The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its Apple M1 processor offers a balance of performance and efficiency, leading to excellent battery life and a quiet, fanless design perfect for general use and portability. It's well-built, with a high-resolution screen and a strong focus on color accuracy, making it suitable for professionals in design or video editing. However, it is less suitable for gaming or engineering tasks that require a discrete GPU.
On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 has a powerful Intel processor and an Nvidia RTX graphics card which makes it more capable for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, but with trade-offs in battery life and potentially higher heat and fan noise. It comes with more storage space and a high refresh rate screen, catering to the needs of users who prioritize gaming and intensive engineering tasks. Its larger size and weight reduce portability, and the build quality might not match that of the MacBook Pro. 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)
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 MSI Cyborg 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is fair for 3D because it has an integrated GPU designed for general use and a lower screen refresh rate, whereas the MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and 3D as it boasts a high-performance dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a higher refresh rate. Additionally, the MSI laptop will run a wider range of popular games that are unavailable on Macs, making it a better match for gaming enthusiasts.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and MSI Cyborg 15 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
6.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is renowned for its superior screen which includes high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for tasks like document editing, photo browsing, and media viewing that are common in general use. Its advanced color gamut coverage also provides vivid and accurate color reproduction essential for engineering and design work. However, its screen refresh rate is lower than what's ideal for 3D applications, where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth visuals, which the MSI Cyborg 15 also lacks, along with its screen having lower resolution and brightness that are less optimal for general use and professional design tasks.
Battery
20.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a higher-resolution display and longer battery life, making it well-suited for general use with a balance of screen quality and endurance, plus it is lightweight and has a silent, fanless design for portability and comfort.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels in engineering and design due to its high-resolution screen and efficient Apple M1 CPU with integrated GPU, suitable for tasks that require high color accuracy and extended battery life, enhanced further by its lightweight and silent operation which benefits portability and work environment. The MSI Cyborg 15, on the other hand, provides superior performance in engineering applications with its Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, a combination that's conducive for computationally intensive tasks and hardware ray tracing, but this comes with the cost of less portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 MSI Cyborg 15 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the MSI Cyborg 15 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."
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the MSI Cyborg 15
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,095
Recommendations made
22,338
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.