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M5 MacBook Air, performance upgrade outperforming M4! In-depth benchmark analysisThe new M5 MacBook Air is back, showing overwhelming performance improvements compared to the M4 model. From storage speed to CPU, GPU, AI, and creator workflow performance, you can see the powerful upgrade of the M5 chip in every aspect. Through this comparative analysis, we will delve into how the M5 MacBook Air can be the best choice for everyone, from everyday users to professional creators.
1. 💻 M5 MacBook Air First Impressions and Comparison Model Specifications
· The new M5 MacBook Air has been released, and we received the M5 chip model with 16GB RAM for review.
· The M5 MacBook Air shows no significant design changes from the previous generation; the main change is the M5 chip itself.
· This comparison was conducted between the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Air.
· Both models have identical specifications: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 1TB storage, and 16GB RAM, ensuring a fair comparison.
· The M5 MacBook Air shows no significant design changes from the previous generation; the main change is the M5 chip itself.
· This comparison was conducted between the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Air.
· Both models have identical specifications: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 1TB storage, and 16GB RAM, ensuring a fair comparison.
00:00 - 02:02
1. 💻 M5 MacBook Air First Impressions and Comparison Model Specifications
· The new M5 MacBook Air has been released, and we received the M5 chip model with 16GB RAM for review.
· The M5 MacBook Air shows no significant design changes from the previous generation; the main change is the M5 chip itself.
· This comparison was conducted between the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Air.
· Both models have identical specifications: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 1TB storage, and 16GB RAM, ensuring a fair comparison.
· The M5 MacBook Air shows no significant design changes from the previous generation; the main change is the M5 chip itself.
· This comparison was conducted between the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air and the M4 MacBook Air.
· Both models have identical specifications: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 1TB storage, and 16GB RAM, ensuring a fair comparison.
02:03 - 03:51
2. 🚀 Storage and Web Browsing Speed Improvements
· The M5 MacBook Air shows significantly improved storage read/write speeds compared to the M4.
· The M5 chip uses PCIe 4, providing much faster speeds than previous generation PCIe 3 connections found in M4, M3, etc.
· This storage speed is on par with the MacBook Pro equipped with the M3 Max chip, which is surprising to see in a MacBook Air.
· In the Speedometer 3.1 web browsing speed test, the M5 also scored 39 points, 21% faster than the M4.
· The M5 chip uses PCIe 4, providing much faster speeds than previous generation PCIe 3 connections found in M4, M3, etc.
· This storage speed is on par with the MacBook Pro equipped with the M3 Max chip, which is surprising to see in a MacBook Air.
· In the Speedometer 3.1 web browsing speed test, the M5 also scored 39 points, 21% faster than the M4.
| Category | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage Read Speed | Approx. 2x Slower | Very Fast | M5 uses PCIe 4 |
| Storage Write Speed | Slower | Very Fast | M5 uses PCIe 4 |
| Speedometer 3.1 (Web Browsing) | 32.2 | 39 | M5 is 21% faster |
03:52 - 05:17
3. ⚡ CPU Performance Benchmark Results (Geekbench, Cinebench)
· The M5 chip showed significant CPU performance improvements over the M4 in Geekbench and Cinebench tests.
· The M5 significantly outperformed the M4 in both single-core and multi-core performance.
· Despite both models featuring a 10-core CPU (6 efficiency cores, 4 performance cores), the M5's performance improvement is impressive.
· The M5 significantly outperformed the M4 in both single-core and multi-core performance.
· Despite both models featuring a 10-core CPU (6 efficiency cores, 4 performance cores), the M5's performance improvement is impressive.
| Benchmark | Category | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench | Single Core | 3,732 | 4,263 |
| Multi Core | 14,810 | 17,860 | |
| Cinebench | Single Core | 175 | 205 |
| Multi Core | 738 | 1,120 |
05:18 - 06:46
4. 🎮 GPU Performance and Gaming Tests (Geekbench Metal, 3D Mark, Cyberpunk 2077)
· The M5 chip also made significant advancements in GPU performance compared to the M4.
· In Geekbench Metal scores, the M5 showed an overwhelming performance, with a difference of nearly 72% to 100% compared to the M4.
· In the Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Metal FX, medium-high preset) test, the M5 recorded 54 FPS, allowing for much smoother gameplay than the M4's 39 FPS.
· In Geekbench Metal scores, the M5 showed an overwhelming performance, with a difference of nearly 72% to 100% compared to the M4.
· In the Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Metal FX, medium-high preset) test, the M5 recorded 54 FPS, allowing for much smoother gameplay than the M4's 39 FPS.
| Benchmark/Game | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench Metal | 55,146 | 75,771 | Approx. 37% performance improvement |
| 3D Mark Nomad Light | 3,762 | 4,750 | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, FPS) | 39 | 54 | Much smoother gameplay on M5 |
06:47 - 09:16
5. 🧠 AI Performance Benchmarks (Geekbench AI, Ollama LLM, DiffusionBee)
· The M5 MacBook Air also demonstrates superior performance in local AI tasks compared to the M4.
· In Geekbench AI tests, the M5 scored higher in both CPU and GPU.
· The new AI cores in the GPU were particularly helpful, showing an approximately 18% improvement over the M4.
· In a text generation test using the Ollama QN 2.572B model, the M5 processed significantly more tokens/second than the M4.
· In an image generation test using DiffusionBee, the M5 completed images 24% faster than the M4.
· In Geekbench AI tests, the M5 scored higher in both CPU and GPU.
· The new AI cores in the GPU were particularly helpful, showing an approximately 18% improvement over the M4.
· In a text generation test using the Ollama QN 2.572B model, the M5 processed significantly more tokens/second than the M4.
· In an image generation test using DiffusionBee, the M5 completed images 24% faster than the M4.
| AI Benchmark | Category | M4 MacBook Air | M5 MacBook Air | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench AI (CPU) | Score | 4,747 | 5,200 | |
| Geekbench AI (GPU) | Score | 35,640 | 42,000 | Aided by new AI cores |
| Ollama LLM (tokens/sec) | 1,000-word generation | 34.7 | 57.2 | M5 is much faster |
| DiffusionBee (Image Generation) | Image generation time | 18 seconds | 14 seconds | M5 is 24% faster |
09:17 - 11:15
6. 🎬 Creator Workflow Performance (Blender, Pixelmator, Final Cut Pro)
· The M5 MacBook Air also showed superior performance over the M4 in creator tasks such as 3D rendering, photo editing, and video export.
· In the Blender Party Tug rendering test, the M5 completed the task approximately 14 seconds faster than the M4.
· In the Pixelmator RAW 10-photo export test, the M5 recorded a time reduction of over 6 seconds compared to the M4.
· When exporting an 8-minute video in HEVC and ProRes from Final Cut Pro, the M5 also showed faster speeds than the M4.
· In the Blender Party Tug rendering test, the M5 completed the task approximately 14 seconds faster than the M4.
· In the Pixelmator RAW 10-photo export test, the M5 recorded a time reduction of over 6 seconds compared to the M4.
· When exporting an 8-minute video in HEVC and ProRes from Final Cut Pro, the M5 also showed faster speeds than the M4.
| Creator Task | M4 MacBook Air (Time) | M5 MacBook Air (Time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Party Tug Rendering | 59.4 seconds | 45 seconds | M5 is approx. 24% faster |
| Pixelmator RAW 10-photo Export | 17.2 seconds | 11 seconds | M5 is approx. 36% faster |
| Final Cut Pro (HEVC 8-min video) | 233 seconds | 194 seconds | |
| Final Cut Pro (ProRes 8-min video) | M5 is faster than M4 |
11:16 - 12:48
7. 🔋 Battery Efficiency and Overall Review
· After all tests, comparing battery levels showed that the M5 MacBook Air had slightly longer battery life than the M4.
· The M5 recorded 37% remaining battery, while the M4 recorded 33%, suggesting the M5 is more efficient.
· The M5 chip provides overall performance improvements and efficiency similar to what we saw in the M5 MacBook Pro.
· The M5 MacBook Air is about $500 cheaper than the M5 MacBook Pro, and while it lacks some features like a Mini LED screen or more base storage, it is still a device that offers excellent performance.
· The M5 recorded 37% remaining battery, while the M4 recorded 33%, suggesting the M5 is more efficient.
· The M5 chip provides overall performance improvements and efficiency similar to what we saw in the M5 MacBook Pro.
· The M5 MacBook Air is about $500 cheaper than the M5 MacBook Pro, and while it lacks some features like a Mini LED screen or more base storage, it is still a device that offers excellent performance.