If your primary concern is portability and battery life for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 with its lighter weight and longer battery life is a suitable choice. However, if you require a laptop with a larger, higher-resolution touchscreen display, greater storage capacity, and more powerful performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning or engineering software, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X excels. The ZenBook also offers a discrete graphics card, which is beneficial for intensive gaming and certain creative applications, but this also contributes to its heavier weight and shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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
7.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is superior in engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel CPU, double the RAM, and a high-end Nvidia GPU, essential for demanding tasks and graphics-intensive applications, along with a higher resolution OLED screen for excellent visual quality. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a less powerful in-house CPU and GPU, less RAM, and an IPS screen with lower resolution, but compensates with greater portability, better battery life, and its acclaimed build quality with silent operation.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is 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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, both the Apple MacBook Pro and ASUS Zenbook Pro boast high-resolution displays with vibrant panels and brightness suitable for various lighting conditions, providing crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, both laptops offer screens with wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for tasks that demand color precision, such as photo editing or CAD work. However, for 3D work, like gaming or 3D modeling, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smoothness and responsiveness necessary for an optimal 3D visual experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
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.
Cost
$1,249
$1,300
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X costs $1,300.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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 new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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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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.
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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.
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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.