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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MacBook Air (2020) excels in portability, battery life, and is suited for general use and productivity tasks, offering a sleek design and ease of use, particularly within the Apple ecosystem. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is tailored for performance-intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. It's physically larger, which improves cooling and allows for more powerful hardware, but this also means it's heavier and less portable, and the battery life may not be as long as the MacBook Air's. If travel and long battery life are your priorities and your workload does not include heavy performance tasks, the MacBook Air could be the better option. However, if you require high performance for applications like gaming or engineering software and do not mind the additional weight and shorter battery life, then the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 would be a suitable choice. 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)
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming F17
- The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.1
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a superior CPU and screen quality, making it excellent for general use with impressive portability and battery life, ideal for day-to-day tasks and mobile productivity. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17, while offering a larger screen and dedicated graphics card suitable for gaming, sacrifices battery life and portability, which are crucial for general use applications.
Content Creation
7.8
7.1
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
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
6.7
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
7.5
6.9
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When selecting a laptop, the MacBook Air generally offers a high-resolution screen and good brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, but for engineering and design, it stands out with excellent color coverage in professional color gamuts. However, it falls short for 3D work due to its lower refresh rate. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 provides a decent screen for daily activities and some level of adequacy for color-sensitive work, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has 4.5 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.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.2
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.6
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
For those focused on 3D tasks and gaming, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 stands out with a dedicated GPU and high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth graphics and fast-paced action, unlike the MacBook Air that, with a less powerful integrated GPU and lower refresh rate, is less optimized for such demands. However, the MacBook Air's high-resolution display provides crisp visuals and its CPU handles general tasks efficiently, but keep in mind its compatibility limitations with many popular games, which may steer gamers towards the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
7.3
6.9
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2020) to be good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with a high-resolution screen and an Apple M1 processor with integrated graphics, ideal for engineering and design applications with silent, fanless operation, making it very portable and quiet, though less suitable for high-end gaming.
Cost
$1,000
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 costs $1,000.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | ASUS TUF Gaming F17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 15.7'' x 10.6'' x 0.91'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 10.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i5-11400H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 48 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 264 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"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."
ASUS TUF Gaming F17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"One of the Asus TUF Gaming F17’s highlights is without a doubt its excellent gaming performance. The fact that Asus configured the RTX 3060 GPU for its specified maximum of 140 W is became immediately noticeable in our benchmarks. For a 17-inch notebook the F17 also offers a very long battery life, which makes it somewhat portable. On the flip side is the display. It may be saved by its good overall contrast ratio, but its overall brightness is simply too low, and its response times are too slow for a gaming device. The F17’s successor needs to improve upon this."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the ASUS TUF Gaming F17
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.
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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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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