The Apple MacBook Pro 13 excels in performance thanks to its Apple M2 chip and offers a high-resolution, color-accurate display that's great for creative and professional work, but comes with a steeper price. It is also fanless for silent operation and has a long battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Go 12, on the other hand, is more affordable and lighter, making it easy to carry around, but it is equipped with a lower-end Intel Celeron processor and a lower-resolution display, which makes it suitable for basic tasks like browsing and office applications but not for heavy-duty work. Both run different operating systems, with the MacBook using MacOS and the Vivobook Go Windows 11 Home, so consider your software needs. In essence, if you require powerful computing and have a higher budget, go for the MacBook Pro, but if you prioritize cost savings and basic computing with the flexibility of Windows, the Vivobook Go is a sensible 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 (2022)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is better suited for general use with its higher-capacity CPU and RAM, higher-resolution and quality IPS display, and longer battery life, ensuring smooth multitasking, clearer visuals, and extended usage without charging.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
5.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
5.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9/10
5.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
11.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution Retina display, which provides crisp and clear visuals, and its support for wide color gamuts that ensure accurate color representation, vital for engineering and design work. However, it falls short for 3D purposes, as its standard refresh rate is not designed for the high frame rates required by 3D applications. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12's screen may not meet the needs for general use, engineering, or gaming, given its likely lower resolution, lesser brightness, and limited color range, along with an inadequate refresh rate for high-speed 3D rendering.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$267
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 costs $267.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook Go 12 to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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.