The MacBook Pro 14 and the MacBook Air 13 have the same M5 chip, but the Pro has a fan and the Air doesn't. Under a long load the Pro holds its speed: 22 percent more in Cinebench 2024 multi-core, 20 percent in 3DMark Steel Nomad, and 50 percent more fps in Cyberpunk 2077 (it also has two more GPU cores than the base Air). On short tasks they are within 2 to 5 percent.
The Pro adds a 120Hz mini-LED screen, an HDMI port and SD slot, 1TB of storage and a 24-hour battery rating, for $1,599 against $1,099.
MacBook Air 13 M5 and MacBook Pro 14 M5
| MacBook Air 13 M5 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099launch price, 8-core GPU, 16GB / 512GB; Apple's price $1,299 since 25 June 2026 | $1,599launch price, 16GB / 512GB; $1,699 with 1TB from Mar 2026, $1,999 since 25 Jun 2026 |
| Chip | Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 8-core GPU; 10-core GPU optional) | Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) |
| CPU cores | 10 (4 super, 6 efficiency) | 10 (4 super, 6 efficiency) |
| GPU cores | 8 | 10 |
| Memory (base) | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Geekbench 6 CPUSingle-core, points | 4,185 | 4,326 |
| Geekbench 6 CPUMulti-core, points | 17,072 | 18,054 |
| Geekbench 6 GPUMetal, points | 66,910 | 77,007 |
| Geekbench 7 CPUSingle-core, points | 3,575 | 3,643 |
| Geekbench 7 CPUMulti-core, points | 17,072 | 17,952 |
| Geekbench 7 GPUMetal, points | 65,818 | 72,647 |
| Buy | Check price on AmazonCheck price at Best Buy | Check price on AmazonCheck price at Best Buy |
Figures as published by Geekbench Browser (Sep 24, 2026), Notebookcheck (Oct 23, 2025), Notebookcheck (Mar 7, 2026). The best figure is marked where a row is all one source.
Compare every benchmark side by sideThe figures, one lab per row
Notebookcheck, Geekbench Browser, Macworld and Blender Open Data each tested both.
MacBook Air 13 M5 vs MacBook Pro 14 M5, same test, same lab
| Test and setting | MacBook Air 13 M5 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Ahead | Lab |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077, 1080p, Ultra (fps) | 19.5 | 29.3 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 50% | Notebookcheck |
| Geekbench AI, Core ML Neural Engine, Quantized (points) | 57,340 | 59,256 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 3% | Macworld |
| Blender Benchmark (samples/min) | 1,665 | 1,979 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 19% | Blender Open Data |
| Geekbench 6 GPU, Metal (points) | 66,910 | 77,007 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 15% | Notebookcheck |
| Geekbench 7 CPU, Multi-core (points) | 17,072 | 17,952 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 5% | Geekbench Browser |
| Geekbench 7 CPU, Single-core (points) | 3,575 | 3,643 | level | Geekbench Browser |
| Geekbench 7 GPU, Metal (points) | 65,818 | 72,647 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 10% | Geekbench Browser |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad (points) | 941 | 1,125 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 20% | Notebookcheck |
| Cinebench 2024, Multi-core (points) | 957 | 1,172 | MacBook Pro 14 M5 by 22% | Notebookcheck |
No row matches that.
A row is here only when the same publication ran the same test on both. Launch prices are the makers' suggested prices; check the shop for today's.
Free to reuse with credit and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).
Performance
Geekbench 7 single-core is 3,575 against 3,643 and multi-core 17,072 against 17,952: a short burst doesn't heat the Air enough to slow it. Cinebench 2024's ten-minute multi-core run does: 957 against 1,172. The Neural Engine is the same (57,340 against 59,256 in Geekbench AI).
Screen, ports, storage
The Pro's 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR runs at 120Hz and peaks at 1,600 nits for HDR; the Air's is 60Hz and 500 nits. The Pro has three Thunderbolt ports, HDMI and an SD slot to the Air's two Thunderbolt ports, and starts with 1TB instead of 512GB, which accounts for about $200 of the price gap.
Which one to buy
Buy the MacBook Air for writing, browsing, code and photo editing: it is as fast for anything short and $500 cheaper. Buy the MacBook Pro 14 M5 if you export video, compile for minutes at a time, or want the better screen.
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