The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is typically less expensive and offers a balance of performance with its own M2 processor, suitable for general use and light content creation; it is known for its long battery life and silent operation. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is more expensive but features a high-powered Intel processor with Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, more RAM, and a higher-resolution Mini LED touchscreen display, making it better for intensive engineering tasks, 3D work, and machine learning applications, but with a shorter battery life. 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 Slim Pro 9i
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
Best in class overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13, with its integrated Apple M2 GPU, falls short on gaming and 3D performance compared to the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i because the latter boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card, which is crucial for handling complex graphics. Additionally, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i's higher screen refresh rate enhances gaming experiences, which the MacBook Pro cannot match with its lower refresh rate; plus, many popular games do not run on the MacBook's MacOS, limiting its utility as a gaming device.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i outshines the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) in engineering and design work because of its superior processing power, more memory, higher-resolution display, and dedicated graphics card which are crucial for demanding tasks like 3D modeling and rendering.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 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
9.6/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 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 offers a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, making it pleasant for everyday tasks and suitable for engineering and design due to its wide color gamut. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i excels with a display that likely has superior brightness and color accuracy, enhancing visuals for both general use and professional design work. However, both laptops fall short for 3D applications as their screens' refresh rates aren't high enough to provide the smooth visuals often required for gaming or intensive 3D modeling.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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
14.5in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 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
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Slim Pro 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 Slim Pro 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 Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the Lenovo Slim Pro 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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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
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