Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) vs Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2

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

Winner: Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026)

Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) takes 9 weighted points vs 1.5, winning on CPU Benchmark, Pixel Density, Amazon Rating. Read our comprehensive Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) review or see the full Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 review. The winner also sits in a more competitive value tier — a clear-cut call.

Winner
Highly Rated

Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026)

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

Under $1300
4.8 (704)
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VS

Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2

AMD Ryzen 5 7535U · Integrated (AMD iGPU)

Under $1400
4.6 (169)
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Use-Case Scores

CategoryMacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026)ThinkPad E16 Gen 2
Gaming3.1/102.8/10
Productivity6/103.8/10
Programming5.3/104/10
Engineering / 3D4/103.5/10
Student6.4/103.8/10
Travel / Portability7.6/102.6/10
AI Workloads3.6/103.3/10
Value for Money5.6/104.7/10

Detailed Specification Comparison

SpecMacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 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
Display13.6″ Liquid Retina16″ IPS
Resolution2560 x 16641920x1200
Refresh Rate60 Hz60 Hz
Pixel Density225 PPI142 PPI
TouchscreenNoNo
Weight2.7 lbsnull lbs
Thickness0.44″null″
Amazon Rating4.8 ★ (704)4.6 ★ (169)
Value Score5.6/104.7/10

CPU Comparison

The Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 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. Read more in our in-depth MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) benchmark breakdown and ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 performance review.

GPU & Gaming

Neither carries a dedicated GPU — both fine for esports at low settings, neither for modern AAA gaming. For dedicated gaming silicon, check our best gaming laptops guide.

Productivity & Battery

Office scores: 6/10 vs 3.8/10. Battery isn't in our dataset, but both share a similar power class, so expect comparable endurance.

Display

MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026): 13.6″ Liquid Retina 2560 x 1664 @ 60 Hz. ThinkPad E16 Gen 2: 16″ IPS 1920x1200 @ 60 Hz. Panel quality is effectively even.

RAM, Storage & Upgradeability

MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 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

2.7 lbs / 0.44″ vs null lbs / null″. The Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) is 2.7 lbs lighter — significant for daily carry. Travel scores: 7.6 vs 2.6.

Value

Value scores land 5.6/10 vs 4.7/10. The Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) extracts more performance per dollar.

Final Verdict

Buy the Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) — it wins the weighted spec battle and costs less. You can read the detailed Apple MacBook Air (M5) (13.3" 2026) review or compare alternative models in our laptop comparison tool.

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Also Consider

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