Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
65.5Performance45.1
29.8Display33.9
55.3Battery66.7
79.6Portability34
5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)4 spec wins — MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 45.1, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+46) and performance (+20). MSI Katana 15 HX B14W 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 45
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 34
- 95% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 257 nits
- 55% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 25.5 mm
- 51% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,195 vs 2,786
Reasons to pick the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W
- Stronger display score: 34 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 67 vs 55
- 300% higher charging: 240 W vs 60 W
- 140% higher Refresh rate: 144 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 13% higher capacity: 75 Wh vs 67 Wh
- Lower launch price: $999 vs $1,299
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 15.6 ″+2% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 1920x1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 144 Hz+140% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+95% | 257 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core i7-14650HX |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | DDR5-5600 (2x SO-DIMM) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+51%Top 6% | 2,786Top 45% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995+30%Top 27% | 13,048Bottom 47% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 75 Wh+13% |
| Charging | 60 W | 240 W+300% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+37% | 2.4 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+55% | 25.5 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort, PD 3.0), HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm combo jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.3 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 720p HD |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | None |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | MSI Katana 15 HX B14W |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Home |
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