The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a high-quality screen and strong performance for general use, and its lightweight and fan-less design make it very portable with an excellent battery life, well-suited for everyday tasks and productivity software. However, the Lenovo LOQ 16 stands out for more demanding engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks due to a more powerful processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, coupled with more storage and RAM, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable compared to the MacBook Pro. The choice between them hinges on whether you prioritize portability and general use (MacBook Pro) or performance in intensive tasks and value (Lenovo LOQ 16). 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)
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 LOQ 16
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU that is less powerful than the dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 found in the Lenovo LOQ 16, which means it won't perform as well in 3D tasks and gaming; plus, many popular games are not compatible with macOS, whereas Windows 11 on the Lenovo offers wider game compatibility and better graphics performance due to its higher refresh rate screen.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo LOQ 16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is considered very good for engineering and design because it is equipped with a more powerful AMD Ryzen processor, a significantly better Nvidia RTX GPU for rendering, and double the RAM compared to the more compact and lighter Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), which utilizes its own adequate M1 processor and GPU. While the MacBook Pro offers superior battery life and silent operation, its engineering and design capabilities are overshadowed by the Lenovo's superior computing and graphical performance, despite the Lenovo being heavier and having a shorter battery life.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo LOQ 16 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13's screen offers crisp images and vibrant colors, due to its high resolution and support for wide color gamuts, which is important for detail-oriented work in engineering and design. However, its regular refresh rate is not ideal for 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. The Lenovo LOQ 16 offers adequate resolution and color accuracy for both general use and professional design work, but like the MacBook, its screen falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate that can't keep up with fast-paced visual changes.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair 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 Lenovo LOQ 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo LOQ 16 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is suitable for general use due to its Apple M1 processor that delivers solid performance and an impressive 20 hours of battery life, along with a high-quality, high-resolution screen and a silent, fanless design for comfortable use.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo LOQ 16 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 LOQ 16 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."
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo LOQ 16
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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