The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is a strong choice for demanding tasks like video editing or graphic design due to its larger screen and higher performance capabilities. However, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 offers better portability and is often preferred in business environments for its durability and keyboard comfort. If battery life is a priority, the MacBook typically excels there. When considering cost, the MacBook requires a higher initial investment but holds its value over time. Choose the MacBook Pro if performance and screen size are top concerns; opt for the ThinkPad X13 for portability and a business-friendly experience at a potentially lower cost. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-quality screen, excellent speakers, and strong CPU performance, which are ideal for demanding tasks and media consumption, but it is less portable due to its size and has a higher price tag. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 excels in portability and battery life with a quality keyboard, making it a very good choice for on-the-go general use, but it may lag slightly behind in screen size and speaker quality compared to the MacBook Pro.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has a better screen for content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it excellent for both general use and detailed engineering work, but its standard refresh rate limits its suitability for 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 offers a good balance of resolution and brightness, which covers the needs of general use and engineering tasks, however, it may not fully satisfy the color precision professional designers require. For gaming and 3D, the ThinkPad X13 falls short due to a lower refresh rate, which can affect the smoothness of fast-moving visuals.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has 8.5 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 costs $1,241.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with a focus on high-quality display and powerful GPU, is suitable for 3D work within the Mac ecosystem but gaming is limited due to compatibility issues with many popular games that aren't available on macOS. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13, while it can handle gaming and 3D tasks to an extent, it may not offer the same display fidelity or GPU performance as the MacBook Pro, which can be significant for intensive visual tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad X13 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-performance CPU, ample RAM, and a dedicated GPU, which are essential for demanding engineering and design tasks, along with a high-resolution screen that benefits detailed visual work. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13, while also capable in CPU and RAM, is more portable and highly regarded for its keyboard quality, making it a good choice for on-the-go professionals who still require robust performance for engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.9/10
8.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad X13 to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 has very good input devices, a wide array of security features and ports as well as 5G in the tested configuration. It is more compact and lightweight compared with its predecessor, and it has improved speakers and a slightly better webcam. On the other hand, the fan is more annoying and the performance is barely improved. The battery is worse as well, but this is primarily attributable to the OLED screen - if this aspect is important, buyers should choose the IPS Low Power LCD."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Lenovo ThinkPad 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 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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