If portability and battery life are your top priorities, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) stands out with its lighter weight and longer battery life compared to the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15. However, for those requiring more power for tasks such as 3D work, machine learning, or gaming, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15, with its dedicated Nvidia graphics card and stronger processor, is better-suited, although it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. Additionally, the Zenbook Pro has a larger display with touch capability, but the MacBook Pro offers better screen resolution and brightness, which may enhance visual clarity for general and engineering use. Give Feedback
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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 Zenbook Pro 15
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.6/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
346.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 for software development.
When considering the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), its high resolution and bright display make it excellent for general use, while its wide color gamut supports detailed and color-accurate work in engineering and design. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 similarly offers a sharp and bright screen with strong color reproduction, catering well to both general use and professional design tasks which demand precision in color accuracy. However, both models have lower refresh rates, which is less optimal for 3D work and gaming where smooth motion and quick screen response are key, despite their impressive resolution and panel quality.
Battery
20.0 Hours
12.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has 12.5 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 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
$1,109
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 costs $1,109.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is ideal for general use due to its excellent keyboard quality, high screen color accuracy, and significant battery life, coupled with its lightweight design for better portability. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a larger OLED screen and more RAM for multitasking, alongside a dedicated GPU for creative tasks, but this comes at the cost of reduced portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is limited in 3D performance and gaming suitability, as its GPU is part of the integrated Apple M1 chip, and it cannot run many popular games due to macOS restrictions; additionally, its screen refresh rate is standard at 60Hz, which is adequate for casual use but not optimal for high-frame-rate gaming. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15, with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, is more capable of handling gaming and 3D tasks but also has a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate; it benefits from a more powerful CPU and its Windows operating system supports a more extensive range of game titles.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.7/10
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
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 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
7.5/10
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
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 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
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 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."
"The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a strong CPU, chassis, and display. One of the most popular 15.6-inch prosumer or multimedia laptops out there is the Dell XPS 15. Thus, comparisons between it and the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 are inevitable. Asus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that XPS users are still missing out on including 1080p OLED and an AMD Ryzen CPU which help separate the Zenbook Pro 15 from the XPS 15. It also integrates a numpad and a few more port options albeit at the cost of a larger chassis size."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 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.
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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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