The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is less expensive and offers a balance of performance with its M2 chip and solid battery life, which makes it suitable for general use and portable enough for daily commuting. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i is pricier but provides superior performance with its Intel i9 processor and RTX 4080 graphics card, making it ideal for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, although it's heavier and less convenient to carry around. Give Feedback
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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 Lenovo Legion 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is praised for its portability, silent operation, and strong battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go general use, while the Lenovo Legion 9i, with its powerful CPU, high RAM, and superior screen, excels more as a stationary general use laptop due to its larger size and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
9.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
The MacBook Pro 13's Apple M2 integrated GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate make it only fair for 3D because it lacks the graphical horsepower and smoothness needed for intensive 3D applications and gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and 3D, thanks to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 dedicated GPU and a higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, which better supports fluid visuals and complex graphics; however, keep in mind the Legion 9i's games selection is broader as many popular games don't run on macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
9.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in engineering and design tasks primarily due to its superior processing power with an Intel i9 CPU and a hefty 32GB of RAM, along with a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, making it ideal for demanding software and multitasking.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
9.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 Apple MacBook Pro 13's screen delivers crisp images and accurate colors due to its high resolution and excellent color gamut coverage, making it suitable for detailed engineering and design tasks. However, its standard refresh rate limits the 3D experience when compared to specialized gaming laptops. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i offers a brilliant display with wide color gamut and higher brightness, enhancing both everyday use and professional design work, but its screen may not match high-refresh-rate panels favored by gamers and 3D professionals.
Battery
20.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 9i 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 Lenovo Legion 9i 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 Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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