MacBook Air M5 vs ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED
MacBook Air M5 (#1, best overall) vs ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED (#3): in our Student Laptops scoring the MacBook Air M5 totals 9.3/10 and the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED 8.3/10, the MacBook Air M5 leading on Battery Life and Performance and the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED on Value.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| MacBook Air M5 | ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core CPU) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
| RAM | 16GB - 24GB | 16GB LPDDR5X (on board) |
| Storage | 512GB - 1TB SSD | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | Apple M5 (8-core GPU) | Intel Arc 130V (integrated) |
| Display | 13.6" Liquid Retina 2560x1664 | 14" OLED WUXGA 1920x1200 |
| Weight | 2.7 lbs | 2.87 lbs |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours | 75Wh |
| Ports | — | 2x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, microSD reader, 3.5mm audio |
| Wireless | — | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Price | Check price → | Check price → |
How they differ in real use
Built from our student laptops scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the MacBook Air M5 and the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED made our Top 5 Student Laptops, at #1 (best overall) and #3. The MacBook Air M5 (2026) is the safest premium student pick because it doubles base storage to 512GB, moves to Apple's faster M5 chip, and keeps the fanless design, long battery life, and durable build that made the M4 generation a top pick before it. The Vivobook S 14 OLED is the strongest Windows pick here for long campus days: its Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB of memory and 75Wh battery come in a 2.87 lb chassis that is about a pound lighter than the 15.6-inch Aspire 5 and 16-inch OmniBook 5, with a higher-contrast 14-inch OLED display than either.
We score student laptops on Value (30%), Battery Life (25%), Portability (20%), Performance (15%) and Build Quality (10%). On that basis the MacBook Air M5 totals 9.3 out of 10 and the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED 8.3. The widest gap is Battery Life, where the MacBook Air M5 scores 10 against 8.5 for the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED: hours of real-world use. Performance also separates them: 10 for the MacBook Air M5 versus 8 for the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED. The ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED claws back ground on Value.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Operating System: macOS on the MacBook Air M5 versus Windows 11 Home on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED; CPU: Apple M5 (10-core CPU) on the MacBook Air M5 versus Intel Core Ultra 5 226V on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED; RAM: 16GB - 24GB on the MacBook Air M5 versus 16GB LPDDR5X (on board) on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED; Storage: 512GB - 1TB SSD on the MacBook Air M5 versus 512GB PCIe SSD on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED; GPU: Apple M5 (8-core GPU) on the MacBook Air M5 versus Intel Arc 130V (integrated) on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED; Display: 13.6" Liquid Retina 2560x1664 on the MacBook Air M5 versus 14" OLED WUXGA 1920x1200 on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED.
Check current pricing at the merchant links below. Owners praise the MacBook Air M5 for exceptional battery life (up to 18 hours) and silent fanless design; the most common complaint is only 2 Thunderbolt ports. Owners praise the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED for 14" WUXGA (1920x1200) OLED display and large 75Wh battery paired with the power-efficient Core Ultra 5 226V; the most common complaint is 16GB of memory is soldered, with no upgrade path.
MacBook Air M5
- Exceptional battery life (up to 18 hours)
- Silent fanless design
- 512GB base storage, doubled from the M4 generation
- Faster M5 chip for multithreaded and AI workloads
- Only 2 Thunderbolt ports
- No ProMotion display (60Hz)
- List price rose after Apple's mid-2026 memory-driven price increase
ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED
- 14" WUXGA (1920x1200) OLED display
- Large 75Wh battery paired with the power-efficient Core Ultra 5 226V
- 16GB LPDDR5X memory standard
- 2.87 lbs
- 16GB of memory is soldered, with no upgrade path
- 60Hz refresh rate
- Integrated Intel Arc graphics are not meant for demanding games or 3D work
Which should you buy?
The MacBook Air M5 is the better fit for students wanting premium and macOS users; it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Battery Life and Performance. The ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED is the better fit for students wanting OLED and all-day battery on campus, and the stronger choice if Value matters more to you than the overall score. The MacBook Air M5 is a poor fit for budget students; the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED is a poor fit for gamers.
Choose the MacBook Air M5 if
- Students wanting premium
- macOS users
- Long lecture days
Skip it if
- Budget students
- Windows users
Choose the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED if
- Students wanting OLED
- All-day battery on campus
- Windows users
Skip it if
- Gamers
- Buyers who want upgradeable memory
Common questions
Is the MacBook Air M5 better than the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED?
In our Student Laptops ranking the MacBook Air M5 scores higher overall, 9.3 to 8.3, with the biggest advantage in Battery Life. The ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED is stronger on Value, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
What is the main difference between the MacBook Air M5 and the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED?
The headline spec difference is Operating System: macOS on the MacBook Air M5 versus Windows 11 Home on the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED. In use, the gap that matters most is Battery Life (10 vs 8.5 in our scoring): hours of real-world use.