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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a laptop for general use with good portability and long battery life, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is a suitable option, as it's lightweight with strong build quality and a quiet operation due to its fanless design. However, if you require higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, intensive gaming, or engineering applications, the ASUS ROG Flow X13, with its more powerful processor and graphics card, would be a better fit. The tradeoff with the ASUS is a higher price and shorter battery life, but it compensates with a touchscreen and a higher refresh rate display for smoother visuals. 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 15 (2023)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.8
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1864
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 X13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is favorable for gaming and 3D because it includes an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU known for strong gaming performance and a high screen refresh rate, which is critical for smooth gameplay. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air 15 has an Apple M2 integrated GPU and is limited to a lower refresh rate; moreover, its MacOS might not support many popular games, making it less ideal for gaming despite its quality screen and efficient operation.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a fanless design providing silent operation with its integrated M2 chip handling both CPU and GPU tasks, making it a good choice for engineering and design work within a quieter environment, whereas the ASUS ROG Flow X13, with its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, delivers higher performance especially for GPU-intensive tasks, and its 2-in-1 convertible nature adds versatility for design work, thus considered very good for such uses.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.4
15.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Air's Retina display provides a high resolution and brightness, ensuring sharp text and vibrant images, while ASUS's Full HD panel similarly offers clarity and is well-lit for comfortable everyday tasks. Engineers and designers will appreciate the MacBook Air's accurate color reproduction, covering a wide spectrum of color gamuts, just as the ASUS with its color-rich display aids in precision work. However, when it comes to 3D, neither laptop excels due to lower refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of fast-moving visuals crucial for immersive 3D experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 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
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$2,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 costs $2,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.1
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow X13 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in portability due to its thin design and long battery life, alongside a high-quality screen and keyboard, which are ideal for general use; however, it has less storage and memory than competitive models. The ASUS ROG Flow X13, while also of high build quality, offers a more powerful CPU and GPU for intensive tasks and double the storage and memory, but its shorter battery life and heavier build make it less portable.
Content Creation
8.0
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very 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
15.3in
SIZE
13.4in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | ASUS ROG Flow X13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $2,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 2.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 11.77" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 8.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 511 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
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 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
ASUS ROG Flow X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2021
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS ROG Flow X13
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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