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MagyarThe Best Windows Alternatives to Apple's MacBook Pro 13
Despite its limited range of products, Apple has managed to supply a suitable notebook for almost every area of use, avoiding only the more price-sensitive entry-level segment - at least for now. We soon noticed the difficulty of finding comparable Windows devices for the few series that Apple offers. You will have to accept small compromises such as differences in the size of the device, its display resolution, weight and the hardware used. If you are not willing to do this, you will have to use Bootcamp Windows on a Mac computer. But as this would mean losing many of the advantages that Apple notebooks offer, this will only be the best option in certain cases. You might also be interested in the following roundups:
The Best Windows Alternatives to Apples MacBook Pro 13
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91.4 % | 04/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.4 kg | 15 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | matte |
| 2 | 91.1 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 15.39 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | glossy |
| 3 | 90.8 % | 06/2021 New! |  | HP Elite Dragonfly Max Intel Core i7-1185G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 16 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
| 4 | 90.6 % | 03/2021 |  | HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 1.4 kg | 16.5 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
| 5 | 90.5 % | 08/2020 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte |
| 6 | 90.3 % | 05/2021 |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2400 | glossy |
| 7 | 90 % | 11/2020 |  | HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 Intel Core i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 1.2 kg | 16 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
| 8 | 89.4 % | 12/2020 |  | HP Spectre x360 14t-ea000 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 1.3 kg | 17.2 mm | 13.50" | 1920x1280 | glossy |
| 9 | 89.1 % | 06/2021 New! |  | Schenker Vision 14 Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1 kg | 15.6 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | matte |
| 10 | 88.9 % | 05/2021 |  | Asus ZenBook 13 UX325EA Intel Core i7-1165G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 1.2 kg | 13.9 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
The table above contains an overview over the best notebooks reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editor's Comments
The new MacBook Pro 13 is available with an optional OLED bar, which is supposed to make it easier to use compatible programs. With or without the bar: Apple's notebook is a slim and powerful device - that comes at a certain price. Windows alternatives can be found in the area of 14-inch business devices as well as 13-inch ultrabooks. We have chosen a good selection of high-quality devices that have no need to fear comparison with Apple's notebooks. Prices range from significantly cheaper devices to even more expensive models.
1st – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
In our review, we referred to the ThinkPad X1 Yoga as Lenovo’s actual current flagship convertible considering the plethora of issues the more premium X1 Titanium Yoga is plagued with and that are completely missing from the X1 Yoga. It features a great case, a matte 16:10 display, excellent performance, and up-to-date connectivity.
Other benefits include long battery life, great speakers, and good input devices including an active stylus. What else do you really need in a high-end convertible? Well, cellular connectivity would be one thing. And a better webcam. And maybe a wider keyboard considering the current one is narrower than its predecessor’s. Oh, and as SD card reader would be nice, too.
These issues aside the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a great alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro 13, especially if you value an active stylus, a touchscreen, and the added benefits of a convertible form factor.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga can be purchased directly through Lenovo’s own webstore as well as retailers such as Walmart.
Pricecompare
2nd – Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 is a convertible with support for stylus input and thus more versatile than Apple’s MacBook Pro 13. It features a fast Tiger Lake-generation processor and is priced in the upper mid-range accordingly.
Its input devices remain excellent and aimed at satisfying avid typists. In our review, this 13.3-inch convertible offered a decent system performance, high-quality materials, fast Wi-Fi, and a place to store Lenovo’s ActivePen Pro.
Overall, the ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 performed as expected. It features excellent build quality, great choice of material, and high-quality input devices.
Prices start at around $1,300, and the device is available among others directly through Lenovo’s own webstore.
Pricecompare
3rd – HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max
The HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max is a light-weight business convertible based around Intel’s Core i7-1175G7, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB large SSD. Its 13.3-inch touch display supports stylus input.
Its panel also offers a good contrast ratio as well as decent color gamut. Its main strengths are its long battery life, Wi-Fi 6, LTE connectivity, and a variety of security features.
The HP EliteBook Dragonfly Max is a very good business convertible with a few minor flaws that are easy to glance over.
Prices start at $2,300, and the device is currently only available through HP’s own website.
Pricecompare
4th – HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 offers a variety of features made for professional use, such as for example its built-in WWAN modem, NFC support, and an optional very bright display. It also comes with a number of professional security features.
Other benefits include the thin and lightweight case, its long battery life, its modern design, and its thin display bezels.
Since, however, even the latest generation of processors continues to lack vPro support or, in case of AMD-based devices a similar feature set, HP was forced to opt for an older generation processor instead. This becomes glaringly obvious when looking at the older and significantly slower integrated GPU our review unit was equipped with.
Nevertheless, it remains a versatile high-quality device that can easily keep up with a MacBook Pro 13.
The device can be purchased directly through HP or retail channels such as Amazon.
Pricecompare
5th – Lenovo ThinkPad T14s
Intel is no longer the performance king of the hill thanks to AMD’s Ryzen 4000, and it is thus only logical for an AMD Ryzen 4000-based laptop to storm to the top of this business notebook top 10 list as well. Lenovo’s Renoir-based Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 is leaps and bounds ahead of the more expensive ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 while offering the same level of quality as its more expensive sibling. In some areas the T14s even manages to outshine the X1, such as for example with its better keyboard thanks to longer key travel.
Other benefits include the robust case, the decent battery life, good connectivity, and last but not least the excellent matte low power display, all of which help to make the ThinkPad T14s AMD am excellent mobile business laptop. Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks as well, such as the lack of Thunderbolt 3 and 4K display as well as the hard to reach microSD port. Nevertheless, it remains one of the best business laptops of 2020.
Pricecompare
6th – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon was redesigned from the ground up at last and is now available with four different 16:10 panels. The UHD+ panel on our review unit did not show any signs of PWM flickering. It also comes with the usual list of ThinkPad perks, such as a high-end case and excellent input devices. However, we have to admit that the keyboard is not quite on par with the usual ThinkPad quality. We found its feedback to be too soft, and it is narrower than it used to be.
Plenty of performance, up to 32 GB of RAM, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, and great speakers are other benefits to be found.
On the flip side we found it somewhat disappointing that you cannot equip the ThinkPad X1 Carbon with WWAN options for cellular connectivity. Its webcam should also have been improved, and an SD card reader is nowhere to be found either. Should you opt for the high-end display you will also need to take into account the fact that it is reflective and has a detrimental impact on battery life.
The device is available through Lenovo’s own webstore as well as retailers such as Amazon.
Pricecompare
7th – HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7
The EliteBook x360 1030 G7 may be comparatively expensive, but with its thin display bezels, its great audio quality, an optional very bright display, and an excellent keyboard it is also of extremely high quality. Despite the fact that this is a full convertible it is relatively lightweight and thin.
Downsides include its short warranty of just 12 months, its lack of card reader, and the fact that there are no even higher quality 4K or OLED panel options. We came to expect these in this price range.
Nevertheless, if you have and are willing to spend the money and are looking for a high-quality tablet you cannot really go wrong with the x360 1030 G7.
Pricecompare
8th – HP Spectre x360 14t
Strictly speaking the HP Spectre x360 14 is nothing but a slightly bigger HP Spectre x360 13. It is a 13.5-inch tablet with optional OLED or very bright IPS touchscreen display. It comes with an HP Tilt Pen MPP 2.0 by default.
A great keyboard, a well-made case, long battery life, decent connectivity including Thunderbolt 4, plenty of performance, and a large clickpad render the HP Spectre x360 14 one of the best currently available convertibles.
In return, HP removed the WWAN option. The device is quite expensive and not particularly well upgradable. Nevertheless, it offers a lot for its money.
Pricecompare
9th – Schenker Vision 14
Our review of Schenker's Vision 14 concluded with the words “a great Ultrabook with good display”. Sounds like a great alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro 13, does it not?
It surely does. After all, the device comes in a robust and sturdy high-quality magnesium case featuring Thunderbolt 4, a great 3K display, plenty of performance, and – despite its slim build – a full-sized SD-card reader.
Its battery life of just 6 hours when running our Wi-Fi test is unfortunately rather poor. The more energy efficient FHD panel might add a few more minutes.
Good connectivity and a great yet power hungry display: Schenker’s Vision 14 is a decent alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro 13 but does not last as long as the latter.
Schenker notebooks are not sold in North America.
Pricecompare
10th – Asus ZenBook 13
Are you in the market for a subnotebook with an OLED display? Then look no further, because the Asus ZenBook 13 has you covered. Its excellent display is incredibly color accurate, its AMD processor is powerful, and it features Wi-Fi 6 and a backlit keyboard to boot.
Its low weight, its robust yet compact case (a mere 14 mm / 0.55 inches thick), and its low weight of just 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs) make this a notebook that is easy to carry around all day every day.
However, your 3D performance expectations have to kept in check, and RAM is not expandable. Good thing our review unit already came with 16 GB. We also did not like its weak hinge mechanism as well as its overall power consumption despite of which it managed a good result of over 9 hours in our Wi-Fi battery test.
If you are looking for a powerful notebook with great display the ZenBook 13 with OLED display can be a great alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro.
An Intel SKU is also available. It comes with Thunderbolt and extra GPU power. In return, its CPU performance is worse.
Pricecompare
The original: Apple MacBook Pro 13
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91.1 % | 12/2020 |  | Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 Apple M1 8-Core GPU 8 GB Memory, 256 GB SSD | 1.4 kg | 15.6 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 | glossy |
Top MBP 13 alternatives in comparison
Test Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G2 | HP Elite Dragonfly Max | HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 | HP Spectre x360 14t-ea000 | Schenker Vision 14 | Asus ZenBook 13 UX325EA | Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) | Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 69.8 | 68.3 | 66.1 | 66.8 | 95.2 | 66.1 | 65.8 | 75.4 | 99.9 | 98.8 | ||
| sRGB Coverage | 97.1 | 99.1 | 95.5 | 97.9 | 99.8 | 97 | 98.2 | 99 | 100 | 99.9 | ||
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 72.2 | 70.3 | 68.1 | 69 | 89.2 | 67.7 | 67.9 | 76.4 | 97.5 | 86.4 | ||
| Response Times | ||||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49.2 ? | 52 ? | 44.8 ? | 52.4 ? | 32.4 ? | 46 ? | 56.4 ? | 62 ? | 32.8 ? | 2 ? | 48 ? | 46 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 22 ? | 32 ? | 32 ? | 32 ? | 15.2 ? | 30 ? | 34.4 ? | 39.6 ? | 20.4 ? | 2 ? | 25.2 ? | 32.4 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 26040 ? | 26040 ? | 60 ? | 122000 ? | 113600 ? | |||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 417 | 460 | 777.5 | 406.7 | 404 | 497 | 425.4 | 443.5 | 390 | 390 | 510 | 512 |
| Brightness | 404 | 423 | 727 | 382 | 371 | 488 | 407 | 394 | 387 | 368 | 491 | 491 |
| Brightness Distribution | 93 | 85 | 75 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 89 | 78 | 94 | 66 | 94 | 91 |
| Black Level * | 0.22 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.28 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.28 | 0.17 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.32 | |
| Contrast | 1895 | 1394 | 1767 | 1453 | 1188 | 1420 | 1519 | 2609 | 1345 | 1759 | 1600 | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.8 | 1 | 1.62 | 3.74 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 4.39 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.03 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.7 | 1.5 | 5.26 | 5.92 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 6.73 | 4.36 | 4.4 | 3.14 | 3 | 3.4 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.32 | 2.18 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.65 | 2.61 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 1 | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.28 | 2 | 1.9 |
| Gamma | 2.08 106% | 2.26 97% | 2.2 100% | 2.19 100% | 2.13 103% | 2.16 102% | 1.87 118% | 2.09 105% | 2.24 98% | 2.4 92% | 2.23 99% | 2.19 100% |
| CCT | 6545 99% | 6652 98% | 6538 99% | 6781 96% | 6480 100% | 6690 97% | 6758 96% | 6144 106% | 6174 105% | 6359 102% | 6933 94% | 6817 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 65.9 | 64.4 | 72.3 | 61.6 | 63 | 79.37 | 61.7 | 62.1 | 76.4 | 87 | 88.3 | 77.4 |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.6 | 99.12 | 94.8 | 95.1 | 97.9 | 99.78 | 96.6 | 98.5 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 99.9 |
| Noise | ||||||||||||
| off / environment * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 25.2 | 29.2 | 23.66 | 28.1 | 25.8 | 25 | 26 | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 25.2 | 29.2 | 23.6 | 28.1 | 25.9 | 25 | 26 | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Idle Average * | 24.2 | 24 | 24.9 | 25.2 | 29.2 | 23.6 | 28.1 | 25.9 | 25 | 26 | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Idle Maximum * | 29.9 | 24 | 24.9 | 25.2 | 29.6 | 23.6 | 28.1 | 25.9 | 26.9 | 30.5 | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Load Average * | 33.7 | 32.72 | 29.7 | 30 | 30.2 | 33.5 | 35.1 | 26.4 | 38.6 | 43.9 | 32.1 | 34.4 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 33.7 | 31.3 | 32.3 | 36.9 | 41.2 | 36.1 | ||||||
| Load Maximum * | 36.7 | 33.88 | 31.3 | 38.1 | 32.3 | 34.3 | 37.6 | 41.5 | 41.2 | 43.9 | 41.9 | 42.1 |
| Heat | ||||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 44.1 | 47.2 | 39.4 | 36.6 | 44.7 | 51.5 | 37 | 40.4 | 46.2 | 39.3 | 41 | 40.7 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 47.3 | 51.5 | 50 | 46.2 | 44.6 | 45.3 | 47.2 | 52.8 | 52.2 | 47.3 | 40.4 | 39.4 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.5 | 30 | 31.6 | 25.8 | 25.6 | 29.6 | 25.8 | 27.2 | 30.6 | 25.9 | 23.6 | 25.4 |
| Idle Bottom * | 26.6 | 30.5 | 33.4 | 29.8 | 25.6 | 30 | 32.6 | 29.2 | 33.6 | 27.8 | 23.6 | 25.1 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||||
| H.264 | 924 | 686 | 792 | 559 | 401 | 614 | 1152 | 687 | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 717 | 555 | 659 | 1128 | 612 | 442 | 617 | 707 | 366 | 640 | 1223 | 728 |
| Load | 119 | 118 | 174 | 334 | 127 | 94 | 135 | 145 | 182 | |||
| Reader / Idle | 1723 | 3768 | 1855 | 2185 | ||||||||
| Witcher 3 ultra | 190 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 | |
| HP Elite Dragonfly Max | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U | |
| HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 | |
| HP Spectre x360 14t-ea000 | |
| Schenker Vision 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX325EA | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen | |
| 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 2020 2GHz i5 10th-Gen | |
