For better performance in general use and longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is a solid choice, particularly if you prefer macOS and a quieter, fanless design. It's also lighter, making it easier to carry around, but its higher price reflects these benefits. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 costs less and boasts a higher-resolution OLED display with a faster refresh rate, making it more suitable for tasks that demand vivid colors and crisp visuals, like photo editing. However, it runs on Windows, has a shorter battery life, and may not match the MacBook in build quality or heat management. 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
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
385.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is equipped with an Apple M1 CPU that ensures strong performance and has a high screen quality with great color accuracy, all packed into a light and thin design with silent operation and up to 20 hours of battery life, making it highly portable and ideal for general use.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
8.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
385.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 for software development, and content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 13's high-resolution display combined with the use of an IPS panel provides sharp images and wide viewing angles, and its brightness offers good visibility even in well-lit environments. For engineering and design tasks, the MacBook Pro covers a wide range of colors, making it suitable for professionals needing accurate color representation. However, for 3D applications where a high refresh rate is vital, the MacBook Pro falls short, which can lead to less fluid motion rendering compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rate screens.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$548
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 costs $548.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its lower refresh rate and Apple M1 GPU is less suited for high-frame-rate 3D experiences, whereas the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 offers a higher refresh rate and Iris Xe graphics, but some popular games may not run as smoothly on its Windows platform compared to gaming-optimized laptops, and neither system is equipped with a high-end dedicated GPU for intensive 3D or gaming tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its proprietary M1 CPU and integrated GPU handles engineering and design tasks efficiently, and its high-quality IPS screen with exceptional color accuracy ensures precise work in design applications. Meanwhile, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 offers a potent Intel i5 CPU and Iris Xe graphics, accompanied by an OLED screen with higher contrast and color coverage, making it suitable for detailed engineering and design work, though it has a shorter battery life and louder operating noise than the MacBook.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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 Pro 14 OLED is a Pantone Validated laptop that packs a lot of processing power. The Asus VivoBook Pro 14 OLED's highlight is its outstanding display: Featuring a 3K resolution in the 16:10 format and nearly a 100% coverage of the Display P3 color space, the display hardly leaves anything to be desired. The Asus laptop also shows impeccable rates in terms of general system performance. Combined with long battery life, low noise emissions, and relatively good speakers, the laptop can be recommended to users who can accept compromises in terms of connectivity."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14
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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