Apple MacBook Air 13.3" A Grade 13.3-inch 3.2Ghz 8-Core M1 MGN63LL/A Space Gray 2020

The M1 MacBook Air is still a great ultrabook in 2025, especially at CAD 850 refurb. The M1 chip is snappy, the display is sharp, and the fanless design is a joy. But the 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM are real limitations, so budget for external storage or cloud fees.

The M1 chip remains a solid daily driver. Our database puts the CPU at 45th percentile, which sounds mediocre until you remember this is a fanless ultrabook from five years ago. It handles browsing, docs, video calls, and light photo work without breaking a sweat. The 7-core GPU lands at 59th percentile, fine for casual stuff but gaming is a 7.7 out of 100, so don't even think about it. The real bottleneck is the 8GB of RAM at 14th percentile and that 128GB SSD at 11th percentile. You'll feel both if you multitask hard or keep a big photo library.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, the Air loses on ports, storage, and raw screen brightness, but wins on macOS polish and that fanless silence. The MSI Prestige and HP OMEN Transcend 14 both offer more RAM and storage out of the box, plus actual gaming chops, but they're heavier and pricier. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion 5i are in a completely different league for performance, but they're gaming laptops, not ultrabooks. If you just need a reliable Mac for writing, browsing, and streaming, the Air holds its own. If you need Windows or real GPU power, look elsewhere.

At CAD 850 for a refurb, you're getting a lot of laptop for the money if your needs are basic. The M1 Air was CAD 1,299 new back in the day, so this is a real discount. But that 128GB SSD is a genuine problem. You'll be offloading files to external drives or iCloud within months. If you can find a 256GB or 512GB model for a bit more, do that instead.

The M1 MacBook Air is the laptop that made everyone else look silly back in 2020, and it still holds up surprisingly well as a refurb. You get that fanless design, instant wake, and the M1 chip that sips power while chewing through everyday tasks. This A Grade unit keeps the price approachable, though the base config here is the real story, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD in 2025 is tight.

It's light at 1.27kg, the Retina display still looks sharp, and the keyboard is genuinely good. But the storage situation and those two ports will make you think twice if you're a tab hoarder or dongle hater.

Skip this if you need more than 128GB of local storage, you run Windows apps regularly, or you want to play any games beyond solitaire. Also skip it if you need multiple external displays, the M1 Air only supports one external monitor natively. And if you're a heavy multitasker who keeps 40 browser tabs open, the 8GB RAM will have you seeing beach balls.

Buy this if you want a cheap entry into macOS, you mostly live in a browser, and you don't mind managing storage carefully. It's a great student laptop, a solid travel companion, and a surprisingly capable little machine for the price. Just know that 128GB SSD is going to annoy you eventually.