The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is best if you value a higher quality display, longer battery life, and a superior build, while the quiet and fanless design enhances the overall user experience, making it excellent for general use. On the other hand, the HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers more storage and RAM, better connectivity options including an HDMI port and an Ethernet jack, and performance optimized for Windows environments—great for engineering and business applications. Both are midrange priced, with the MacBook being slightly more expensive, but the HP includes a higher-resolution webcam, making it more suitable for video conferencing. 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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP EliteBook 845 G9
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
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
402.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the HP EliteBook 845 G9 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) shines in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution Retina display that offers vibrant colors and bright images, catering to precise design work with its wide color gamut encompassing both DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, it falls short for 3D applications, where the screen's lower refresh rate may not provide the smooth visuals required for high-speed rendering or gaming. On the other hand, the HP EliteBook 845 G9 presents good screen quality with a commendable balance of resolution and brightness suitable for general and engineering uses, but it too lacks the higher refresh rates demanded by gamers and professionals in 3D graphics.
Battery
20.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 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
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
$740
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 costs $740.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) shines for general use with its high screen quality, excellent keyboard, and long battery life, all in a very portable package with silent operation owing to its fanless design. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers more storage and RAM, ensuring smoother multitasking and data handling, combined with good portability and decent battery life, making it a strong contender for varied general use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is limited in 3D applications due to its integrated GPU, which, while capable, doesn't match dedicated gaming hardware, and its MacOS may not support many popular games. The HP EliteBook 845 G9, with its AMD Radeon 660M GPU, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks, but like the MacBook, is restrained by a standard screen refresh rate and doesn't provide the advanced graphical capabilities of gaming-specific laptops.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is powered by an Apple M1 processor, designed for optimized performance that suits engineering and design work well, with a high-resolution screen offering accurate colors, which is essential for design precision. In contrast, the HP EliteBook 845 G9, with a stronger AMD Ryzen processor and more RAM, better handles intensive engineering software, has a slightly larger screen, and is recommended for demanding engineering tasks, though its screen delivers slightly less color accuracy and brightness than the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP EliteBook 845 G9 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 HP EliteBook 845 G9 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 high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the HP EliteBook 845 G9
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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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
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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