Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026) vs Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2

Benchmark-weighted head-to-head · data updated 2026-09-10

Winner: Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)

Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026) takes 9 weighted points vs 1.5, winning on CPU Benchmark, Pixel Density, Amazon Rating. The winner also sits in a more competitive value tier — a clear-cut call.

Winner
Highly Rated

Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)

Apple M5 (10 Core) · Integrated (Apple iGPU)

Under $1400
4.8 (734)
Check Prices
VS

Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2

AMD Ryzen 5 7535U · Integrated (AMD iGPU)

Under $1400
4.6 (169)
Check Prices

Use-Case Scores

CategoryMacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)ThinkPad E16 Gen 2
Gaming3.1/102.8/10
Productivity5.8/103.8/10
Programming5.3/104/10
Engineering / 3D4/103.5/10
Student6.1/103.8/10
Travel / Portability7.2/102.6/10
AI Workloads3.6/103.3/10
Value for Money5.5/104.7/10

Detailed Specification Comparison

SpecMacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)ThinkPad E16 Gen 2
CPUApple M5 (10 Core)AMD Ryzen 5 7535U
PassMark Score27,32216,980
CPU Cores4P+6E6
GPUIntegrated (Apple iGPU)Integrated (AMD iGPU)
G3DMark Score——
RAM16 GB DDR516 GB DDR5
RAM UpgradeableNo (soldered)Yes
Storage512 GBSSD1 TBSSD
Display15.3″ Liquid Retina16″ IPS
Resolution2880x18641920x1200
Refresh Rate60 Hz60 Hz
Pixel Density224 PPI142 PPI
TouchscreenNoNo
Weight3.32 lbsnull lbs
Thickness0.45″null″
Amazon Rating4.8 ★ (734)4.6 ★ (169)
Value Score5.5/104.7/10

CPU Comparison

The Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)'s Apple M5 (10 Core) is ~61% faster in multi-threaded PassMark (27,322 vs 16,980). A generational gap you will feel in exports, compiles and heavy multitasking.

GPU & Gaming

Neither carries a dedicated GPU — both fine for esports at low settings, neither for modern AAA gaming.

Productivity & Battery

Office scores: 5.8/10 vs 3.8/10. Battery isn't in our dataset, but both share a similar power class, so expect comparable endurance.

Display

MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026): 15.3″ Liquid Retina 2880x1864 @ 60 Hz. ThinkPad E16 Gen 2: 16″ IPS 1920x1200 @ 60 Hz. Panel quality is effectively even.

RAM, Storage & Upgradeability

MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026): 16 GB DDR5 (soldered) + 512 GBSSD. ThinkPad E16 Gen 2: 16 GB DDR5 (upgradeable) + 1 TBSSD. The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2's socketed RAM is a longevity advantage.

Build & Portability

3.32 lbs / 0.45″ vs null lbs / null″. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026) is 3.3 lbs lighter — significant for daily carry. Travel scores: 7.2 vs 2.6.

Value

Value scores land 5.5/10 vs 4.7/10. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026) extracts more performance per dollar.

Final Verdict

Buy the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026) — it wins the weighted spec battle and costs less. Choose the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 only if its specific strengths matter more to you.

Check PricesCheck Prices

Also Consider

More on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) (15.4" 2026)

More on the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2