The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers high build quality, a vibrant display, long battery life, and strong performance, especially in creative tasks due to optimized software. However, it's pricier and has limited ports. The ASUS Vivobook 15 is more affordable, offers a larger screen, various ports, and decent performance for everyday tasks. Its battery may not last as long, and its build quality might not match the MacBook's. For demanding engineering tasks, the MacBook might be better, but if price and portability for general use are priorities, the Vivobook is worth considering. 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)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
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 Vivobook 15
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a superior general use experience with its high-quality CPU, more storage, vivid screen with higher resolution, and longer battery life, complemented by its light weight and silent operation. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15, while also equipped with a decent CPU and sufficient RAM for general tasks, falls short with its lower storage capacity, adequate yet less impressive screen quality, heavier weight, and a significantly shorter battery life, making it fair for general use.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) features a high-performance Apple M1 chip and a superior screen display with greater resolution and color accuracy, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks where CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality are paramount.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 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
7.8/10
6.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 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
7.6/10
6.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) boasts a high resolution and bright Retina display with wide color gamut support, ensuring sharp and vivid visuals for general tasks and color-critical engineering work, but its standard 60Hz refresh rate may not be ideal for 3D work, where higher refresh rates can greatly enhance smoothness and visual detail. The ASUS Vivobook 15, with its fair-resolution display, provides adequate screen clarity and brightness for daily activities and casual design, but its more limited color range may not deliver the accuracy demanded by professional engineering tasks, and like the MacBook, its ordinary refresh performance falls short for the fast-paced visuals needed in gaming and 3D applications. For customers balancing cost against visual performance, the MacBook Pro tends to favor those in creative professions while the Vivobook may appeal more to users with general computing needs who prioritize budget.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15 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
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$529
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 costs $529.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a GPU integrated into the Apple M1 chip suitable for some 3D tasks and general use, paired with a high-quality screen, but the absence of a high refresh rate or a dedicated GPU limits its capability for 3D applications and gaming, and its MacOS is incompatible with many popular games.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook 15 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."
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook 15
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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