If you prioritize a sleek design, superior display quality, and a strong ecosystem for professional software, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is your choice, especially if you're already invested in Apple products. It is lighter and has a reputation for long battery life, making it very portable. However, if you're interested in gaming, 3D modeling, or using engineering software that demands high-performance graphics, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 with its dedicated graphics card will serve you better, despite being heavier and possibly having a shorter battery life. Keep in mind that the MacBook Pro runs on macOS while the ASUS laptop uses Windows, which may affect the availability of certain software you need. 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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
8.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 with its Apple M1 chip is known for its high screen quality and efficiency in handling engineering tasks, while still maintaining a compact form and silent operation. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15, on the other hand, offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU combo, significantly increased RAM, and a faster screen refresh rate, making it better equipped for demanding engineering software and design work where higher computing power and graphics performance are crucial, but with a tradeoff in increased weight and noise.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 for general use, and engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a high-resolution display and excellent brightness, making text and images crisp and vibrant for general tasks, while its wide color gamut provides accurate colors essential for engineering and design work. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15, with good resolution and decent brightness, offers a satisfactory experience for everyday activities and technical applications but lacks the higher color accuracy professionals might need. However, for 3D applications that demand smoother motion, the MacBook Pro falls short due to a standard refresh rate, whereas the ASUS model, despite its gaming branding, doesn't offer the high refresh rate expected for an optimal gaming or 3D content creation experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 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
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$2,059
$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 TUF Gaming A15 costs $2,059.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is appreciated for general use due to its high-resolution screen, powerful CPU, long battery life, and lightweight design, making it highly portable. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers a larger storage capacity, more RAM for multitasking, a high-refresh-rate screen favored in gaming, and capable heat management, but is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable but more suited for demanding tasks beyond general use.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 compare to other laptops
"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 release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS TUF Gaming A15
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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