Selecting between the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 depends on your specific needs. The MacBook Air is lighter and generally offers longer battery life making it ideal for day-to-day tasks, travel, and work that doesn't demand heavy graphics or processing power. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, while pricier, is geared towards gaming, 3D modeling, and intensive engineering software due to stronger performance capabilities. If your activities are more casual and you value portability and cost-effectiveness, the MacBook Air is likely a better fit. For high-performance tasks and gaming, the ASUS might justify the additional expense. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair for 3D due to its integrated 7-core GPU, which is less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs, along with a 60Hz screen refresh rate, which is adequate for productivity but not optimized for gaming. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is better suited for gaming and 3D with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which can render more fluid motion and is a significant asset for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 surpasses the Apple MacBook Air (2020) in terms of computing power and graphics performance due to its more recent and powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, making it better suited for intensive engineering and design tasks that require high-end processing capabilities. While the MacBook Air offers a high-quality screen and fanless operation for quiet use, the Flow Z13 boasts superior screen quality, further enhanced by its touchscreen and higher screen brightness, providing a vivid display for detailed design work; nonetheless, it trades off with a shorter battery life than the MacBook Air.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Air's screen offers crisp images and wide viewing angles due to its high resolution and IPS panel, ensuring vibrant colors and readability in various lighting conditions, which is essential for general use. For engineering and design professionals, the MacBook Air screen covers a wide range of color gamuts, providing accurate color reproduction needed for detail-oriented work. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion and quick screen updates are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has 6.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,575
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 costs $1,575.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers sufficient performance for general use with its M1 chip and long battery life, paired with a high-quality screen, making it a reliable choice for daily tasks in a highly portable form. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13, on the other hand, boasts a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, coupled with a superior screen that also offers touch capability, providing higher performance especially useful for demanding applications, though with a tradeoff in battery life.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
8.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the ASUS ROG Flow Z13
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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