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MacBook Air M5 review: early benchmarks hint at pro-level performance

MacBook Air M5 review: early benchmarks hint at pro-level performance
source: gettyimages
March 6, 2026

Apple rolled out the MacBook Air M5 this week alongside a refreshed iPhone 17e, a new MacBook Pro, and the enigmatic MacBook Neo. Early testing suggests the Air M5 is faster than its M4-powered predecessor, even in what remains a mainstream, widely loved laptop.

In initial benchmarks, the M5 shows a clear uplift over the M4 on both single-core and multi-core CPU tests. The boost is even more noticeable on the graphics side, thanks to a neural accelerator built into every GPU core. OpenCL results jump notably, while Metal scores also improve, though to a slightly lesser extent. It’s important to stress that these figures are preliminary; Cinebench hasn’t been run yet, and SSD speeds remain untested. Still, early hours with the Air M5 point to solid, pro-like capability for demanding tasks.

I've kicked off real-world use with a fairly hefty workload: Lies of P, Pixelmator Pro, Adobe Lightroom, Safari with multiple tabs, Chrome, and Final Cut Pro, all running on a system configured with 16GB of RAM. Even with this heavy mix, the MacBook Air M5 continues to chug along smoothly, underscoring the impression that Apple’s new chip can handle pro workloads—at least more convincingly than previous Air models.

What does this mean in practice? The Air M5 is edging toward the performance envelope typically reserved for higher-end machines, which explains Apple’s continued emphasis on the M5 Pro and M5 Max variants for the MacBook Pro lineup. The upshot is a more capable Air that still benefits from the portability and efficiency fans expect from the line.

There’s more to come as we complete a full, deep dive review of the MacBook Air M5. Stay tuned for a comprehensive verdict on everyday performance, thermals, battery life, and storage speed.

For ongoing updates, you can follow TechRadar on Google News and social channels.

About the author: Lance Ulanoff is a veteran technology journalist with decades in the field, known for editorial leadership roles and frequent appearances across major outlets. He brings extensive experience covering everything from PCs to mobile devices and beyond.

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