Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) vs Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
44.5Performance54.1
29.8Display39.9
66.7Battery73.3
88Portability35.7
4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)6 spec wins — Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) wins this laptop face-off, 53.5 to 51.5, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+52). Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)
- Stronger portability score: 88 vs 36
- 55% lower thickness: 11.3 mm vs 25.2 mm
- 47% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 2.36 kg
- 43% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 350 nits
- Lower launch price: $1,099 vs $1,399
Reasons to pick the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
- Stronger performance score: 54 vs 45
- Stronger display score: 40 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 73 vs 67
- 557% higher charging: 230 W vs 35 W
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.6 ″ | 16 ″+18% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS |
| Resolution | 2560x1664 | 2560x1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 165 Hz+175% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+43% | 350 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core i7-14650HX |
| Graphics | Apple M3 8-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB, 140W) |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 1,024 GB+300% |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2 slots) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,050+7%Top 33% | 2,856Bottom 51% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,000Bottom 17% | 17,201+43%Top 34% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 53 Wh | 80 Wh+52% |
| Web browsing endurance | 15 h | — |
| Charging | 35 W | 230 W+557% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kg+47% | 2.36 kg |
| Thickness | 11.3 mm+55% | 25.2 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum lid, PC-ABS base |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x USB-C 10Gbps (both with DisplayPort 1.4, one with 140W power input), 3x USB-A 5Gbps (one always-on), HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, microSD card reader, 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p with e-shutter |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | None |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home |
Related comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)vs HP OmniBook Ultra 14VSApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)vs Dell XPS GooglebookVSApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)VSApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)vs Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)VSLenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (13.8-inch)VSLenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)vs Lenovo Googlebook 15VSLenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)vs LG Gram 17 (2025)VSLenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)vs Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 Gen 11 (14-inch)VS