MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4: Performance Comparison

Specifications

MacBook Air M5 uses an Apple M5 chip, with 10 cores of CPU and up to 10 cores of GPU, 153GB/s bandwidth, and up to 32GB of unified memory, with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display at 2560 x 1664, 60Hz, 500 nits, per the Lap 4 research. MacBook Air M4, released 5 March 2025, uses an Apple M4 chip, with 10 cores of CPU and up to 10 cores of GPU, 16GB of RAM in base, up to 32GB, and a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display at 2560 x 1664, per the 2026-10-31 search research.

For everyday work, both laptops are fast. For multitasking, both laptops offer up to 32GB, so both fit a similar number of tabs and apps without an upgrade. For storage, Air M5 offers 512GB in base, against Air M4's 256GB in base, so Air M5 fits a larger library without an upgrade.

Performance

No controlled side-by-side test between MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Air M4 was reviewed for every workload, so this article uses published benchmark summaries with their sources named. M5 offers Geekbench 7 averages of 3,641 single and 17,948 multi, per the Lap 1 research. M4 offers a 10-core CPU with 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores, per the 2026-10-31 search research, with no Geekbench score cited here, so no exact percentage gap is claimed. For CPU work, M5 should be faster, with a newer 3nm design, while M4 should be close for everyday tasks.

For students, both laptops should handle notes, browsing, documents and light coding easily. For creators, M5 should help more in GPU rendering, while M4 should help more in value. For developers, both laptops should handle compilation, with M5 helping more in newer workloads, and M4 helping more in value.

Gaming

For gaming, M5 wins slightly, with a newer GPU design, against M4's up to 10-core GPU, so it should play light games well. M4 offers up to 10 cores of GPU, so it should play light games well, but not AAA gaming at the same level. No controlled side-by-side gaming test between these exact two laptops was reviewed, so no FPS winner is claimed beyond the GPU generation difference, but M5's newer GPU should be faster in games.

For gamers at 1080p, M5 is strong, with up to 10 cores of GPU. For gamers at 1440p, M5 is strong, with up to 10 cores of GPU. For gamers who use ray tracing, M5 benefits, with a newer GPU helping in heavy scenes.

AI performance

Air M5 offers a 16-core Neural Engine, per the Lap 4 research, and up to 10 cores of GPU, so it should handle local AI models well. Air M4 offers a 16-core Neural Engine, per the 2026-10-31 search research, and up to 10 cores of GPU, so it should handle local AI models well. No controlled side-by-side AI test between these exact two laptops was reviewed, so no AI winner is claimed beyond the Neural Engine ratings.

For local LLM research, both laptops are strong, because both offer up to 32GB, so both fit a similar model size. For photo and video AI features, both laptops should handle them, with M5 helping more in newer workloads, and M4 helping more in value.

Display

Air M5 offers a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display at 2560 x 1664, 60Hz, 500 nits, per the Lap 4 research. Air M4 offers a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display at 2560 x 1664, per the 2026-10-31 search research. For colour work, both displays are excellent, with similar resolution and brightness. For gaming, both displays are similar, with 60Hz refresh rate. For outdoor work, both displays are similar, with 500 nits.

Battery

Air M5 claims up to 18 hours of battery, per the Lap 4 research, with a 53.8Wh battery. Air M4 claims up to 18 hours of battery, per the 2026-10-31 search research, with a 53.8Wh battery. No controlled side-by-side battery test between these exact two laptops was reviewed, so no battery winner is claimed beyond the battery claims. For travel, both laptops are excellent, with similar battery life and weight.

Thermals

Air M5 is fanless, with a 10-core CPU, so it should be quieter for light work. Air M4 is fanless, with a 10-core CPU, so it should be quieter for light work. No controlled thermal or fan-noise test between these exact two laptops was reviewed, so no temperature or noise winner is claimed beyond the cooling designs. For sustained rendering, both laptops should throttle similarly, with fanless designs. For silent work, both laptops should be quieter.

Price

Air M5 is listed at $1,299 in the US, per the Lap 4 research, and at ₹1,19,900 in India at launch, per the Lap 4 research, with retailer prices varying after launch. Air M4 is listed at ₹99,900 in India at launch for 13-inch 16GB and 256GB, per the 2026-10-31 search research, with current listings from ₹91,990, per Gadgets360, to ₹98,990, per pricehistory, varying by retailer. US prices exclude sales tax, while India prices include GST, so headline numbers are not directly comparable.

For a like-for-like setup, Air M5's price is higher, but it includes 512GB, against Air M4's 256GB. For value, Air M4's lower price is justified by its similar display and battery; for performance, Air M5's higher price is justified by its newer chip and larger base storage.

Verdict

Buy Air M4 if you need value and similar battery, from ₹91,990 in current listings. Buy Air M5 if you need newer performance and larger base storage, from ₹1,19,900 in India at launch. For most students, Air M4 wins on value; for most professionals, Air M5 wins on newer performance. Upgrading from M4 to M5 is not worth it for everyday tasks, but is worth it for newer workloads and larger base storage.