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MacBook Pro 13 2020 in Review: Apple's subnotebook only gets the mandatory update

No innovation, but still very good. Apple refreshes its 13-inch MacBook Pro with a new keyboard, but the other changes are minor. You get new processors, but only the performance of the integrated graphics adapter has improved.

We had high hopes for a major refresh of Apple's popular subnotebook this year following the switch from the MacBook Pro 15 to the new MacBook Pro 16 at the end of 2019. However, only the new Magic keyboard was carried over to the new 2020 MacBook Pro 13, so the controversial butterfly keyboard has now been replaced in every MacBook on sale.

Otherwise, there are not many new features, and only the more expensive MBP 13 SKU with 4x Thunderbolt 3 also gets updated Ice Lake processors from Intel; the smaller SKU (2x Thunderbolt 3) on the other hand is still equipped with the old 8th gen processors. Our test unit is the model for 2,129 Euros in Germany, so it is the entry-level spec with 4x TB3 (the corresponding U.S. model starts at $1799). This configuration also includes 16 GB LPDDR4X-RAM and 512 GB PCIe-SSD storage.

Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen (MacBook Pro 13 2020 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-1038NG7 4 x 2 - 3.8 GHz, Ice Lake-U
Memory
16 GB 
, LPDDR4X-3733, Dual-Channel, soldered
Display
13.30 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 227 PPI, APPA03D, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Storage
Apple SSD SM0512F, 512 GB 
, 471 GB free
Connections
4 USB 3.1 Gen2, 4 Thunderbolt, 4 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm stereo, Brightness Sensor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 ( = 0.61 x 11.97 x 8.36 in)
Battery
58 Wh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 10 h
Operating System
Apple macOS 10.15 Catalina
Camera
Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Magic Keyboard, Keyboard Light: yes, 61W USB-C power adapter, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.384 kg ( = 48.82 oz / 3.05 pounds), Power Supply: 276 g ( = 9.74 oz / 0.61 pounds)
Price
2129 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
92.1 %
06/2020
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
i5-1038NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.4 kg15.6 mm13.30"2560x1600
90.7 %
10/2019
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
i5-8279U, Iris Plus Graphics 655
1.4 kg14.9 mm13.30"2560x1600
87 %
02/2020
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.2 kg16.6 mm13.50"2256x1504
88 %
05/2020
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"3840x2400
88.4 %
12/2019
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.2 kg16.9 mm13.30"1920x1080
84 %
02/2020
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.3 kg14.5 mm13.50"2256x1504

Case – MBP 13 is a bit thicker than before

The chassis design has not changed and you can still choose between two color options (Silver and Space Gray). Only a direct comparison with last year's model shows the slightly thicker base unit of the new MacBook. The additional height of ~0.7 mm is required for the new keyboard, which has returned to a more traditional scissor mechanism. The case quality is still top-notch. There are even slimmer and lighter competitors by now, but the unibody metal construction is still great in terms of quality as well as stability.

MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (left) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (right)
MacBook Pro 13 2019 (bottom) vs. MacBook Po 13 2020 (top)

Size Comparison

306 mm / 12 inch 194.5 mm / 7.66 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.2 kg2.74 lbs308 mm / 12.1 inch 223 mm / 8.78 inch 14.5 mm / 0.571 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 15.6 mm / 0.614 inch 1.4 kg3.05 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.02 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 16.6 mm / 0.654 inch 1.2 kg2.56 lbs296 mm / 11.7 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.72 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity – MacBook Pro without Wi-Fi 6

The port situation has not changed; you either get two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports w/ USB-C connectors. The processor of our test unit is based on Intel's current Ice Lake architecture, but Apple still does not include the faster Wi-Fi 6 standard. Our standardized test with the Netgear router Nighthawk RAX 120 shows good transfer rates for a Wi-Fi 5 module.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1484 (1342min - 1614max) MBit/s +83%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1178 (1025min - 1264max) MBit/s +46%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (606 - 1339, n=3, last 2 years)
1056 MBit/s +31%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
809 MBit/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Broadcom 802.11ac
710 MBit/s -12%
Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  (31.2 - 966, n=478)
358 MBit/s -56%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
49.8 (3min - 102max) MBit/s -94%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1388 (875min - 1490max) MBit/s +81%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (623 - 1690, n=3, last 2 years)
1258 MBit/s +64%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1251 (803min - 1358max) MBit/s +64%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
765 MBit/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Broadcom 802.11ac
730 MBit/s -5%
Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  (32.9 - 1065, n=479)
380 MBit/s -50%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
289 (167min - 328max) MBit/s -62%

Webcam – Old 720p FaceTime-HD Camera

The "old" design of the MacBook Pro 13 does not include slim bezels, but you still have to wait for a good webcam. It seems the quality of the FaceTime HD camera has not changed over the last couple of years. We think the manufacturer should start to implement better cameras, especially with the current home office situation in mind.

ColorChecker
16.2 ∆E
13 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
8.9 ∆E
9.7 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
8 ∆E
18.4 ∆E
4 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
9 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
11.4 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
7 ∆E
ColorChecker Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen: 9.85 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 18.44 ∆E

Input Devices – Magic Keyboard now in the small MacBook Pro

Keyboard

After both the MacBook Pro 16 as well as the MacBook Air have already received keyboard upgrades, the MacBook Pro 13 is the last product to get the new Magic keyboard. The very shallow, yet very precise butterfly keyboard, which was often criticized for reliability issues over the last couple of years, has now been replaced with a more conventional scissor mechanism. The key travel is 1 mm and the typing experience reminds us of more of the old MacBook models (MY 2015 and older). If you did not like the butterfly keyboard of the old models, you should definitely have a look at the new Magic keyboard.

There are other small improvements like the half-sized arrow keys (easier to locate with the fingers), the dedicated Esc button as well as the slightly separated power button. You once again get the Touch Bar instead of conventional function keys, but you can still debate about the benefit of the small touch display. It depends heavily on the software support, but the Touch Bar is often still more of a gimmick.

MacBook Pro 13 2019 – butterfly keyboard
MacBook Pro 13 2019 – butterfly keyboard
MacBook Pro 13 2020 – Magic keyboard
MacBook Pro 13 2020 – Magic keyboard

Touchpad

The large trackpad has not been changed, but this is no problem. Apple's trackpads have been the benchmark for laptops for many years now if you talk about precision, gliding capabilities and handling. You obviously benefit from the good optimization for macOS and we cannot criticize anything here. The trackpad also works pretty well when you use Windows, and only drag-n-drop commands are limited, but this is more of a software issue.

Display – MacBook still with 13-inch screen

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
No visible backlight bleeding
No visible backlight bleeding

The 16:10 display still has the same specs with 2560x1600 pixels and the subjective picture impression is once again excellent. Contrary to Windows, macOS does not suffer from any scaling issues, either. The brightness is automatically adjusted very gently and we also like the TrueTone feature (automatic adjustment of the color temperature based on the ambient lighting). Compared to the MacBook Air, the IPS screen of the MacBook Pro covers the larger P3 color gamut.

We can detect PWM at a brightness of 75% and lower, but the frequency is extremely high at 113 kHz and should not result in any problems. We cannot notice any backlight bleeding despite the high brightness.

468
cd/m²
482
cd/m²
479
cd/m²
511
cd/m²
512
cd/m²
498
cd/m²
492
cd/m²
492
cd/m²
482
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
APPA03D tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 512 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 490.7 cd/m² Minimum: 5.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 510 cd/m²
Contrast: 1600:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
77.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
86.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
APPA03D, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
APPA03E, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
BOE, NE135FBM-N41, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Sharp LQ134R1, IPS, 3840x2400, 13.40
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
AU Optronics AUO5E2D, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Sharp LQ135P1JX51, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Display
1%
-16%
-22%
-16%
-19%
Display P3 Coverage
98.8
98.7
0%
70.1
-29%
64.5
-35%
69.6
-30%
65.7
-34%
sRGB Coverage
99.9
100
0%
99.8
0%
91.4
-9%
98.9
-1%
98.6
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
86.4
87.7
2%
71.2
-18%
66.6
-23%
71.5
-17%
67.8
-22%
Response Times
8%
-39%
16%
-23%
-46%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
46 ?(22, 24)
43.2 ?(22, 21.2)
6%
55 ?(25, 30)
-20%
41.6 ?(23.2, 18.4)
10%
60.8 ?(26, 34.8)
-32%
59.2 ?(28.4, 30.8)
-29%
Response Time Black / White *
32.4 ?(18.4, 14)
29.6 ?(15.6, 14)
9%
31 ?(17, 14)
4%
25.6 ?(15.6, 10)
21%
36.8 ?(15.6, 21.2)
-14%
41.6 ?(23.6, 18)
-28%
PWM Frequency
113600 ?(75)
208 ?(90)
-100%
21740 ?(51)
-81%
Screen
-14%
-38%
-49%
-58%
2%
Brightness middle
512
518
1%
474
-7%
414
-19%
447.4
-13%
403.4
-21%
Brightness
491
480
-2%
426
-13%
401
-18%
420
-14%
397
-19%
Brightness Distribution
91
87
-4%
82
-10%
94
3%
85
-7%
89
-2%
Black Level *
0.32
0.34
-6%
0.29
9%
0.28
12%
0.31
3%
0.34
-6%
Contrast
1600
1524
-5%
1634
2%
1479
-8%
1443
-10%
1186
-26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.7
1.5
12%
2.38
-40%
3.06
-80%
4.23
-149%
0.94
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.4
2.8
18%
5.88
-73%
6.5
-91%
9.34
-175%
2.92
14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1
2.6
-160%
2.69
-169%
3.5
-250%
1.32
-32%
0.99
1%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.9
2
-5%
3.75
-97%
3
-58%
6.1
-221%
0.9
53%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.22 99%
2.37 93%
2.42 91%
2.11 104%
2.13 103%
CCT
6817 95%
6898 94%
6466 101%
6840 95%
6136 106%
6620 98%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
77.4
78.4
1%
65
-16%
61.1
-21%
64.8
-16%
62.3
-20%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.9
99.9
0%
100
0%
91.4
-9%
98.9
-1%
98.7
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / -8%
-31% / -34%
-18% / -36%
-32% / -46%
-21% / -10%

* ... smaller is better

The panel ID differs from the previous model, but the measurement results are basically identical. The brightness reaches more than 500 nits and the contrast ratio is excellent at 1600:1. Our measurements with the professional CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1 Pro2 spectrophotometer reveal very accurate colors out of the box, so an additional calibration is not really necessary. Similar to our review unit of the MacBook Air, we once again measured a much higher maximum brightness when we used Windows (>600 nits).

CalMAN Grayscale (target color space P3)
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space P3)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space P3)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space P3)
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated (target color space P3)
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated (target color space P3)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated (target color space P3)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated (target color space P3)

Both the small sRGB gamut as well as the larger P3 gamut are covered completely, so the display is also suited for picture/video-editing. You will only have to use an external monitor if you require the wider AdobeRGB color gamut.

vs. sRGB: 99.9% (Argyll 3D comparison)
vs. sRGB: 99.9% (Argyll 3D comparison)
vs. AdobeRGB: 77.4% (Argyll 3D comparison)
vs. AdobeRGB: 77.4% (Argyll 3D comparison)
vs. P3: 99.2% (CalMAN 2D comparison)
vs. P3: 99.2% (CalMAN 2D comparison)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
32.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.4 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 113600 Hz ≤ 75 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 113600 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 75 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 113600 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The viewing-angle stability is excellent. The MacBook also performs pretty well outdoors, despite the glossy surface. The display is not as reflective as many competitors, so you can also work pretty comfortably in bright environments.

Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability
In the sun
In the sun
In the sun
In the sun

Performance – MBP 13 with Intel Ice Lake

The new MacBook Pro 13 2020 (4x Thunderbolt 3) is available with two different Intel processors: a Core i5 and a Core i7. Both chips are equipped with the same iGPU, and only the maximum core clock differs slightly. Customers can also choose between 16 and 32 GB RAM, as well as storage sizes from 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, and even 4 TB. The large SSDs are obviously a big advantage over many rivals, but you will have to pay Apple a lot of money in return: The biggest spec of the 13-inch MacBook Pro retails for 4,379 Euros (~$4,900).

Processor – Ice Lake does not really improve the performance

Similar to the smaller MacBook Air, Apple uses custom Intel processors, which are exclusive for the MacBook and can be recognized with the "N" in the model designation. The Core i5-1038NG7 has a higher TDP rating of 28 W compared to the regular mobile chips, but this value does not really matter in Apple devices anyway. Apple does not restrict the power consumption of the processor, which means the performance of the cooling solution is the only restriction for the CPU performance. We can see a slight improvement for the 2020 model: While the previous model managed to cool ~33 W, the new model now handles ~35 W. 

This is where the good news stops though, because we can once again see that Intel still has some problems with its 10nm process. While the old Core i5-8279U ran at around 3.3-3.4 GHz at 33 W, the new Core i5-1038NG7 only manages 3.3 GHz at 35 W. The per-MHz performance of Ice Lake is a bit better, so the result is pretty similar with a small advantage for the new model. However, this is only noticeable in the benchmarks, but not in practice. The CPU performance is definitely no reason to upgrade from the previous model. The performance is not reduced on battery power.

055110165220275330385440495550605660715770825880935990Tooltip
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Core i5-1038NG7: Ø761 (725.23-768.15)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3 Intel Core i5-8279U, Intel Core i5-8279U; macOS: Ø750 (744.32-757.06)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3 Intel Core i5-8279U, Intel Core i5-8279U; Win10: Ø741 (717.66-745.63)
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7 Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø553 (544.51-599.88)
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø573 (480.43-760.86)
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø550 (504.6-640.68)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U: Ø932 (907.83-1035.01)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7 Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Core i5-1035G7: Ø609 (588.11-736)

Still, we have to be fair and the processor performance is ahead of the competition. This is mainly due to the cooling solution, but we don't know why Apple had to use custom CPUs from Intel to be honest. The "regular" Core i7 in the larger Surface Laptop 3 15, for example, is only marginally slower. We are also eager to see more laptops with AMD's new Ryzen processors; the Acer Swift 3 with the Ryzen 7 4700U is about 20% faster.

Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +37%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
466 Points +6%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
453 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
441 Points +1%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
439 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
438 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
438 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
421 Points -4%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Core i7-1065G7
377 Points -14%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +91%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2401 Points +20%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
1998 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
1998 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
1717 Points -14%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1655 Points -17%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1630 Points -18%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1396 Points -30%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1392 Points -30%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +38%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
182 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
180 Points +7%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Core i7-1065G7
178 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
175 Points +4%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
172 Points +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
169 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
166 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
169 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
169 Points 0%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +122%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1035 Points +35%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
768 (720min - 768max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
768 Points 0%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
760 (489.25min - 610.17max) Points -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
757 (744.32min - 757.06max) Points -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
743 (717.66min - 745.63max) Points -3%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
736 Points -4%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Core i7-1065G7
643 Points -16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
615 Points -20%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
835 Seconds * -19781%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
771 Seconds * -18257%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
681 Seconds * -16114%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
627 Seconds * -14829%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
524 Seconds * -12376%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (201 - 1600, n=66, last 2 years)
397 Seconds * -9352%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
4.2 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
4.2 Seconds * -0%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2197 - 6403, n=58, last 2 years)
5278 MIPS +27%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4438 MIPS +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4397 MIPS +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4292 MIPS +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
4276 MIPS +3%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
4252 MIPS +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
4161 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
4161 MIPS 0%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (16223 - 67444, n=57, last 2 years)
43017 MIPS +121%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
26652 MIPS +37%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
22683 MIPS +16%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
21139 MIPS +8%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
19485 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
19485 MIPS 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
19168 MIPS -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
16982 MIPS -13%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (672 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years)
1677 Points +33%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1324 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1316 Points +4%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
1265 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
1265 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1101 Points -13%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4213 - 12580, n=66, last 2 years)
8762 Points +92%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4855 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4792 Points +5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
4564 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
4564 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4374 Points -4%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1.5 - 19.4, n=56, last 2 years)
11.5 fps +92%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
7.81 fps +30%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
6.08 fps +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Core i5-8279U
6 fps 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
5.99 fps
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
5.99 fps 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4.66 fps -22%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
4.632 fps -23%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
88.6 s *
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
88.6 s * -0%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
85.3 s * +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
59.8 s * +33%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (40.1 - 120.5, n=57, last 2 years)
53.6 s * +40%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Core i5-1038NG7
0.702 sec *
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7
 
0.702 sec * -0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
0.691 sec * +2%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-1065G7
0.682 sec * +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
0.629 sec * +10%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.4397 - 1.236, n=57, last 2 years)
0.528 sec * +25%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
9362
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
23609
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6743
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
42.11 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.47 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.03 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
768 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.3 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
53.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
169 Points
Help

System Performance

The subjective performance impression of the MacBook Pro 13 is excellent. Thanks to SSD storage, sufficient RAM, and the fast quad-core processor, all your inputs are quickly executed and there are no noticeable delays, either. The PCIe-SSD is also a fast model with maximum transfer rates of around 2400 MB/s. There are even faster drives out there, but you won't notice the differences in practice.

We performed the synthetic PCMarks with Windows 10. The latter runs very well with the BootCamp drivers, but the performance still depends on the drivers you get from Apple. The comparatively low scores are not representative of the real performance or performance impression, respectively.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +80%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
4886 Points +52%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4522 Points +40%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
4451 Points +38%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4421 Points +37%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3975 Points +23%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
3779 Points +17%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
3222 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
3222 Points 0%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +30%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
9664 Points +23%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
9244 Points +18%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
9096 Points +16%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
9086 Points +16%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
8595 Points +10%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
8302 Points +6%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
7827 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
7827 Points 0%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +119%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
7273 Points +104%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
7051 Points +98%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
6912 Points +94%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
6765 Points +90%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
6301 Points +77%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
4922 Points +38%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
3568 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
3568 Points 0%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +108%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
4709 Points +45%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3817 Points +17%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
3807 Points +17%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
3684 Points +13%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
3593 Points +10%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3260 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
3256 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
3256 Points 0%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
4191 Points +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
4056 Points +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
3928 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
3928 Points 0%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
3911 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3759 Points -4%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3725 Points -5%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
3397 Points -14%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ1T0HALB
5361 Points +123%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
5227 Points +117%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
4802 Points +100%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4755 Points +98%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
4537 Points +88%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
4314 Points +79%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 5271, n=3, last 2 years)
3805 Points +58%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
2407 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1038NG7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
2407 Points 0%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3928 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5715 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
2407 points
PCMark 10 Score
3222 points
Help
Apple SSD SM0512F
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1920 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1475 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 692 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 205 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1470 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1195 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 17.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 28.16 MB/s

GPU Performance – Iris Plus Graphics G7

The Ice Lake processor is equipped with the Iris Plus Graphics, which takes care of all the graphics calculations. It is the faster G7 version with 64 EUs. The performance is on the expected level, but the higher TDP classification is no advantage over the Windows rivals. Compared to the Iris Plus Graphics 655 (with eDRAM cache) of the previous MacBook Pro 13, the performance is about 30-40% higher.

The sustained performance is definitely an advantage, because neither the 3DMark stress test (Fire Strike) nor our The Witcher 3 loop (here with medium preset) shows a performance drop. Still, the MacBook Pro 13 is not great for gaming. Older titles are usually playable, but hardly with high settings. More modern titles are definitely limited to the lowest settings and resolution.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +83%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4990 Points +14%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
4512 Points +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1038NG7
4374 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
4279 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
4263 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
4138 Points -5%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (2112 - 4630, n=28)
3996 Points -9%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +104%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
3134 Points +9%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
2891 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1038NG7
2883 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
2874 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
2743 Points -5%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
2692 Points -7%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (1418 - 3156, n=27)
2594 Points -10%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, Intel Core i5-8279U
2004 Points -30%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
1981 Points +140%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
973 Points +18%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1038NG7
825 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
794 Points -4%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
754 Points -9%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (526 - 851, n=23)
744 Points -10%
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
685 Points -17%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, Intel Core i5-8279U
619 Points -25%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
17100 points
3DMark 11 Performance
4683 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
56619 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12647 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2680 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
1329 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
932 points
Help
05101520253035Tooltip
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F: Ø33.1 (28-36)
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 54.2 33.1 18
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 94.7 62.8 38.5 35.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 25.9 11.7 10.9
Far Cry 5 (2018) 26 12
F1 2019 (2019) 62 27 25 21

Emissions – MBP is usually silent in practice

System Noise

The cooling solution with the two fans has not changed and the MacBook is usually silent when you only use simple applications. When the fan is running on the lowest setting, you can only hear a quiet murmur when you hold your ear directly next to the device. The fan behavior really depends on the CPU load. When we only stress the integrated GPU (like with the Unigine Valley benchmark, for example) it takes a couple of minutes before the fans will even start spinning. It gets much louder when you stress the processor. Medium workloads, including gaming, usually result in around 36 dB(A), and up to 42.1 dB(A) is measured under maximum load. Our measurement results are therefore pretty much identical to the previous model. We did not notice any other electronic sounds like coil whine.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
34.4 / 42.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.6 dB(A)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1038NG7, Apple SSD SM0512F
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8279U, Apple SSD AP0512
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
Noise
2%
4%
0%
7%
4%
off / environment *
29.6
29
2%
30.3
-2%
29
2%
28.5
4%
28.5
4%
Idle Minimum *
29.6
29
2%
30.3
-2%
29
2%
28.5
4%
28.5
4%
Idle Average *
29.6
29
2%
30.3
-2%
29
2%
28.5
4%
28.5
4%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
29
2%
30.3
-2%
29
2%
28.5
4%
28.5
4%
Load Average *
34.4
33.9
1%
31.7
8%
33.5
3%
28.5
17%
28.5
17%
Witcher 3 ultra *
36.1
40.5
-12%
35.3
2%
40.4
-12%
Load Maximum *
42.1
41.8
1%
32.7
22%
40.5
4%
35.3
16%
40.4
4%

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2029273128.72529.726.42929.13133.43229.7324032.127.830.1295034.933.933.133.66325.825.625.428.5802623.824.326.110024.524.725.226.912524.32522.824.416023.524.223.424.320023.524.824.423.825024.326.222.223.331523.626.922.222.740023.627.520.822.150024.228.719.820.96302429.919.320.580022.429.318.920100021.728.91819.4125022.530.117.418.7160023.831.11718.1200023.431.416.418.3250024.934.916.618.531502532.916.216.8400019.82915.916.750001725.615.916.4630016.823.81616.5800016.519.916.116.41000016.317.216.116.31250016.116.51616.21600015.915.915.816SPL34.442.129.630.6N23.71.31.5median 23.5median 26.9median 17.4median 18.7Delta3.33.332.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseApple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

The 13-inch MacBook Pro (4x TB3) is still uncritical when it comes to the surface temperatures. The metal chassis hardly warms up at all during light workloads and the heat is concentrated to the rear portion of the base unit under load. Up to 40.7 °C is nothing to worry about and there are no limitations for the handling of the device.

The processor consumption levels off at around 33 W during our stress test, so the performance is still pretty steady in extreme scenarios. The processor runs at 4x 2.3-2.4 GHz in this case, but the Windows tools cannot detect the core clock of the iGPU reliably.

Max. Load
 38.1 °C
101 F
40.7 °C
105 F
38.7 °C
102 F
 
 34.7 °C
94 F
39.7 °C
103 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 27 °C
81 F
26 °C
79 F
26.6 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 40.7 °C = 105 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
38.4 °C
101 F
39.4 °C
103 F
38.1 °C
101 F
32.5 °C
91 F
36.9 °C
98 F
34.8 °C
95 F
28 °C
82 F
29.1 °C
84 F
28.8 °C
84 F
Maximum: 39.4 °C = 103 F
Average: 34 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.7 °C = 105 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27 °C / 80.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+1.3 °C / 2.3 F).
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203129.2252930.73129.734.54030.133.15033.136.46325.439.98024.345.110025.250.212522.853.516023.455.620024.457.125022.258.631522.261.340020.864.750019.865.563019.365.380018.967.110001866125017.468.116001769.5200016.467.7250016.671.8315016.270.6400015.968.1500015.968.363001664.1800016.163.61000016.162.3125001662.41600015.852.2SPL29.680.1N1.348.4median 17.4median 64.7Delta35.144.643.244.638.838.138.838.238.138.238.538.238.536.737.136.740.23740.245.835.645.853.933.753.958.733.958.763.232.863.26332.26364.530.864.568.530.168.570.629.870.672.729.672.769.129.169.164.928.564.965.928.465.969.128.269.166.727.966.768.927.768.968.827.568.861.327.661.365.427.665.462.627.262.663.727.363.764.227.264.264.827.264.865.52765.556.62756.67940.17949.13.849.1median 64.9median 28.2median 64.93.513.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseApple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-GenMicrosoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 10% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 6% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The idle power consumption is slightly higher than before, but the results are very similar under load. We can detect a maximum consumption of 65.2 W under load, but this will level off at around 57 Watts. The provided 61 W PSU is therefore just sufficient, even though there is not much headroom (for the charging of the battery, for example).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.05 / 0.32 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.8 / 8.6 / 10.3 Watt
Load midlight 52.1 / 65.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
i5-1038NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Apple SSD SM0512F, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
i5-8279U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, Apple SSD AP0512, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD, IPS, 3840x2400, 13.40
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H), IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
15%
49%
4%
25%
10%
14%
-4%
Idle Minimum *
3.8
2.2
42%
1.8
53%
5.3
-39%
3.9
-3%
4.4
-16%
3.91 ?(1.8 - 6.9, n=26)
-3%
4.9 ?(1.77 - 11.8, n=63, last 2 years)
-29%
Idle Average *
8.6
7.2
16%
4.6
47%
7.8
9%
6.3
27%
7.5
13%
7.33 ?(4.6 - 11.5, n=26)
15%
8.4 ?(4.6 - 17.4, n=63, last 2 years)
2%
Idle Maximum *
10.3
8.2
20%
6.1
41%
9.8
5%
6.8
34%
7.8
24%
9.16 ?(6.1 - 12, n=26)
11%
10.4 ?(5.1 - 22.4, n=63, last 2 years)
-1%
Load Average *
52.1
54
-4%
27.4
47%
46
12%
32.6
37%
41.9
20%
39.2 ?(25.7 - 53.3, n=26)
25%
46.1 ?(19.1 - 83.3, n=62, last 2 years)
12%
Witcher 3 ultra *
48.2
43
11%
25.6
47%
40.8
15%
Load Maximum *
65.2
63.9
2%
27
59%
48.3
26%
59
10%
63.9
2%
49.8 ?(27 - 65.2, n=26)
24%
66.2 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=63, last 2 years)
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

We were quite surprised that the Wi-Fi runtime was a bit longer than the video runtime of our test unit. Both results, however, are still very good at 12 and 11.5 hours, respectively, and the MBP 13 also beats the rivals. If you use the maximum brightness, the Wi-Fi runtime will drop to around 7.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Safari 13.1)
12h 08min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Safari 13.1)
7h 38min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 27min
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen
i5-1038NG7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 58 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2019 i5 4TB3
i5-8279U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, 58 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF313-52-71Y7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 54.5 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 52 Wh
HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 60 Wh
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 45 Wh
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
-1%
-12%
-6%
-18%
-32%
-1%
H.264
687
721
5%
627
-9%
778 ?(426 - 1153, n=30, last 2 years)
13%
WiFi v1.3
728
687
-6%
620
-15%
682
-6%
594
-18%
495
-32%
623 ?(303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
-14%

Pros

+ excellent case and build quality
+ huge trackpad with great precision
+ usually very quiet and cool operation
+ very good display with flawless scaling
+ very good speakers
+ 4x Thunderbolt 3 w/ full bandwidth

Cons

- no Wi-Fi 6
- neither USB-A nor HDMI
- bad webcam
- very expensive – especially the upgrades
- power supply reaches its limitations

Verdict – MacBook Pro 13 is better with the new keyboard

In review: Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.
In review: Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.

The 2020 MacBook Pro 13 is pretty much just a mandatory update, because it was the last MacBook with the old butterfly keyboard after both the MacBook Pro 16 and the MacBook Air already received an update. The switch to the Ice Lake processor is not really noticeable for the user to be honest. You get more GPU performance, but the CPU performance is pretty much unchanged. You can clearly see Intel's problem when you compare the results with the new AMD Renoir processors.

However, the MacBook Pro 13 still has an advantage over many other subnotebooks when it comes to the performance, because there is no big drop even under sustained workloads. The new Magic keyboard with the longer key travel will probably attract more customers. If you have avoided a new MacBook because of the keyboard, you should definitely try the new model.

The MacBook Pro 13 with the new keyboard should please more customers and it is also a better overall product than the predecessor. However, you have to pay a lot of money and accept the miserable repairability.

We expected more ahead of the launch to be honest (especially the switch to the rumored MacBook Pro 14) and there have not been any real advancements/innovations over the last couple of years, but the MacBook Pro 13 is a very good laptop nevertheless. The great unibody chassis and the excellent display are still two highlights. The rating also benefits from the new improved keyboard, but all of this comes at a steep price, because our review unit is very expensive at 2,129 Euros (~$2,382).

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Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen - 06/01/2020 v7
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
89 / 98 → 91%
Keyboard
96%
Pointing Device
100%
Connectivity
66 / 75 → 87%
Weight
70 / 20-75 → 92%
Battery
89%
Display
91%
Games Performance
59 / 78 → 75%
Application Performance
82 / 85 → 96%
Temperature
93%
Noise
94%
Audio
88 / 91 → 96%
Camera
35 / 85 → 41%
Average
81%
92%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MacBook Pro 13 2020 in Review: Apple's subnotebook only gets the mandatory update
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-06- 2 (Update: 2020-06- 3)