The MacBook Air M5 and the 14-inch MacBook Pro on the same M5 chip are priced very differently, but people still don’t quite understand which of the new models is better to buy, or whether it’s better to save money altogether. In reality, this question can’t be answered in just a few words. So let’s dig into the details.
Which side do you choose?
Both laptops run on the same Apple M5 chip, both look like twins in aluminum cases, and both came out in 2025. The only thing is, the 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,699. A $600 difference for the same processor?
At first glance, it seems like a catch. Let’s figure out what actually makes these two Macs different and who each one is better suited for.
MacBook Air M5 or MacBook Pro M5: Key Differences
Let’s get straight to the facts. Here’s a comparison table so you don’t have to scan through different pages:
| Specification | MacBook Air M5 (13-inch) | MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1,099 | $1,699 |
| Chip | Apple M5 | Apple M5 |
| CPU | 10 cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency) | 10 cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency) |
| GPU | 8 or 10 cores | 10 cores |
| RAM | 16, 24, or 32 GB | 16, 24, or 32 GB |
| Storage | From 512 GB to 4 TB SSD | From 1 TB to 4 TB SSD |
| Display | 13.6-inch, Liquid Retina, 500 nits, 60 Hz | 14.2-inch, Liquid Retina XDR, 1000/1600 nits, ProMotion 120 Hz |
| Cooling | Passive (fanless) | Active (with fan) |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2× Thunderbolt 4, 3.5 mm | MagSafe 3, 3× Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, 3.5 mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Speakers | 4 basic speakers | 6 speakers with low-frequency woofers |
| Battery (video) | Up to 18 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| Weight | 1.22 kg | 1.55 kg |
On paper, the processor is the same. But it’s not that simple — the devil is in the details. And the main one is the cooling system.
Which Display Is Better: MacBook Air M5 or MacBook Pro M5
If you’ve ever seen the MacBook Pro screen in person, you know what we’re talking about. It’s Liquid Retina XDR — mini-LED technology with local dimming, peak brightness of up to 1600 nits in HDR content, and 1000 nits in standard mode. Plus a ProMotion refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, which makes scrolling and animations buttery smooth.
The MacBook Air has a standard Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and a fixed 60 Hz. No, the Air’s screen isn’t bad — it’s still excellent by laptop standards. But when you put them side by side, the difference is immediately noticeable. Especially in dark movie scenes and when working with photos: black on the Pro is truly black, while on the Air it’s more of a dark gray.
HDR on the MacBook Pro is a separate kind of pleasure. After it, 500 nits feel like the last century. Image: appleinsider.com
The resolution also favors the Pro: 3024 × 1964 on the 14.2-inch panel versus 2560 × 1664 on the Air’s 13.6 inches. Pixel density is higher, text is sharper, and the image is more detailed.
If you’re a designer, photographer, or simply love watching movies on your laptop — the MacBook Pro screen is worth every penny of the premium. For all other tasks, the Air will be more than enough.
MacBook Air M5 Performance: Why It’s Slower
And here’s where it gets really interesting. The Apple M5 chip is one and the same: 10 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores (8 in the base Air), a 16-core Neural Engine, and 153 GB/s memory bandwidth. Sounds identical. But they perform differently.
The MacBook Air is fanless. Completely. This means that for short bursts of work — opening 50 Safari tabs, editing photos in Lightroom, putting together a presentation — it flies. But as soon as you load it with something sustained — rendering video in Final Cut, compiling code, exporting a large Blender project — throttling kicks in after a few minutes. The processor reduces its clock speed to avoid overheating, and performance drops.
One stays silent but suffocates. The other makes noise but works without compromise. Image: appleinsider.com
The MacBook Pro uses active cooling with a fan. Yes, it’s slightly noisy under load — but the M5 runs at full power for as long as needed. For those who do video editing, software development, or 3D modeling, this isn’t a minor detail but a critically important difference.
In practice: rendering a 10-minute 4K video on the Pro will take noticeably less time than on the Air. Not because the chip is faster, but because it doesn’t choke from heat.
Ports, Sound, and Battery Life: What Else Does the MacBook Pro M5 Offer for Its Price
Beyond the screen and cooling, the MacBook Pro wins in several important areas that are often overlooked.
Ports. The Pro has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size HDMI, an SD card slot, and MagSafe. The Air has just two Thunderbolt 4 ports and MagSafe. If you connect a monitor, read memory cards from a camera, or use external devices, dongles will become your best friends with the Air. And dongles mean extra expenses and eternal desk clutter.
A full set of ports without dongles — a small but pleasant joy. Image: theverge.com
Sound. The Pro has a six-speaker system with woofers — the sound is deeper, the bass is more noticeable, and the volume is impressive. The Air has four speakers that sound good, but they’re far from the Pro’s level.
Battery. The MacBook Pro lasts up to 24 hours of video playback. The Air — up to 18 hours. Both figures are excellent, but those extra 6 hours are, for example, a flight from Moscow to Tokyo without a power outlet.
An interesting note: the MacBook Air supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, while the Pro is limited to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. So in terms of wireless standards, the Air is actually ahead. However, in practice you won’t notice the difference anytime soon — there aren’t many Wi-Fi 7 routers available yet.
MacBook Air M5 and MacBook Pro M5 Price: How Much They Cost in Russia
There are no official Apple prices for Russia, but you can get an idea from resellers and marketplaces. The MacBook Air M5 13-inch in its base configuration starts at approximately 120,000–130,000 rubles. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 starts at 180,000–200,000 rubles.
