The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers better portability, a fanless operation making it silent, and a high-quality build and keyboard. Its M1 chip delivers solid performance for general use and light engineering work, with good battery life but less suited for intensive gaming or 3D/machine learning due to its integrated GPU. The Lenovo Slim 7 16, conversely, has a more powerful AMD processor and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, making it better for 3D work, engineering, and capable of intensive gaming. It features a larger screen and higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, more RAM, double the storage, and touch screen capability, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. Choose the MacBook Pro for premium build and quiet operation or the Lenovo for higher performance in specialized tasks and gaming. 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 Slim 7 16
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, and gaming and AI.
When it comes to general use, both the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 offer displays with high resolution and brightness, along with panel types that deliver clear, vivid images, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design work, both models boast displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring that designers and engineers see accurate colors, which is crucial for their tasks. However, for 3D work and gaming, neither laptop is ideal due to their lower refresh rates, which could result in less fluid motion compared to models with higher refresh rates that are specifically tailored for these purposes.
Battery
20.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 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
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim 7 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
$1,440
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
6.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU suitable for light 3D tasks but may not handle more intensive workloads as well as the Lenovo Slim 7 16, which boasts a dedicated Nvidia graphics card appropriate for gaming and demanding 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-quality IPS screen, efficient Apple M1 chip for CPU and GPU tasks, and a silent operation that serves a comfortable work environment. The Lenovo Slim 7 16, on the other hand, offers a larger, high-quality screen with touch capability, higher RAM and an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU which is beneficial for more demanding graphical tasks, but this comes with increased weight and lesser portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
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 Slim 7 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
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
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 Slim 7 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 Slim 7 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."
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo Slim 7 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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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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.