If you prioritize a high-resolution display, long battery life, and lightweight design for on-the-go use, pick the MacBook Pro; it's more portable but costs more. However, for demanding tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, with its powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics card, will perform better; it's also more affordable, but heavier with a shorter battery life. The MacBook Pro offers silent operation and a higher-quality build, while the IdeaPad Pro 5i has a larger screen and is more suitable for intensive gaming. Give Feedback
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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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), equipped with an Apple M1 GPU, offers a moderate performance for 3D tasks and games, but its limited refresh rate of 60 Hz may not be as smooth for fast-paced gaming. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i boasts an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU with a higher 120 Hz screen refresh rate, delivering better performance for gaming and 3D applications; additionally, its compatibility with a wide range of games on Windows 11 further enhances its gaming suitability compared to the Mac.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with an M1 chip is highly portable, offers silent operation, and provides excellent screen quality that's suitable for engineering and design tasks, yet it has less RAM and a less powerful GPU than its competitor.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offer high-resolution displays with great brightness, making text and images sharp and easy to see. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro's wider color gamut covers more of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which ensures more accurate color reproduction essential for professional creative work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can't provide the smooth visuals required for fast-paced or highly detailed 3D rendering.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$860
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i costs $860.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is ideal for general use due to its balance of a solid CPU and RAM married with a high-quality screen, lightweight design for easy portability, and an impressive battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a more powerful CPU and additional RAM which makes it suitable for more demanding tasks, but this affects its portability and battery life, which are less favorable when compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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."
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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 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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