The Apple MacBook Pro and the ASUS Vivobook S offer distinctly different experiences. The MacBook Pro stands out with its higher-resolution display and fanless operation, leading to a silent working environment. It is more lightweight and offers the user-friendly MacOS, which could be essential if you prefer Apple's ecosystem or need specific Mac-only software. On the other hand, the Vivobook S offers a larger screen, more storage space straight out of the box, and higher RAM, which might be key for intensive multitasking or storage-heavy applications. The Vivobook runs on Windows, which could be crucial if your productivity relies on Windows-exclusive applications. The MacBook Pro's higher expense is balanced by its premium build and likely longer battery life, while the Vivobook provides cost savings at the expense of a slightly bulkier form factor and potentially shorter battery life. Choose the MacBook Pro if you prioritize portability, battery life, and are invested in the Apple ecosystem, or opt for the Vivobook if you need more power for your money, prefer Windows, and require a larger display with more storage and RAM. 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 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 S 15
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
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
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 offers a high-resolution Retina display which provides sharp images and strong brightness levels, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work due to its wide color gamut covering professional color spaces. The ASUS Vivobook S 15, with moderate resolution and brightness, offers adequate display quality for everyday tasks and design work, but doesn’t stand out in any particular area. However, both laptops have screens with standard refresh rates, which are not ideal for 3D environments where higher refresh rates can improve the smoothness of motion and overall visual experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 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
3.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 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 S 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
$908
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 costs $908.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for general use due to its powerful Apple M1 CPU, high-quality IPS screen, and outstanding portability with long battery life and a light build, making it ideal for users who need a device for all-day use without frequent charging. The ASUS Vivobook S 15, on the other hand, offers more storage and RAM, a larger screen size for extensive viewing, and a CPU that handles multitasking efficiently, but with reduced portability and battery life compared to the MacBook, fitting users who prioritize screen real estate and performance over mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU suitable for less-demanding 3D tasks, but many popular games are not supported on macOS, limiting its gaming potential. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 also has an integrated GPU, which can handle casual gaming and 3D applications in Windows, but it won't deliver the high performance of dedicated gaming laptops.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 offers a high-quality Retina display and a powerful CPU, making it suitable for demanding engineering tasks and design work, plus its well-optimized hardware-software integration often yields efficient performance. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook S 15, with its generous RAM and dedicated GPU, caters well to engineering software demands and multi-tasking, though it may sacrifice some portability due to its larger size and potentially higher operating noise.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook S 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."
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook S 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.
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.