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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its midrange price offers good performance for general use and has a fanless design for silent operation, long battery life for all-day use, and a high-quality build; however, its graphics performance and storage are modest. If you prioritize portability and battery life over high-end performance, the MacBook could be more appropriate, whereas if performance in demanding applications is vital, the ASUS should be considered. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class 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 for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
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 Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 offers a superior gaming and 3D experience compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) mainly because the ASUS includes a dedicated Nvidia GPU known for strong gaming performance, and a higher refresh rate screen which is crucial for smooth gameplay. The Apple MacBook Pro 13, with its integrated GPU and lower refresh rate display, is less suited for gaming, and additionally, many popular games are not compatible with its MacOS operating system.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.9/10
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 Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its Apple M1 CPU and integrated GPU provides a balanced performance for engineering and design tasks, offering excellent screen quality and a silent operation, but has less memory and storage compared to the ASUS ROG Flow X13.
Screen Quality
7.6
8.4
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, both the MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 have high-resolution screens with bright displays, providing clear and vivid images. For engineering and design, they both offer wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation which is essential for detailed work. However, for 3D tasks, the refresh rate becomes crucial, and both laptops have screens that do not prioritize high refresh rates, making them less ideal for fast-paced 3D graphics and gaming that require smoother motion handling.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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 Pro 13 (2020) 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
$1,249
$2,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 costs $2,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
8.1
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
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 Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for general use because it offers long-lasting battery life and silent operation with a fanless design, making it highly portable and comfortable to use over extended periods. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 excels in general use with a powerful CPU and double the RAM for more demanding tasks, a high-quality screen with touch capability, and a versatile 2-in-1 design, but it trades off with shorter battery life and somewhat less portability.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow X13 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
7.8
8.0
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow X13 to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
13.4in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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 Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) | ASUS ROG Flow X13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,249 | $2,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.61'' | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3 lbs | 2.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 11.77" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 8.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 20 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58.2 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 511 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 Pro 13 (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2022
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
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 Pro 13 (2020) 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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Why trust us
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
48,640
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Recommendations made
27,343
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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.
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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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