If affordability and battery life are higher priorities, you may prefer the Apple MacBook Air (2020), which is notably less expensive and lasts longer on a single charge. This model is also more portable due to its lighter weight and better suited for general use and tasks that don't require a dedicated graphics card. However, if performance in 3D tasks, machine learning, or gaming is a primary concern and you're okay with a heavier and bulkier device that costs more, the Eluktronics RP-15 is a more fitting choice, as it has a more powerful processor and graphics card. 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
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Eluktronics RP-15
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Eluktronics RP-15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with an Apple M1 GPU and a standard 60Hz display, which offers fair graphics performance suitable for light 3D tasks but may fall short in demanding gaming scenarios, plus macOS is not compatible with many popular games.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Eluktronics RP-15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Eluktronics RP-15 is considered very good for engineering and design use because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU than the Apple MacBook Air (2020), which translates to better performance for resource-intensive tasks. While the MacBook Air offers excellent portability and a higher-quality display, it's less equipped for demanding engineering software due to its less powerful hardware.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.0/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Eluktronics RP-15 for software development, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its retina display offers high resolution and brightness, leading to sharp and vibrant visuals that are suitable for general use and engineering/design tasks but falls short for 3D due to its standard refresh rate. The Eluktronics RP-15's display provides similar advantages with high resolution and brightness, plus extended color gamuts that appeal to engineering and design professionals who need color accuracy; however, it lacks a high refresh rate, which is critical for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. Refresh rate matters less for general use and professional design tasks, but it's vital for 3D content where smooth motion and quick screen updates are needed to enhance the user experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Eluktronics RP-15 has 6 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
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Eluktronics RP-15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Eluktronics RP-15 costs $1,399.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Eluktronics RP-15 are both good for general use.
The MacBook Air (2020) is highly praised for general use because of its efficient Apple M1 CPU, excellent screen quality, and portability, coupled with long battery life and silent operation. The Eluktronics RP-15, with its powerful AMD processor and Nvidia graphics, more RAM and storage, also fares well for general use but its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Eluktronics RP-15 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
7.7/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Eluktronics RP-15 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.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Eluktronics RP-15 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."
"To conclude, I’m genuinely impressed with Eluktronics and what they have been able to deliver with the RP-15. You see this is all about maximizing performance, cooling, and giving users the most flexible I/O, and then wrapping it into a chassis that doesn’t feel super cheap. Let’s also not forget the price point, I think they have really nailed it in that department."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Eluktronics RP-15
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 Eluktronics
Eluktronics is a relatively new American gaming laptop company, founded in 2011. They are a reseller for the Taiwanese brand Clevo, who manufacture laptops exclusively and ship them to resellers like Eluktronics who customize them. Eluktronics laptops generally have great hardware specifications for the money, including the CPU, GPU, and RAM. They also feature a relatively clean design by gaming laptop standards, with few logos and discreet colors.
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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