The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels in build quality, software cohesion with macOS, and a vibrant display. It's highly portable due to its lightweight design but comes at a premium price. The battery life is commendable and it's suitable for professionals in creative fields or those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers a vivid OLED screen and, typically at a more accessible price point, it generates excellent value for performance. It tends to be better for multitasking with its versatile Windows operating system but may have a bulkier build and shorter battery life. For intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, you’ll value the Vivobook's potential for stronger performance capabilities, if you don't mind the extra weight and reduced battery life. If portability, build quality, and longer battery life are your priorities, and cost is less of a concern, the MacBook Pro would suit you better. 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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is equipped with an Apple M1 chip that includes both the CPU and GPU, ensuring efficient performance for engineering and design applications within a compact form factor, additionally boasting a high-quality IPS screen. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers a more robust Intel i9 CPU and integrated Iris Xe graphics, which may provide superior performance for intensive tasks, paired with an OLED display that delivers better screen quality, at the expense of slightly less portability due to a larger size.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.9/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the MacBook Pro 13's high resolution and brightness make it very suitable for day-to-day tasks such as browsing and video streaming, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED's excellent resolution and brightness, combined with the OLED technology, offers vibrant colors and deep blacks, providing an immersive experience. For engineering and design, the MacBook Pro 13 offers a wide color gamut, rendering accurate colors vital for precise work, and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED again stands out with its wide color range and high contrast, favoring detail-oriented tasks. The MacBook Pro 13 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 both have limitations for 3D work, as neither provides high refresh rates that are critical for smooth rendering in animations and games, although both offer adequate resolution and panel types suitable for moderate 3D tasks.
Battery
20.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 7 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 S 15 OLED has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$990
$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 OLED costs $990.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Pro 13 with its M1 GPU offers modest performance suitable for some 3D applications, but its inability to run many popular games due to MacOS compatibility issues limits its gaming potential. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED's Iris Xe GPU and higher screen refresh rate make it more capable for gaming and 3D tasks, bolstered by its compatibility with a broad range of games on Windows 11 Home.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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 S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
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
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