If price is a significant factor for you, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is more budget-friendly. The MacBook Pro offers better performance, making it suitable for more intensive tasks and creative work such as video editing or graphic design, with higher build quality and a longer battery life. However, it's less affordable. The IdeaPad 3, being less expensive, may suffice for general use like web browsing, office tasks, and media consumption, but it isn't as powerful for demanding applications. The MacBook Pro is also more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it a good choice if you frequently move around. Choose the IdeaPad if you prioritize saving money and have lighter computing needs, or go for the MacBook Pro if you require a high-performing machine and value portability, with budget being a secondary concern. 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 general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is equipped with the high-performance Apple M1 chip and a superior IPS display with a higher resolution, contributing to its strong CPU, RAM efficiency, screen quality, and longer battery life, which makes it very suitable for general use. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" utilizes a lower-grade Intel i3 processor and a lower-resolution TN display, complemented by fair battery life and portability, which makes it just fair for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
5.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a better GPU and higher screen quality suited for 3D use, but many popular games may not be compatible with its MacOS. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has lower GPU performance and a lower quality screen, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D, despite running Windows which supports a wider range of games.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
5.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its more powerful Apple M1 CPU and GPU, as well as its higher-quality IPS screen with better resolution and color coverage. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a less capable Intel i3 processor, an inferior TN display with lower resolution and color accuracy, making it less ideal for demanding graphics work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
5.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a high-resolution Retina display with bright and vivid colors, which is excellent for general use and engineering where clarity and color accuracy are key, but its standard refresh rate isn't suited for 3D applications that benefit from faster screen updates. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower resolution and less brilliant display, resulting in less satisfying visuals for both everyday tasks and precision work required in engineering, and lacks the high refresh rate needed for optimal 3D rendering and gaming. Screen quality in both cases is directly tied to the display's ability to provide detail, color fidelity, and fluid motion, where the MacBook Pro excels in the first two but falls short in the third area, and the IdeaPad lags in all three.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$360
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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
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Laptops Expert
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