The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a midrange price, often significantly higher than the ASUS Vivobook 15X. It offers a smaller but higher-resolution Retina display protected with more durable materials and a superior color range, making it ideal for design and video editing. The MacBook's M1 chip provides efficient performance with silent, fanless operation and a longer battery life, beneficial for extended use without access to power. Its build quality is rated very highly, and MacOS may be preferred for certain software not available on Windows.
Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook 15X comes at a lower price with double the storage. The Vivobook has a slightly larger screen and runs on Windows 11, which could be more familiar to many users and offers broader software compatibility. It's slightly heavier, and while it includes a number pad on the keyboard, its performance, especially for engineering and 3D tasks, is rated lower than the MacBook Pro. The battery life is also shorter, but it does feature a wider array of ports for connectivity.
Ultimately, if budget is a major concern and you require Windows or additional storage out-of-the-box, the Vivobook 15X may be the more suitable option. If you prioritize higher build quality, better screen resolution, and can accommodate a higher price, the MacBook Pro might better serve your needs, especially for design-oriented tasks or general use that benefits from MacOS-exclusive software. 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 engineering and design
Good for software development
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 15X
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is favored for general use as it has a powerful CPU in the Apple M1, high RAM efficiency, and offers superb screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, while also having a longer battery life and outstanding portability due to its lower weight. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15X, with a capable AMD Ryzen CPU and sufficient RAM for day-to-day tasks, comes with a larger screen but lower resolution and color accuracy, and falls short in battery life and portability; however, it compensates with more storage and has a backlit keyboard with a number pad for added functionality.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
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 15X is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 offers superior screen quality with high resolution and color accuracy, and its powerful Apple M1 CPU and GPU make it better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X's AMD processor and GPU are less capable in handling intensive applications, and its screen quality is lower with less color accuracy and brightness. However, the Vivobook 15X is lighter and offers more ports for connectivity, potentially making it more versatile for users prioritizing portability and peripheral options over top-tier performance.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
6.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
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 15X 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
6.2/10
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 15X for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a high-resolution Retina display with bright and accurate colors, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work where color precision is crucial. However, its standard refresh rate limits its capability for 3D applications where smoother visuals are key. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15X, with its fair screen quality, meets basic requirements for general use and engineering without excelling in color accuracy or high resolution, and its lower refresh rate is not ideal for gaming and 3D work that demand fast screen updates.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15X 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
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 15X 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 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook 15X costs $525.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers less suited GPU and screen refresh rate for 3D tasks while its operating system limits the availability of popular games, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X also has a modest GPU and screen refresh rate that are fair for gaming and 3D but better caters to a wider range of games available on its Windows platform. Screen quality aspects like resolution and color accuracy are somewhat better on the MacBook, which might not highly influence gaming or 3D rendering if those are the primary focus.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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."
"All in all, my day on the Vivobook had its ups and downs. It is a really pretty and well-built device, and it had all of the functionality I needed to get me through my browser-based workload. But the speakers weren’t my favorite, and the battery life was just too short."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook 15X
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 Golden, Ph.D
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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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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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