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Apple Macbook Air 2019 in Review: Now with True Tone, but the fan is still annoying

Small Update with True Tone Display The 2019 MacBook Air is just a minor update. Apple's smallest laptop now supports True Tone for the screen, so the color temperature is automatically adjusted to the environment. Otherwise, there is not much change, and we still get the annoying fan. At least the price is a bit lower.

The MacBook Air is still the most compact laptop from Apple, but the MacBook Pro 13 is just slightly thicker and heavier. The 2019 model of the Air is also 100 Euros (~$110) cheaper than before and starts at 1249 Euros (~1380) in the official Apple store. Our test unit is the SKU with 256 GB storage for 1499 Euros (~$1657). However, other online retailers often sell this model for just 1299 Euros (~$1436).

Neither the chassis nor the processor have changed, so please have a look at our previous review of the 2018 model for more information:

Apple Macbook Air 2019
Processor
Intel Core i5-8210Y 2 x 1.6 - 3.6 GHz, Amber Lake-Y
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3-2133, Dual-Channel, verlötet
Display
13.30 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 227 PPI, APPA041, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-Y + iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
Apple SSD AP0256, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm Stereo, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 ( = 0.61 x 11.97 x 8.36 in)
Battery
49.9 Wh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 12 h
Operating System
Apple macOS 10.15 Catalina
Camera
Webcam: Facetime HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 30W USB-C Power Adapter, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.25 kg ( = 44.09 oz / 2.76 pounds), Power Supply: 178 g ( = 6.28 oz / 0.39 pounds)
Price
1299 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
85.6 %
01/2020
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1.3 kg15.6 mm13.30"2560x1600
88 %
01/2019
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1.2 kg11.6 mm13.30"3840x2160
86 %
07/2019
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg15.9 mm13.30"1920x1080
85.4 %
01/2019
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg14.5 mm13.50"2256x1504
88.1 %
07/2017
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
1.4 kg14.9 mm13.30"2560x1600

Size Comparison

307.6 mm / 12.1 inch 216 mm / 8.5 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.3 kg2.94 lbs308 mm / 12.1 inch 223.2 mm / 8.79 inch 14.5 mm / 0.571 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 15.6 mm / 0.614 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.02 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 11.6 mm / 0.4567 inch 1.2 kg2.7 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Communication – MacBook Air without Wi-Fi 6

The MacBook Air supports all common WLAN standards, including 802.11ac, but unfortunately no Wi-Fi 6. The transfer rates are still decent at 550-600 Mbps and on par with the rivals. We did not notice any connection issues, either. Similar to the previous model, the device only supports the old Bluetooth standard 4.2.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
658 MBit/s +21%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
594 (579min - 616max) MBit/s +9%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
544 MBit/s
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller
543 (486min - 584max) MBit/s 0%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
648 MBit/s +6%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
609 MBit/s
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller
576 (549min - 597max) MBit/s -5%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
524 (459min - 576max) MBit/s -14%

Input Devices – MacBook Air still with Butterfly

Apple has changed the keyboard of the MacBook Air slightly, but it is basically still the same familiar Butterfly keyboard with its very precise, but very shallow key travel. Apple has replaced the keyboard for the new MacBook Pro 16 and there are also hints that the upcoming MacBook Pro 13 will get the new input. However, the chassis height is more important for the MacBook Air, so we are not sure if the upcoming model will get the new keyboard (which requires more z-height). Right now, the MacBook Air is also the last notebook from Apple with physical function keys.

Input Devices
Input Devices

Display – MacBook Air with True Tone and sRGB

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The display is one of the few components with new features for the 2019 model. After the 2018 MacBook Air initially had problems to reach the advertised luminance of 400 Nits, Apple later offered a software update to improve the situation a bit (we reported). This is not a problem anymore and our test unit is brighter than 400 Nits at some of the measuring points (393 Nits on average). Thanks to the high resolution, you get sharp images and the overall picture impression is subjectively very good.

The real new feature is the True Tone support, so the MacBook Air can automatically adjust the color temperature based on the environment. This is a nice feature and you will get used to it pretty quickly. However, you should deactivate True Tone if you need accurate colors (such as picture editing).

Despite the True Tone support, the display is still not identical to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which supports the larger P3 color gamut, while the MacBook Air is targeting the smaller RGB standard.

371
cd/m²
397
cd/m²
388
cd/m²
388
cd/m²
421
cd/m²
404
cd/m²
376
cd/m²
409
cd/m²
384
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
APPA041 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 421 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 393.1 cd/m² Minimum: 4.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 421 cd/m²
Contrast: 1238:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.6% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
94.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.21
Apple Macbook Air 2019
APPA041, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
ID: AUO 282B B133ZAN Dell: 90NTH, IPS, 3840x2160, 13.30
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
N133HCE-EN2, a-Si IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
VVX14T092N00, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
APPA033, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Display
-4%
1%
0%
26%
Display P3 Coverage
67.4
64.7
-4%
67
-1%
68
1%
99.2
47%
sRGB Coverage
94.7
93.1
-2%
99.1
5%
94.7
0%
99.9
5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
69.1
65.3
-5%
69.2
0%
69.2
0%
87.1
26%
Response Times
-30%
-23%
-60%
1%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42.4 ?(21.2, 21.2)
58 ?(26, 32)
-37%
40.4 ?(22, 18.4)
5%
69.2 ?(34.8, 34.4)
-63%
42.8 ?(22.4, 20.4)
-1%
Response Time Black / White *
29.6 ?(16, 13.6)
36 ?(20, 16)
-22%
28.8 ?(15.6, 13.2)
3%
46.4 ?(26, 20.4)
-57%
28.8 ?(14.8, 14)
3%
PWM Frequency
111100 ?(66)
25000 ?(20)
-77%
Screen
-55%
-36%
-40%
3%
Brightness middle
421
404
-4%
319
-24%
392
-7%
588
40%
Brightness
393
389
-1%
309
-21%
390
-1%
561
43%
Brightness Distribution
88
85
-3%
92
5%
89
1%
92
5%
Black Level *
0.34
0.37
-9%
0.28
18%
0.24
29%
0.45
-32%
Contrast
1238
1092
-12%
1139
-8%
1633
32%
1307
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.5
3.72
-148%
2.4
-60%
3.2
-113%
1.7
-13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.8
7.38
-94%
6.3
-66%
6.3
-66%
3.5
8%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.2
4.44
-270%
3.8
-217%
4.5
-275%
1.9
-58%
Gamma
2.21 100%
2.34 94%
2.16 102%
2.2 100%
2.33 94%
CCT
6694 97%
7095 92%
7335 89%
7556 86%
6738 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.3
60
-2%
63.5
4%
63.9
4%
77.92
27%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94.6
93
-2%
99.1
5%
95
0%
99.94
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.06
0.6
1.4
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-30% / -41%
-19% / -27%
-33% / -34%
10% / 7%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
29.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 13.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 76 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.2 ms rise
↘ 21.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 111100 Hz ≤ 66 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 111100 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 66 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 111100 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The MacBook Air is already well-calibrated out of the box. We checked the display with the professional CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1 Pro2 spectrophotometer, and there is no color cast. Most of the colors are also below the important mark of 3, only two values (brown/orange) are slightly higher. The panel also supports almost the full sRGB gamut, so you can edit pictures in this color space.

Outdoors, the MacBook Air performs pretty well despite the glossy surface. Even direct light sources only create a comparatively small reflection (see outdoor picture). The viewing angle stability of the IPS display is excellent.

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
In the sun
In the sun
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance – MacBook Air still with slow Y-CPU

The performance has not changed, because Apple still uses the Core i5-8210Y. The designation Core i5 suggests a certain performance level, even though this is not the case. The "Y" behind the 8210 indicates an ultra-low voltage processor with a TDP of 4.5W (or 7W cTDP up, respectively), so it can be cooled passively like it is the case here. This means that the MBA is not suited for more demanding tasks or multi-tasking. Video playback (also high-res) on the other hand is no problem thanks to the integrated video decoder of the UHD Graphics. We have listed all our benchmarks scores for the 2019 MBA below, but we also recommend checking our comprehensive review of the 2018 MacBook Air. The performance is at least very stable after a small initial drop.

YouTube playback Safari (1080p)
YouTube playback Safari (1080p)
YouTube playback Microsoft Edge (Bootcamp, 4K)
YouTube playback Microsoft Edge (Bootcamp, 4K)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +84%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
162 Points +28%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
148 Points +17%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
145 Points +14%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
140 Points +10%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
141 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (127 - 132, n=2)
129.5 Points +2%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
127 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +571%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
666 Points +162%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
655 (546min - 658max) Points +158%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
590 Points +132%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
362 Points +43%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
346 Points +36%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (254 - 285, n=2)
270 Points +6%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
254 (241.29min - 254.07max) Points
Ref. Match 64Bit
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
99.3 % +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
97.8 % 0%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (97.8 - 99.3, n=2)
98.6 % +1%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (97.8 - 99.6, n=63, last 2 years)
98.1 % 0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
98 % 0%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
97.8 % 0%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
97.8 %
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
53.4 % -45%
OpenGL 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (35.8 - 221, n=64, last 2 years)
113.1 fps +160%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
97.8 fps +125%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
62.3 fps +43%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
41.32 fps -5%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
51.9 fps +19%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
47.2 fps +9%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
43.5 fps
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (34.7 - 43.5, n=2)
39.1 fps -10%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +93%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
386 Points +24%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
312 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
312 Points 0%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +536%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1202 Points +100%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
601 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
601 Points 0%
PCMark 10
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +313%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
3125 Points +91%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
3058 Points +87%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
2907 (2884min - 2907max) Points +78%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1637 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (1609 - 1637, n=2)
1623 Points -1%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
0 Points -100%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +75%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
6720 (6704min - 6767max) Points +51%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
6101 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
5836 Points +31%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
5344 Points +20%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
4458 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3902 - 4458, n=2)
4180 Points -6%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +77%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
8033 Points +40%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
7874 (7788min - 7901max) Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
7278 Points +27%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
6862 Points +19%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
5752 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (4504 - 5752, n=2)
5128 Points -11%
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +133%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
3840 (3824min - 3845max) Points +54%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
3835 Points +54%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
3630 Points +46%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
2491 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (2174 - 2491, n=2)
2333 Points -6%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
0 Points -100%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
348 Points +79%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
251.8 Points +29%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (194.6 - 236, n=2)
215 Points +10%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
213.4 Points +10%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
207.6 Points +7%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
194.6 Points
Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (159 - 478, n=39, last 2 years)
257 Points +167%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
96.3 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
96.3 Points 0%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (49893 - 98093, n=33, last 2 years)
80655 Points +174%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
40415 Points +37%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (29470 - 36536, n=2)
33003 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
32789 Points +11%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
29470 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
28961 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
28455 Points -3%
AS SSD
Copy Game MB/s
Average of class Subnotebook
  (258 - 2773, n=44, last 2 years)
1391 MB/s +122%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
627 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
627 MB/s 0%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
618 MB/s -1%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
577 MB/s -8%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
374.1 MB/s -40%
Copy Program MB/s
Average of class Subnotebook
  (122.2 - 1164, n=44, last 2 years)
602 MB/s +99%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
325.1 MB/s +8%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
302.1 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
302 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
292.2 MB/s -3%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
287.9 MB/s -5%
Copy ISO MB/s
Average of class Subnotebook
  (345 - 4264, n=44, last 2 years)
2074 MB/s +72%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1205 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1205 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
943 MB/s -22%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
893 MB/s -26%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
755 MB/s -37%
Score Total
Average of class Subnotebook
  (707 - 8892, n=57, last 2 years)
4394 Points +242%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
2234 Points +74%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1479 Points +15%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1369 Points +7%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1283 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1283 Points 0%
Score Write
Average of class Subnotebook
  (327 - 3972, n=57, last 2 years)
2252 Points +624%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
843 Points +171%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
521 Points +68%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
471 Points +51%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
311 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
311 Points 0%
Score Read
Average of class Subnotebook
  (253 - 3307, n=57, last 2 years)
1456 Points +128%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
939 Points +47%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
704 Points +10%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
638 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
638 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
563 Points -12%
Access Time Write
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
0.275 ms *
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
0.275 ms * -0%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.016 - 0.523, n=57, last 2 years)
0.07386 ms * +73%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
0.051 ms * +81%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
0.048 ms * +83%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
0.031 ms * +89%
Access Time Read
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
0.331 ms *
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
0.331 ms * -0%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.021 - 0.257, n=57, last 2 years)
0.06149 ms * +81%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
0.061 ms * +82%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
0.048 ms * +85%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
0.046 ms * +86%
4K-64 Write
Average of class Subnotebook
  (223 - 3410, n=57, last 2 years)
1843 MB/s +915%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
672 MB/s +270%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
370.4 MB/s +104%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
300.1 MB/s +65%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
181.6 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
181.6 MB/s 0%
4K-64 Read
Average of class Subnotebook
  (187.3 - 2682, n=57, last 2 years)
1019 MB/s +91%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
772 MB/s +45%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
534 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
534 MB/s 0%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
461 MB/s -14%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
447 MB/s -16%
4K Write
Average of class Subnotebook
  (65.5 - 256, n=57, last 2 years)
172.9 MB/s +1050%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
119.1 MB/s +692%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
105.7 MB/s +603%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
95.3 MB/s +534%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
15.03 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
15 MB/s 0%
4K Read
Average of class Subnotebook
  (14.8 - 96.2, n=57, last 2 years)
60.1 MB/s +471%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
40.31 MB/s +283%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
39.74 MB/s +277%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
33.39 MB/s +217%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
10.53 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
10.5 MB/s 0%
Seq Write
Average of class Subnotebook
  (386 - 4961, n=57, last 2 years)
2323 MB/s +104%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1139 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1139 MB/s 0%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
658 MB/s -42%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
555 MB/s -51%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
518 MB/s -55%
Seq Read
Average of class Subnotebook
  (508 - 5546, n=57, last 2 years)
3767 MB/s +304%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
2035 MB/s +118%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1264 MB/s +35%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
933 MB/s
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
933 MB/s 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
826 MB/s -11%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1680 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1680 Seconds * -0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
807 Seconds * +52%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (201 - 1600, n=66, last 2 years)
397 Seconds * +76%
3DMark
Night Raid CPU Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
12134 Points +550%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1867 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1867 Points 0%
Night Raid Graphics Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
29912 Points +565%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
4496 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
4496 Points 0%
Night Raid Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
24522 Points +561%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3711 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
3711 Points 0%
2560x1440 Time Spy Stress Test
Average of class Subnotebook
  (82.7 - 99.8, n=18, last 2 years)
96.6 %
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
92.6 (88.1min - 93.3max) %
2560x1440 Time Spy CPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2939 - 10832, n=58, last 2 years)
6672 Points +459%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
2906 Points +143%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
1859 (1817min - 1946max) Points +56%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (1194 - 1215, n=2)
1205 Points +1%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1194 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
1981 Points +560%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
483 (453min - 487max) Points +61%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
389 Points +30%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
300 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (286 - 300, n=2)
293 Points -2%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (909 - 5098, n=58, last 2 years)
2201 Points +553%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
543 (510min - 548max) Points +61%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
446 Points +32%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
337 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (322 - 337, n=2)
330 Points -2%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Combined
Average of class Subnotebook
  (347 - 932, n=9, last 2 years)
639 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
144 (141min - 145max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
105 Points
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (12018 - 22951, n=9, last 2 years)
17548 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
5809 (5421min - 5863max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
3079 Points
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (745 - 1749, n=9, last 2 years)
1305 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
321 (319min - 324max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
212 Points
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (764 - 1842, n=9, last 2 years)
1350 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
327 (324min - 329max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
220 Points
Fire Strike Extreme Combined
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
1126 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
241 (237min - 260max) Points
Fire Strike Extreme Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
21643 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
5614 (5609min - 5895max) Points
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
2541 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
666 (658min - 682max) Points
Fire Strike Extreme Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
2558 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
634 (632min - 661max) Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Combined
Average of class Subnotebook
  (841 - 3648, n=38, last 2 years)
1880 Points +471%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
540 (509min - 5374max) Points +64%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
395 Points +20%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
348 Points +6%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
329 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (291 - 329, n=2)
310 Points -6%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4242 - 27517, n=59, last 2 years)
17913 Points +492%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
9419 Points +211%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
8977 Points +196%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
5933 (5706min - 6048max) Points +96%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3028 - 3192, n=2)
3110 Points +3%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3028 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +462%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
1541 (1484min - 1547max) Points +47%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1271 Points +21%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1105 Points +6%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1047 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (947 - 1047, n=2)
997 Points -5%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2655 - 11233, n=59, last 2 years)
5402 Points +478%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
1425 (1373min - 1435max) Points +53%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1162 Points +24%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1018 Points +9%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
934 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (845 - 934, n=2)
890 Points -5%
Sky Diver Stress Test
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
84.5 %
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
84.5 % 0%
1280x720 Sky Diver Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
18472 Points +437%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
7635 Points +122%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3442 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3102 - 3442, n=2)
3272 Points -5%
1280x720 Sky Diver Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
16342 Points +413%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
4267 Points +34%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3187 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3040 - 3187, n=2)
3114 Points -2%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
16748 Points +416%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
4581 Points +41%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3247 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3054 - 3247, n=2)
3151 Points -3%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5311 - 18758, n=40, last 2 years)
11393 Points
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
7855 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
6615 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
6244 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
3986 (3751min - 3997max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
2252 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=40, last 2 years)
29002 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
11495 (10969min - 11750max) Points
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
10126 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
9946 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
9058 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
7231 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (10751 - 37020, n=40, last 2 years)
21265 Points
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
9514 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
8910 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
8233 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
8102 (7683min - 8210max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
4841 Points
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (36896 - 94133, n=3, last 2 years)
74881 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
52597 (52002min - 53524max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
17419 Points
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (79355 - 328851, n=3, last 2 years)
223096 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
154251 (153577min - 157137max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
77156 Points
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (63194 - 211018, n=3, last 2 years)
153828 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
107906 (107092min - 109871max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
43352 Points
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2080 - 13942, n=55, last 2 years)
6370 Points +347%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
2193 (2057min - 2200max) Points +54%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1795 Points +26%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1741 Points +22%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1480 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (1426 - 1472, n=2)
1449 Points +2%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1426 Points
1280x720 Performance Physics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4695 - 21504, n=55, last 2 years)
13959 Points +322%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
8284 Points +150%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
6898 Points +108%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
6734 Points +103%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
5036 (4849min - 5132max) Points +52%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (3311 - 3831, n=2)
3571 Points +8%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
3311 Points
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +431%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
2379 (2355min - 2425max) Points +58%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
1852 Points +23%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1815 Points +20%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1759 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (1509 - 1572, n=2)
1541 Points +2%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1509 Points
1280x720 Performance
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3115 - 16439, n=55, last 2 years)
8249 Points +405%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640
2564 (2512min - 2599max) Points +57%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
2065 Points +27%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
2053 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1937 Points +19%
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
  (1632 - 1711, n=2)
1672 Points +2%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1632 Points
Geekbench 4.4
Compute OpenCL Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (34164 - 128881, n=10, last 2 years)
76098 Points +136%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
32196 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
32196 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
29067 Points -10%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (15240 - 43897, n=11, last 2 years)
32353 Points +333%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
13205 Points +77%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
7474 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
7474 Points 0%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3460 - 7522, n=11, last 2 years)
6551 Points +57%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
4397 Points +6%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
4162 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
4162 Points 0%
Geekbench 5.0
OpenCL Score 5.0
Average of class Subnotebook
  (11970 - 49144, n=15, last 2 years)
23232 Points +376%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
4876 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
4876 Points 0%
5.0 Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3749 - 11684, n=15, last 2 years)
8229 Points +474%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
1433 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
1433 Points 0%
5.0 Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (663 - 1828, n=15, last 2 years)
1554 Points +135%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617
660 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8210Y
 
660 Points 0%

* ... smaller is better

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Apple Macbook Air 2019 Intel Core i5-8210Y, Intel Core i5-8210Y: Ø252 (241.29-254.07)
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø614 (574.66-670.36)
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø557 (546-655)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004 Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø551 (528.17-577.63)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 2TB3 Intel Core i5-8257U, Intel Core i5-8257U: Ø634 (611.7-637.97)
Apple SSD AP0256
Sequential Read: 933MB/s
Sequential Write: 1139MB/s
4K Read: 10.53MB/s
4K Write: 15.03MB/s
4K-64 Read: 534MB/s
4K-64 Write: 181.6MB/s
Access Time Read: 0.331ms
Access Time Write: 0.275ms
Copy ISO: 1205MB/s
Copy Program: 302.1MB/s
Copy Game: 627MB/s
Score Read: 638Points
Score Write: 311Points
Score Total: 1283Points
low med. high ultra
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 67.2 28.2 14.6 13.6
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 20.2 14.1 12.8

Emissions & Energy

System Noise – The fan of the MBA is annoying

Probably the biggest issue of the MacBook Air is the cooling. The processor itself is cooled passively. There is a fan inside the chassis, but it is not directly connected to the heat sink of the CPU. This fan is only supposed to improve the air circulation inside the case and help dissipate warm air.

To be fair, the fan is often deactivated when you perform simple tasks. Once you start to stress the CPU a bit more, however, which can be as simple as running multiple tabs in Safari, the fan will slowly and seamlessly increase its speed. More intense load scenarios (such as the installation of applications) or higher ambient temperatures, the noise level quickly reaches up to 41 dB(A), just like the previous model. Furthermore, the frequency starts getting annoying from 37-38 dB(A). Considering the very low performance, this is not really acceptable, and also results in a point deduction in this sub-rating.

Noise Level

Idle
29.5 / 29.5 / 29.5 dB(A)
Load
34 / 41 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.5 dB(A)
Apple Macbook Air 2019
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
Noise
0%
4%
7%
1%
off / environment *
29.5
30.4
-3%
28.8
2%
28.7
3%
29
2%
Idle Minimum *
29.5
30.4
-3%
28.8
2%
28.7
3%
29
2%
Idle Average *
29.5
30.4
-3%
28.8
2%
28.7
3%
29
2%
Idle Maximum *
29.5
30.4
-3%
29.7
-1%
28.7
3%
29
2%
Load Average *
34
31.7
7%
30.7
10%
30
12%
33.9
-0%
Load Maximum *
41
38.1
7%
38.3
7%
32.9
20%
41.8
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature


Max. Load
 38.6 °C
101 F
43.1 °C
110 F
40.6 °C
105 F
 
 31.8 °C
89 F
37.5 °C
100 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
26.2 °C
79 F
28.7 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 43.1 °C = 110 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
39.1 °C
102 F
41 °C
106 F
35.8 °C
96 F
34.3 °C
94 F
35.4 °C
96 F
33 °C
91 F
29.6 °C
85 F
29.9 °C
86 F
29.5 °C
85 F
Maximum: 41 °C = 106 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.8 °C = 96 F | Room Temperature 20.3 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.1 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.4 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.7 °C / 83.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-0.4 °C / -0.8 F).
Stress test top
Stress test top
Stress test bottom
Stress test bottom
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.430.22525.626.83130.528.74030.326.55029.930.86324.227.28022.331.21002443.312522.648.216022.754.520022.253.725021.552.431520.656.440020.160.55002060.363019.363.380018.963.7100019.661.3125018.164160017.365.4200016.768.4250016.46631501663.7400015.963.7500015.661.2630015.659.8800015.659.71000015.654.51250015.253.6160001553.2SPL29.575.8N1.336.9median 18.1median 60.3Delta2.44.731.835.431.832.731.232.732.133.232.130.730.630.730.727.830.727.528.127.527.426.827.429.424.829.436.325.936.33923.93935.922.835.941.421.941.443.621.143.652.920.352.957.219.457.257.818.657.869.218.169.27017.77066.117.866.167.417.567.466.817.566.863.417.563.462.317.962.361.517.861.561.718.361.75818.55861.718.661.762.618.662.654.518.654.544.318.944.376.830.476.834.61.334.6median 58median 18.6median 5811.11.311.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseApple Macbook Air 2019Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Apple Macbook Air 2019 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 22% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 14% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 83% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Runtime

Compact 30W USB-C PSU
Compact 30W USB-C PSU

The battery runtime of the compact MacBook Air is very good and clearly ahead of the Windows competition. Our practical WLAN test at an adjusted luminance of 150 Nits runs for around 11.5 hours. If you use the maximum brightness, this result drops to 7 hours, which is still decent.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Apple MacBook Air 2018
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617, 50.3 Wh
721 min +5%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617, 50.3 Wh
668 min -3%
Apple Macbook Air 2019
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617, 49.9 Wh
689 min
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017
i5-7360U, Iris Plus Graphics 640, 54.5 Wh
681 min -1%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
623 min -10%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-20R90071GE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
545 min -21%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2-LQN-00004
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
543 min -21%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
498 min -28%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Safari)
11h 29min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Safari 13)
6h 59min

Pros

+ high quality case
+ good screen
+ 2x USB-C w/ Thunderbolt 3
+ long battery runtime
+ great touchpad
+ Touch-ID fingerprint scanner
+ often silent operation
+ very good speakers
+ sufficient everyday performance

Cons

- very low CPU performance
- display is not as good as on the MacBook Pros
- only USB-C and stereo jack
- fan is way too loud for this level of performance
- long charging time
- no Wi-Fi 6; only Bluetooth 4.2
- no SD reader
- very high prices for storage upgrades

Verdict – MacBook Air appears outdated

In review: Apple MacBook Air 2019. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.
In review: Apple MacBook Air 2019. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.

Not a lot has changed in the 2019 version of the MacBook Air. The screen now manages the advertised luminance and the added True Tone support is certainly a benefit. There is not much criticism for the display in general, but the panels of the MacBook Pro are better thanks to the wider color gamut.

The biggest problem is still the slow processor in combination with the annoying fan (under load). The performance just cannot keep up with the rivals and you should not expect limitations when you run more demanding applications or multi-tasking. For simple stuff such as writing mails, Skype, common web browsing, or the playback of high resolution videos, however, is no problem.

The 2018 model of the MacBook Air was not very innovative to begin with, and the laptop just appears outdated in some regards. In isolation, the MacBook Air is certainly a good subnotebook, but Apple's own MacBook Pro 13 is a better alternative for a similar price.

The entry-level MacBook Pro 13 (2x TB3, review will follow soon) is a very serious rival for the MacBook Air. The case is just slightly thicker at the front, but you will hardly notice the difference in practice. In return, you get much more performance (and therefore better equipped for the upcoming years) for just a slightly higher price.

Apple Macbook Air 2019 - 04/08/2020 v7
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
89 / 98 → 90%
Keyboard
86%
Pointing Device
100%
Connectivity
57 / 75 → 76%
Weight
72 / 20-75 → 95%
Battery
89%
Display
90%
Games Performance
41 / 78 → 53%
Application Performance
69 / 85 → 81%
Temperature
92%
Noise
75%
Audio
78 / 91 → 85%
Camera
30 / 85 → 35%
Average
74%
86%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Apple Macbook Air 2019 in Review: Now with True Tone, but the fan is still annoying
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-01-31 (Update: 2020-01-31)