The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its high screen brightness and color accuracy is more suitable for creative professionals who prioritize display quality and have a good amount of general use performance. It is less portable due to its slightly heavier weight. Its battery life outperforms the ASUS ROG Flow X13, which is beneficial for those needing to work on the go. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 boasts a high-refresh rate touchscreen and is more portable, thanks to its lighter weight, which might appeal to those who value gaming performance and mobility. The ASUS also has a discrete Nvidia GPU, which is better suited for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. However, the MacBook Pro's Apple M1 Pro chip delivers strong performance for software optimized for MacOS. Consider the MacBook if MacOS and display are crucial, and the ASUS if you're focused on gaming or use Windows-specific software. 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 14 (2021)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X13
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.8/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in 3D with its strong Apple M1 Pro GPU and a high-quality Mini LED screen with a decent screen refresh rate, but its MacOS limits gaming options. The ASUS ROG Flow X13 offers a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher refresh rate for smoother gaming, alongside a versatile touchscreen display, making it ideal for gaming and 3D applications on Windows.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.4/10
14.2in
SIZE
13.4in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Flow X13 for general use, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's screen excels due to its high resolution and brightness, making it ideal for a variety of everyday tasks like browsing and video playback. The MacBook Pro's superior color accuracy with wide color gamuts suits professional engineering and design work, ensuring that colors are represented precisely. However, because 3D applications benefit more from higher refresh rates to provide smoother motion, which the MacBook Pro lacks, it's less suited for that purpose; the ASUS ROG Flow X13 also falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate despite having a decent display for other uses.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 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
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$2,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 costs $2,500.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for general use.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design with its powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 offers strong performance with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, a good IPS display, and both laptops have sizable RAM for multitasking and running complex applications. The MacBook Pro is appreciated for its build quality and operating system integration, enhancing its CPU and GPU effectiveness for creative tasks, while the ROG Flow is lightweight and portable with a versatile form factor, providing substantial power for engineering and gaming on the go.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very 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
8.3/10
8.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.2in
SIZE
13.4in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) both have 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 14 (2021) and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS ROG Flow X13
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.
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.