Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 involves several considerations. The MacBook Pro has a higher price, but it offers better performance for general use and engineering tasks with its Apple M1 chip and is highly rated for its build quality and battery life, offering extended use on a single charge. It's also lighter with a smaller screen, enhancing its portability, and it runs MacOS, which might be preferable if you're used to Apple's ecosystem. In contrast, the IdeaPad Slim 3 is more affordable, comes with more storage, and includes a touchscreen on a larger display, which may be beneficial for certain tasks. However, it has lower performance and is heavier, reducing its portability, and it runs Windows 11 Home, which could be more suitable if you require compatibility with a wide range of software. Give Feedback
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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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is preferred for engineering and design due to its superior screen quality, which includes higher resolution and color accuracy, and its Apple M1 CPU and GPU that offer strong performance for demanding tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while offering a larger but lower quality display and an AMD CPU and GPU that provide adequate but not exceptional performance, is less ideal for intensive engineering and design work but could be more budget-friendly.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering a laptop for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 stands out due to its high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, providing a crisp and vivid user experience that is less pronounced on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. For engineering and design tasks, the MacBook Pro's screen covers a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction for professionals, which is an aspect where the IdeaPad Slim 3 may fall short in providing less color precision. For 3D applications, the MacBook Pro might not be the ideal choice as its refresh rate is not as high as dedicated gaming laptops, which is a limitation that both these laptops share, potentially affecting smooth visual performance in fast-paced scenes.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 Slim 3 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
$400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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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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
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.