For general use, the MacBook Pro 13 with its Apple M1 processor is more than adequate and offers impressive battery life, which can be essential for those on the go. Its build quality is also top-notch, though it comes with a higher price. It lacks touch capabilities and gaming isn't its forte. In contrast, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a touch-enabled display and a larger screen, coupled with double the storage and RAM, at a lower price. While its battery life is shorter than the MacBook's, it's a versatile machine suitable for gaming and intensive tasks, though it's slightly heavier and thicker, making it less portable. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) boasts a high-resolution Retina display that excels in brightness and color accuracy, which is ideal for general use and engineering tasks where detail and precise color representation are crucial. However, it falls short for 3D due to a standard refresh rate which isn't as smooth for fast-moving images. On the other hand, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a balanced display with good brightness and resolution suitable for general tasks and engineering work, but similar to the MacBook, it lacks a high refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be 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
6.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its Apple M1 GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate offers fair 3D performance, but MacOS limits game compatibility, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" boasts a stronger AMD Radeon 680M GPU and also a 60Hz screen refresh rate, providing fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks on the more game-friendly Windows 11 Home.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), with its high-performance CPU and quality GPU, complements its sharp display, making it a solid choice for design and engineering tasks, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" balances performance with portability, offering a comfortable keyboard and less operating noise, suitable for on-the-go professionals in similar fields. Both laptops have ample RAM for multitasking and high-screen quality, meeting the rigorous demands of engineering and design software, yet the MacBook prioritizes screen and build quality, and the Dragonfly emphasizes portability and user comfort.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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."
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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
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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.
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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.