The MacBook Pro 13 is good for general use and offers a blend of portability with decent battery life, suitable for everyday tasks, and work on-the-go, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18, with its advanced hardware, excels at gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks but is bulkier and likely has a shorter battery life; it's also more expensive due to its higher performance capabilities. Consider the ASUS if your primary focus is performance-intensive tasks, otherwise, the MacBook Pro balances cost, portability, and adequate performance for more casual use. 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
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.6/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13, known for its efficient CPU and high-quality screen, offers longer battery life and better portability, making it ideal for those on the move, whereas the ASUS ROG Strix G18, featuring a more powerful CPU and additional RAM, excels at more demanding tasks but is bulkier and has a shorter battery life, thus suited for users needing top-notch performance and larger screens without the need for frequent mobility. Both laptops have commendable storage, keyboard, and speaker quality, but the ASUS may produce more noise and heat under heavy usage due to its high-performance components.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
8.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is equipped with a high-end GPU and a fast screen refresh rate, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications; meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro 13, with a less powerful GPU and lower refresh rate, handles these tasks less adequately. Additionally, the ASUS's screen offers vibrant quality and its CPU is adept at handling demanding software, whereas the MacBook Pro, while still offering a good screen and CPU, is limited by the comparably fewer popular games available for its operating system.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
9.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13, while offering a high-quality screen and a well-regarded balance of portability and performance, typically comes with specifications that meet but may not exceed the demands of complex engineering software, whereas the ASUS ROG Strix G18 delivers top-tier CPU and GPU capabilities and expansive RAM, making it exceptional for the most intensive tasks but at the cost of being less portable. Additionally, while both have excellent screen quality and decent keyboards, the ASUS might generate more operating noise under heavy load, which could be a consideration depending on your work environment.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is 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
7.8/10
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is 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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro's Retina display offers high resolution and brightness, making it ideal for general use, while its color-accurate screen caters well to design and engineering tasks; however, its lower refresh rate is less suitable for 3D applications. The ASUS ROG Strix G18, tailored for gaming, also comes with a display that has high resolution and adequate brightness for everyday tasks, and it meets professional color standards which benefits engineering and design, but despite its gaming focus, its screen's poor refresh rate performance is a drawback for gaming and 3D uses. For both laptops, while they excel in visual clarity and color reproduction for general and professional use, users interested in 3D tasks should consider options with higher refresh rates.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 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.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
13.3in
SIZE
18.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$2,203
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) costs $2,203.
"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."
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
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.
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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