Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
65.5Performance39.3
29.8Display41.6
55.3Battery45.9
79.6Portability51.4
6 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)3 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 43.5, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+28) and performance (+26). Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 39
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 46
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 51
- 71% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,195 vs 2,450
- 48% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 16,995 vs 11,500
- Lower launch price: $1,299 vs $2,399
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Stronger display score: 42 vs 30
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 100% higher charging: 120 W vs 60 W
- 20% higher Peak brightness: 600 nits vs 500 nits
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″+6% | 14.4 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS (PixelSense Flow, touch) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 2400x1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits+20% |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core i7-13700H |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X-6400 (soldered) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (user-replaceable) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+71%Top 11% | 2,450Bottom 28% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995+48%Top 38% | 11,500Bottom 16% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+15% | 58 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 9 h |
| Charging | 60 W | 120 W+100% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+24% | 1.98 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+48% | 22 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Magnesium and aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A 3.1, microSDXC, Surface Connect, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p + IR |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 |
Related comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs HP Googlebook 14VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2025)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2vs Lenovo Legion Slim 5 (2024)VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2vs Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IRH11VSMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2vs CHUWI UniBookVSMicrosoft Surface Laptop Studio 2vs ASUS Vivobook S14 (S5452MA)VS