The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) generally offers a more seamless experience with macOS, longer battery life, and is renowned for build quality and higher resale value, making it excellent for professionals who prioritize these features and can afford its higher price. The ASUS Vivobook 16X, on the other hand, typically provides a larger screen, more ports, and is often more cost-effective, suitable for users who need a larger display and prefer Windows, but may come with a shorter battery life and a bulkier form factor which affects portability. If performance in intensive engineering tasks or 3D/machine learning applications is crucial and the budget allows, the MacBook Pro may be superior, yet for general use and gaming, the Vivobook could provide more value for money. Consider the MacBook Pro if you are embedded in the Apple ecosystem or require a high-performing yet portable laptop; choose the Vivobook for a more affordable, large-screen experience with ample connectivity and decent performance for a variety of tasks. 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 Vivobook 16X
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16X is 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
9.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The ASUS Vivobook 16X stands out for engineering and design use due to its more powerful Intel i7 processor, double the RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia GPU compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13's Apple M1 integrated GPU, ensuring better performance for demanding tasks.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16X for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13's Retina display with high resolution and brightness makes it excellent for general use and engineering, plus it offers wide color gamuts for precise color work needed in engineering and design. The ASUS Vivobook 16X, with a solid screen setup, provides good but not exceptional display quality for general use and engineering tasks, but may lack the wide color gamut of the MacBook. For 3D applications, both lack high refresh rates which are crucial for smoother visuals, where resolution and panel type alone are not sufficient to provide the best experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 16X has 5 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
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 16X 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 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 16X are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a balance of portability, robust battery life, and high-quality display suited for general tasks, with the added benefits of a silent operation. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16X provides a larger screen, more storage and RAM for intensive multitasking and some gaming, yet it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable but more versatile for varied use cases.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 16X are both good for content creation.
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
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 16X 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.
Cost
$1,249
$1,150
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook 16X costs $1,150.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook 16X 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."
"I think the ASUS Vivobook 16X is fantastic. Great performance, decent battery life, good keyboard and trackpad, and a massive screen – just that the screen quality itself is kinda subpar. If you’re okay with the screen, then I think this is an okay laptop. However, I’d like to see a price drop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook 16X
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
Consumer hours saved
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.
Craig Russell
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.