If you prioritize a sleek design, strong build quality, and a reliable ecosystem with generally longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is an excellent choice, particularly if you're already using Apple products. However, it comes at a higher price. The HP Victus 15, on the other hand, offers better value for money with respectable performance suitable for gaming and other demanding tasks due to its dedicated graphics card. It may not match the MacBook Pro in terms of display quality or battery life and is typically bulkier, which could affect portability. If gaming or high-performance tasks are essential and budget is a concern, the HP Victus 15 could serve you well, but for premium build and battery life with a focus on productivity in a MacOS environment, the MacBook Pro would be the better option. 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)
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
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 HP Victus 15
The HP Victus 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the HP Victus 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its Apple M1 CPU and integrated GPU, paired with a high-resolution, color-accurate screen, exemplifies the optimal blend of performance and quality display for engineering and design work, while maintaining a silent operation and high portability. In comparison, the HP Victus 15, powered by an Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, offers more raw graphics power suitable for demanding engineering software and gaming, but trades off lower screen quality, higher operating noise, and lower portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP Victus 15 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP Victus 15 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.9/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the HP Victus 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a sharp and bright display for tasks like browsing or watching videos, the MacBook Pro 13's high-resolution screen offers vibrant visuals, especially beneficial for designers needing accurate color reproduction with its broad color gamut coverage. However, for those focused on 3D applications or gaming who need fluid motion, the MacBook may fall short due to a standard refresh rate. In contrast, the HP Victus 15, while offering a generally good screen for everyday tasks, doesn't provide the same level of color precision for professional design work, nor does it excel in refresh rates for the smoothest 3D or gaming experiences.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The HP Victus 15 has 5.5 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
5.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the HP Victus 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Victus 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
$677
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the HP Victus 15 costs $677.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and HP Victus 15 are both good for general use.
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
6.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Victus 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the HP Victus 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."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The HP Victus 15 is great for gaming. It's available with Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and NVIDIA discrete graphics, which are powerful enough to provide a smooth gaming experience in demanding AAA titles at 1080p. It has a nice keyboard and a fast SSD, as well as Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet connectivity for low-latency online gaming. Unfortunately, its 144Hz display has a slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the HP Victus 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 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 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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