The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers superior build quality, display sharpness, and a powerful Apple M1 processor for high performance in general use and engineered tasks, with excellent battery life and silent operation. It's lightweight and well-suited for portability but comes at a higher cost. The ASUS Vivobook 17 is more budget-friendly, has a larger screen, and runs Windows, which may be preferable depending on the software you need to run. However, it has lower performance scores, reduced portability due to its larger size and weight, and lower battery life. So, if premium build and high performance for professional work is a priority and you're within the Apple ecosystem, the MacBook Pro 13 could be preferred; if cost and a larger display for everyday tasks matter more, you might lean towards the Vivobook 17. 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 17
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
263.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a higher resolution display and longer battery life, which are essential for clarity and mobility in general use, while its lightweight and compact design enhances portability. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 17 provides a larger screen but at the expense of lower screen resolution and shorter battery life, which may affect overall user experience and convenience when using the laptop for daily tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 17 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels for engineering and design tasks due to its powerful Apple M1 chip and superior screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, while the ASUS Vivobook 17's less advanced Intel i3 processor and mediocre screen color coverage make it less suitable for demanding tasks within the same fields. Despite its larger screen size, the Vivobook 17 lags in performance but could be favored for basic tasks due to its generally lower cost and acceptable portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 17 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
6.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 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
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
263.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a high-resolution Retina display that offers accurate colors and great brightness, making it excellent for general use and detail-oriented work like engineering and design, where the wide color gamut coverage enhances visual accuracy. However, its standard refresh rate is less suited for 3D work, which typically benefits from higher refresh rates for smoother motion. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 17's larger screen has lower resolution and less color precision, resulting in just adequate quality for everyday tasks and engineering applications, while its standard refresh rate and modest display specs make it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications where fluidity and detail are crucial.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 17 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
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$428
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook 17 costs $428.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)'s integrated Apple M1 GPU and its higher-resolution display make it suitable for some 3D tasks, but its MacOS can limit game compatibility compared to the ASUS Vivobook 17, which runs Windows and has a larger screen for enhanced gaming visuals; however, its Intel integrated graphics may not support the most demanding games or 3D applications as smoothly as dedicated GPUs.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook 17 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 17 is an affordable 17-inch laptop with passive cooling. On one hand, you get a really quiet and cool work device with a good system performance, many connections, good maintenance options, speakers acceptable for multimedia enjoyment, and a sharp and clear matte FHD IPS display with the Asus VivoBook 17 (F712JA). On the other hand, the USB-C port lacks Power Delivery and DisplayPort, and the display, a higher brightness and better color space coverage."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook 17
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.