Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 depends on your priorities. The MacBook Pro comes with Apple's M1 chip and is praised for its silent, fanless design, providing excellent performance for general use and creative tasks. It also generally has better battery life and an excellent display, but can be more expensive. The ThinkPad Z13, offering an AMD Ryzen processor with Radeon graphics, is more affordable, has more storage and memory in the base model, and is equipped with Windows 11, making it versatile for general use and more open software compatibility. It's also slightly thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro. If you prize macOS and are willing to invest more, the MacBook Pro is a compelling option. However, if you want value for money and prefer Windows, the ThinkPad Z13 is a solid choice. 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
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.0/10
13.3in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) boasts a high-resolution Retina display known for its vibrant color accuracy and brightness, making it excellent for general use and precise tasks in engineering and design due to not only its resolution but also its wide color gamut. However, its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications which require higher refresh rates for smooth visuals. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 also has a high-resolution display with good color representation and brightness for general use and engineering, but similar to the MacBook, it falls short for gaming and 3D because of its standard refresh rate that doesn't match the demands of those applications.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very 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 ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is favored for general use due to its impressive screen quality, long battery life, and quiet operation, alongside its sufficient CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, while the relatively lightweight Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers greater RAM and storage capacity, touchscreen, and also high-quality screen and keyboard, making it a solid choice for users prioritizing enhanced multitasking and interactive usage. Both models excel in portability and have quality speakers and heat management, but the MacBook Pro stands out for its longer battery life, and the ThinkPad Z13 for its touchscreen and higher RAM capacity for more demanding general use.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU which provides fair 3D performance but may not support many popular games that don't run on its MacOS. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Radeon GPU and Windows operating system, offers fair gaming and 3D performance and is compatible with a wider range of games, but both laptops have standard screen refresh rates which are not optimized for high-level gaming experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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 screen and efficient Apple M1 CPU and GPU that handle intensive tasks well, but with only a moderate amount of RAM. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and more RAM for multitasking in engineering applications, a touchscreen, and it’s highly portable with excellent keyboard quality, making it suitable for on-the-go professionals.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
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 ThinkPad Z13 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
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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."
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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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