Apple last month announced a new MacBook Air, introducing the M5 chip, faster wireless connectivity, double the base storage, and a more capable charger, while simultaneously discontinuing the M4 model. This comprehensive buyer's guide examines every aspect of the transition, helping you decide whether the M5 model justifies its higher price or if you should seek out a remaining M4 unit.

Pricing and Configuration

The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch variant, representing a $100 increase over the equivalent M4 models. However, base storage doubles from 256GB to 512GB, and Apple states the new SSD delivers twice the read and write speeds of the previous generation. Education pricing typically shaves at least $100 off directly from Apple, making the M5 more accessible for students and educators.

Previously, upgrading the M4 Air from 256GB to 512GB cost $200. With the M5, you get that additional storage at no extra charge, effectively making the M5 $100 less than a comparably configured M4 at launch. For new buyers, this changes the value calculus significantly.

Performance: M5 vs M4 Chip

The main upgrade is the chip. Compared to the M4, the M5 delivers up to 15% faster multithreaded CPU performance, up to 30% faster overall graphics performance, up to 45% faster ray tracing performance, and a 27.5% higher unified memory bandwidth (153 GB/s vs 120 GB/s). These improvements stem from multiple architectural changes:

• The M5 uses TSMC's third-generation 3nm process (N3P) instead of the second-generation (N3E), enabling better efficiency and performance.
• Apple introduced a dedicated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core, a hardware addition absent from the M4, exposed via new Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor capabilities.
• The ray tracing engine advances to its third generation, and dynamic caching moves to its second generation.
• The GPU now features enhanced shader cores and supports PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD, replacing the Gen 3 drive in the M4.

Apple also published real-world workload results showing measurable gains in AI-driven applications:

• 4×+ peak GPU compute performance for AI
• 3.6× faster time to first token (LLM)
• 1.8× faster Topaz Video Enhance AI processing
• 1.7× faster Blender ray-traced rendering
• 2.9× faster AI speech enhancement in Premiere Pro

These numbers indicate that for users whose workloads include on-device AI inference, complex 3D rendering, or other GPU-bound and memory-intensive tasks, the jump from M4 to M5 is significant. The combination of per-core Neural Accelerators, higher memory bandwidth, and the new GPU architecture produces multi-fold speed-ups in specific AI operations.

Wireless Connectivity and Charging

The M5 MacBook Air gains Apple's N1 wireless chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 in place of the M4 model's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. This means faster peak data rates, lower latency, and improved support for next-generation networks and peripherals. The charging adapter also changes: the M5 includes a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, replacing the M4's 30W USB-C Power Adapter. The new adapter dynamically adjusts power delivery based on workload, potentially improving battery longevity.

External Display Support

Both models support up to two external displays when the lid is open, but the M5 adds the ability to drive one display up to 8K at 60Hz or 5K at 120Hz over a single Thunderbolt port. The M4 model is limited to 6K at 60Hz over one port. This makes the M5 better suited for professionals using high-resolution monitors.

Storage and Memory

Base storage on the M5 is 512GB (up from 256GB), with a maximum configuration of 4TB (up from 2TB). The Gen 4 SSD delivers approximately twice the read and write speeds of the M4's Gen 3 drive, compounding gains for storage-intensive workflows like video editing, large dataset manipulation, and app launching. Memory bandwidth increases from 120 GB/s to 153 GB/s, aiding tasks that access large amounts of data rapidly.

Everyday Performance and Upgrade Considerations

For typical day-to-day usage—browsing, office work, media playback, and basic editing—the difference between M4 and M5 is highly unlikely to be perceptible. The M4 was already a high-performance chip that routinely exceeded the demands of normal Mac workloads. For the overwhelming majority of M4 MacBook Air owners, there is clearly no general-purpose reason to upgrade.

However, for new buyers choosing between the two models, the M5 is the more straightforward long-term choice. The doubled base storage alone changes the value equation, and the performance headroom ensures the machine will better handle increasingly prevalent on-device AI workloads as they mature. If future-proofing is a priority and you intend to keep the machine for many years, the M5 model offers meaningful advantages in connectivity, display support, and raw processing power.

In summary, the M5 MacBook Air represents a solid generational improvement over the M4, particularly in GPU, AI, and storage performance. While most everyday users will see little difference, the price adjustment effectively makes the upgrade cost-neutral or even cheaper when considering storage. For professionals and power users engaged in compute-intensive tasks, the M5 is a compelling step forward.

Source: MacRumors News