The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is a great option if you value a high-quality build, silent operation, and long battery life for general use and less intensive tasks, thanks to its M2 chip; it's also more portable and has better screen colors. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro with its i7 processor and RTX GPU is optimized for gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software, with a larger screen and higher refresh rate that makes fast-motion details crisp, but these advantages come with a heavier build and significantly shorter battery life. Consider the MacBook Pro if you prioritize portability and battery life or the Legion 5i Pro if performance in demanding applications is your top concern. 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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
8.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
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
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is favored for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, as well as double the RAM and larger, higher refresh rate screen compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13's Apple M2 processor and integrated GPU, with a smaller screen that emphasizes color accuracy over refresh rate.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13’s Retina display provides sharp images, accurate colors, and high brightness, making it excellent for general use and engineering tasks where color precision matters. Its screen, however, has a standard refresh rate which is less suitable for 3D applications that benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i likely offers a similar color-accurate and bright panel for general and engineering use, but it may also have a standard refresh rate, limiting its capabilities for gaming and 3D work where faster screen updates are crucial.
Battery
20.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is well-suited for general use due to its long battery life, excellent screen quality, and lightweight design, making it highly portable. Conversely, while the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro offers a larger screen and superior RAM, its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable but still a strong performer for general use tasks.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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 midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
124,995
Recommendations made
27,083
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.