Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) vs Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
41.4Performance54.1
29.8Display39.9
55.3Battery73.3
79.6Portability35.7
4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)7 spec wins — Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
InnoReviews verdict
Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) wins this laptop face-off, 51.5 to 48.4, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+18) and performance (+13). Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) 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 15 (M3)
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 36
- 54% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 25.2 mm
- 43% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 350 nits
- 36% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 2.36 kg
- 10% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,130 vs 2,856
Reasons to pick the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9)
- Stronger performance score: 54 vs 41
- Stronger display score: 40 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 73 vs 55
- 557% higher charging: 230 W vs 35 W
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 16 ″+5% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 2560x1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 165 Hz+175% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+43% | 350 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core i7-14650HX |
| Graphics | Apple M3 10-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (8GB, 140W) |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 1,024 GB+300% |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2 slots) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,130+10%Top 26% | 2,856Bottom 51% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,066Bottom 19% | 17,201+43%Top 34% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 80 Wh+20% |
| Charging | 35 W | 230 W+557% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+36% | 2.36 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+54% | 25.2 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Aluminum lid, PC-ABS base |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / 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 15 (M3) | Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 (16IRX9) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home |
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