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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is generally more affordable than the ASUS Zenbook 14X, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious customers. If cost is a significant factor for you, the MacBook Air also offers the efficiency of the Apple M1 chip, which ensures robust performance for everyday tasks and longer battery life in a fanless, silent design. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14X provides superior storage and RAM, which may be beneficial for more resource-intensive applications. It also comes with a higher-resolution OLED screen and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card that could improve your experience if you're into gaming or creative work. However, the Zenbook is heavier and might have a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air. Ultimately, if price is your top priority and you need a laptop for general use with great battery life and portability, the MacBook Air is an excellent option. But if you require higher performance for 3D work, gaming, or engineering and are willing to pay more, the Zenbook 14X could suit your needs better. 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 Zenbook 14X
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
8.3
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MacBook Air's screen, with its high resolution and brightness, ensures crisp and clear visuals for general activities, but it lacks the wide color gamuts preferred by engineering and design professionals. The ASUS Zenbook 14X offers enhanced color fidelity with wide color gamuts, making it superior for engineering and design tasks that demand precise color representation. However, for 3D applications and gaming, which require high refresh rates to prevent motion blur and provide smoother visuals, neither laptop's screen is ideal due to their standard refresh rates.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 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
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$777
$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 Zenbook 14X costs $777.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS Zenbook 14X are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), with its M1 CPU and fanless operation, excels in silent performance and lengthy battery life for general use, and is more portable, which is great for on-the-go tasks, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X offers a more powerful Intel i7-1260P CPU and extra RAM for multitasking, along with a high-contrast OLED screen for better visual quality, at the cost of being slightly heavier with shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.5
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.7
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its Apple M1 chip offers effective CPU and GPU performance for design tasks within a silent, fanless unit, and boasts high screen quality and an extremely portable design. The ASUS Zenbook 14X, on the other hand, provides a higher RAM and a more powerful GPU with Nvidia MX550 that's more suited for demanding engineering software, coupled with a superior OLED screen, but it trades off on battery life and portability compared to the MacBook Air.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS Zenbook 14X are both good for content creation.
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
7.4
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS Zenbook 14X are both good for software development.
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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and ASUS Zenbook 14X both have 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 Zenbook 14X compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | ASUS Zenbook 14X |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $777 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 3.09 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.25" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 63 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 90Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 339 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
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 Zenbook 14X
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | April 2022
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the ASUS Zenbook 14X
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.
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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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