Apple MacBook Air 13.3 Gold 2020

The MacBook Air 13.3 is a refurbished Intel-based MacBook that still offers a great display and solid build quality at a budget price. But the outdated CPU and limited RAM make it a tough sell compared to M1 models. Only worth considering if you find it near the USD 350 mark and absolutely need macOS.

The 10th-gen Core i5 here is a 4-core chip running at 1.1GHz base, and it lands in the 11th percentile for CPU performance in our database. That's rough. For context, this chip gets smoked by even the base M1 MacBook Air, let alone anything newer. Day-to-day tasks feel okay because macOS is well optimized, but throw anything heavy at it and you'll hear the fans spin up while things chug along.

The Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics sit at the 42nd percentile, which is about average for integrated GPUs of this era. That means light photo editing is doable, but gaming is basically a non-starter. Our gaming score for this machine is 8.1 out of 100, which should tell you everything you need to know. The 8GB of RAM is also a weak point at the 20th percentile, and with modern macOS versions getting hungrier, multitasking can get tight fast.

The 512GB SSD is a bright spot for storage capacity, though it sits at the 37th percentile overall. Boot times are quick and apps launch snappily. The 50Wh battery is adequate but not impressive by today's standards.

Stacked against the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7, the MacBook Air wins on build quality and display but loses on raw CPU performance and upgradeability. The ThinkPad is a business workhorse with newer internals, while this Air is coasting on Apple's design and ecosystem. The HP OmniBook X Flip and ASUS Zenbook UX3405CA both offer newer processors and better port selections, though they typically cost more than this refurbished Air.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is the most direct competitor in terms of premium feel and portability, and it has a much more modern chip inside. The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro also outclasses this Air on specs, with a better display and faster processor. But none of those run macOS, and for some buyers that's the whole point. If you're locked into the Apple ecosystem and need the cheapest MacBook possible, this is it. If you're flexible on OS, there are better Windows laptops at similar prices.

Value is where this gets interesting. The USD 350 to USD 600 spread across three US listings means you need to shop carefully. At the low end, around USD 350, this is a reasonable budget MacBook for someone who just needs macOS and a good screen. At USD 600, you're dangerously close to refurbished M1 MacBook Air territory, and that machine runs circles around this one in every metric that matters. If you can find this Intel model at the lower end of that range, it's a decent deal. Pay anywhere near the top and you're making a mistake.

The MacBook Air 13.3 sits in that weird middle ground of Apple's lineup, a refurbished Intel model from 2020 that still gets sold alongside the newer M-series machines. It's the laptop people search for when they want a MacBook Air under $600, and at USD 350 to USD 600 depending on the listing, it's one of the cheapest ways into macOS. You get a 13.3-inch Retina display, a 10th-gen Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD in a 1.27kg aluminum body.

For everyday tasks like browsing, email, and document work, this thing still holds up fine. The screen is genuinely good, the keyboard is comfortable, and the build quality is what you'd expect from Apple. But the Intel chip inside is showing its age, especially when you compare it to Apple's own M1 and M2 Airs that now dominate the refurbished market.

If you're asking whether the MacBook Air 13.3 is good for students or business use, the answer is a qualified yes. Our database puts it at 74.6 for students and 76 for business, which is solid but not spectacular. The compact score of 86.8 is where it shines, this is a genuinely portable machine.

Skip this if you do any kind of creative work, gaming, or heavy multitasking. The 8GB of RAM and aging Intel chip will choke on video editing, photo work beyond light touch-ups, or running multiple demanding apps at once. Also skip it if you're not tied to macOS, a Windows laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 or ASUS Zenbook UX3405CA will give you much better performance per dollar. And if you can stretch your budget even slightly, a refurbished M1 MacBook Air is the obvious upgrade path.

Should you buy this? Only if you specifically need a MacBook and your budget is firmly under USD 500. The MacBook Air 13.3 is a well-built, reliable machine with a great screen and a comfortable keyboard. But the Intel Core i5 inside is a relic at this point, and the 8GB of RAM will frustrate you if you keep more than a handful of tabs open.

For most people, we'd say save up a bit more and get a refurbished M1 MacBook Air instead. The performance gap is enormous, and the battery life difference alone is worth the extra money. This Intel model is a stopgap, not a long-term investment.