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Civilization VII - Graphics (1% Low) 
 

Lock fps

Total War: Warhammer III (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Baldur's Gate 3 (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Baldur's Gate 3 (1% Low) 
 

Lock fps

Previous Methodology Score 
 

N/A

Previous Methodology Score Converted 
 

N/A

GPU-Intensive Game Performance 
 

N/A

Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) 
 

Lock fps

Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) 
 

Lock 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) 
 

Lock fps

Resident Evil 4 (1% Low) 
 

Lock fps

Previous Methodology Score 
 

N/A

Previous Methodology Score Converted 
 

N/A

Borderlands 3 
 

4.3
N/A

Borderlands 3 Graph  

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Avg. FPS 
 

32 fps

1% Low 
 

16 fps

0.1% Low 
 

6 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

33 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

135 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

73 fps
Show Text 

Ray Tracing Performance 
 

N/A

Cyberpunk 2077 (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Cyberpunk 2077 (Min) 
 

Lock fps

Assassin's Creed Shadows (Avg) 
 

Lock fps

Assassin's Creed Shadows (1% Low) 
 

Lock fps

Black Myth: Wukong (Avg) 
 

N/A

Black Myth: Wukong (5% Low) 
 

N/A

Civilization VI 
 

7.2
N/A

Civilization VI Graph  

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Avg. FPS 
 

56 fps

1% Low 
 

40 fps

0.1% Low 
 

38 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

7 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

9 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

178 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

7.17 s
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.5
N/A

Storage Performance Image  

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Sequential Write Speed 
 

1,474.6 MB/s
Lock MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

4,402.4 MB/s
Lock MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

87.2 MB/s
Lock MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

63.5 MB/s
Lock MB/s

Battery 
 

9.6
N/A

Capacity 
 

80 Wh
Lock Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

15.2 hrs
Lock hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

18.8 hrs
Lock hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

4.2 hrs
Lock hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.9 hrs
Lock hrs
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

7.0
N/A

CS2 Graph  

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Avg. FPS 
 

54fps

1% Low 
 

37fps

0.1% Low 
 

34fps

1% Low Delta 
 

8 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

11 ms

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

137fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

7.4
N/A

Keyboard Temps Picture  

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Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

34 °C (92 °F)
Lock °C (Lock °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

45 °C (112 °F)
Lock °C (Lock °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
Lock dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

44.5 dBA
Lock dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

Yes
Locked
Show Text 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

5.6
N/A

SOTTR Graph  

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Avg. FPS 
 

43 fps

1% Low 
 

27 fps

0.1% Low 
 

20 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

14 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

26 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

56 fps
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

9.2
N/A

Performance Over Time Graph  

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CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

81 °C
Lock °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

4% loss
Lock% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

73 °C
Lock °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

0% loss
Lock% loss
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Windows 11
Locked

Additional Software 
 

Yes
Locked
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Biometrics 
 

Face Recognition and Fingerprint Sensor
Locked

RGB Illumination 
 

No
Locked

Touch Pen Support 
 

No Stylus Support
Locked

Secondary Display 
 

No
Locked
Show Text 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025)

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025)

Comments

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