The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) excels in portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it well-suited for everyday use and travel. It runs on MacOS and offers a fanless design that operates silently. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a larger, higher resolution OLED screen and more powerful hardware for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. It has significantly more storage and memory than the MacBook, but is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable but more adept for demanding software and multitasking. Choose the MacBook Pro for the best blend of portability and sufficient power for general use or the Zenbook Pro 16X if you need a mobile workstation with superior performance for specialized tasks. 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) offers a balanced combination of CPU and RAM capacity for everyday tasks, long battery life for on-the-go usage, and a high-quality IPS screen that's good for general use; however, it might feel underpowered for the most demanding tasks and is lighter and thinner adding to its portability.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
The MacBook Pro 13, with its limited gaming library and standard refresh rate display, falls short for intense 3D applications and gaming, whereas the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, featuring a superior GPU and higher refresh rate screen, excels in delivering smoother and more visually stunning gaming and 3D rendering experiences. Screen quality and CPU are also better in the ASUS, enhancing overall performance and visual fidelity, though the MacBook offers great build quality and optimized software for general use.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) offers a solid combination of CPU (Apple M2), integrated GPU, and a high-quality IPS screen but has less memory and storage compared to the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, which boasts a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, and a superior OLED screen, making it more suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. While the MacBook Pro is lighter and offers silent operation with longer battery life, enhancing its portability, the Zenbook Pro's greater performance capabilities may justify its heavier weight and shorter battery life for users prioritizing computing power and screen quality for professional applications.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Pro 13, with its high-resolution Retina display and exceptional brightness, offers a crisp and vibrant visual experience that's ideal for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, benefiting general users immensely. Its color accuracy, covering a wide range of colors including DCI-P3, makes it suitable for engineering and design professionals who require true-to-life color representation for their work. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for 3D applications, where a higher refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion and better user experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has 7 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
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$1,300
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X costs $1,300.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
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 (2022) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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 new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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