The HP 250 G10 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
6.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for general use, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is rated higher for general use because it has a more powerful CPU, the Apple M1, which will handle everyday tasks with ease, and a high-quality Retina display with better brightness and color accuracy which is especially beneficial for viewing content and editing images. Conversely, the HP 250 G10, despite having more RAM, offers a lower resolution screen and a less robust Intel N200 CPU, resulting in fair performance for general use; its TN panel provides more limited viewing angles and color representation compared to the MacBook's IPS display.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
5.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 chip and 7-core integrated graphics, while running macOS which supports fewer games, can handle 3D tasks more capably than the HP 250 G10, which features a less powerful Intel UHD Graphics GPU on a Windows platform known for gaming but hampered by the lower-end hardware. Both laptops have similar refresh rates and screen resolutions that are not ideal for high-end gaming, but the MacBook's superior GPU and its higher-quality IPS display make it better suited for 3D tasks compared to the HP's basic TN panel.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
5.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for content creation, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
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
6.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for software development, while the HP 250 G10 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
7.5/10
5.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP 250 G10 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air has a high-resolution display with bright and vibrant colors, making it excellent for general use and detail-oriented work in engineering and design, but it lacks the high refresh rates required for optimal 3D experiences. The HP 250 G10's lower resolution and brightness levels result in a less impressive display for general activities and professional tasks that require precision and wide color ranges. Neither laptop is ideal for 3D applications and gaming, but the MacBook Air still offers better overall screen quality due to its superior resolution and color reproduction.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP 250 G10 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
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the HP 250 G10 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP 250 G10 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the HP 250 G10 costs $349.
"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 HP 250 G10 is a decent budget device that surprises us with its high CPU frequencies under load. Still, our configuration has a Core i5-1335U which doesn’t require significant cooling, if choose a 28W P-series processor, maybe the situation with the clocks could be different. If you want to play some casual game after work, a memory in dual-channel is a must because it increases greatly the iGPU performance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the HP 250 G10
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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Recommendations made
22,468
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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.
Craig Russell
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.