The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is more portable and offers better battery life, perfect for those who prioritize mobility and long working hours without charging. Its performance is suitable for general use and lighter tasks. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 16 boasts a larger, higher-resolution screen and significantly more powerful hardware including a dedicated graphics card, making it ideal for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. However, it is heavier and has shorter battery life, which might not be ideal for frequent travel. Both laptops are in a similar price range, so your choice should depend on whether portability or high-performance computing is your priority. 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 Gigabyte Aero 16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
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
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) comes with an integrated GPU suited for light 3D tasks, and its 60Hz display is not optimized for fast-paced gaming, plus many popular games are incompatible with MacOS. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 16 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and, although sharing the same screen refresh rate, its Windows operating system supports a wider variety of games, making it better suited for gaming and more demanding 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 offers double the RAM of the Apple MacBook Pro 13, a more powerful Intel i7 processor compared to the Apple M1, and a superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, enabling significantly better performance for engineering and design tasks.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) boasts a high-resolution Retina display, known for its sharpness and brightness, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work. However, its standard 60Hz refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications that benefit from higher refresh rates. The Gigabyte Aero 16, with its excellent color accuracy and wider color gamuts, excels in providing the precise colors needed for professional engineering and design tasks, but like the MacBook, it falls short in gaming and 3D environments where higher refresh rates are crucial for smoother visuals.
Battery
20.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 16 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
5.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 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 Gigabyte Aero 16 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for general use due to its robust Apple M1 processor, sufficient RAM, and high-quality IPS screen that all contribute to smooth performance and vibrant visuals while maintaining excellent battery life and portability. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 16, with a powerful Intel processor and more RAM, caters to more demanding tasks and offers a larger, superior OLED display, but this results in a heavier form factor and shorter battery life which could make it less ideal for users who prioritize portability and long usage times.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.2/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 16 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
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 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.
Cost
$1,249
$1,260
$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 Gigabyte Aero 16 costs $1,260.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Gigabyte Aero 16 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 Gigabyte Aero 16 is a workstation laptop for light gaming. It's design is still muted, with a silver chassis alongside a black keyboard and trackpad that provides some contrast. The Gigabyte Aero’s full-size chiclet-style keyboard is enjoyable to type on thanks to its snappy feel and responsiveness. The 4K+ AMOLED display is good, but it could be better. It doesn’t handle true black very well and suffers from strong reflections and glare. The Gigabyte Aero excels at productivity performance and can keep up with other gaming laptops in 1080p. But it has very few ports and its refresh rate leaves a bit to be desired."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Gigabyte Aero 16
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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