Apple‘s upcoming MacBook Pro 13 will pack the most powerful 10th-generation Intel Ice Lake CPU currently existing on the market. However, the Cupertino-based tech giant is again late to the charade because there are already a few Windows-powered laptops that overtake it when it comes to features.
Intel has initially launched its most advanced 10nm 10th-gen Ice Lake range of CPUs in August of 2019, and several devices based on it appeared by October. One processor that has been weirdly absent since the reveal is the highest-wattage Core i7-1068G7 chip, which will be offered as an option in the upgraded MacBook Pro 13.
However, even though the chipset is the ‘most powerful’ Ice Lake processor yet, it may not be much faster than other 10th-gen Ice Lake-powered laptops, which can be made to run up to 25 watts. Although there’s no hint yet as to how Apple will market its new MacBook Pro, we know that basically, 25 to 28 watts is not such a game-changer.
Great Alternatives to MacBook Pro 13
If you consider competing laptops from the PC platform, it’s pretty clear that the MacBook Pro 13 is just going through the motions. So here are some amazing alternatives to Apple’s upcoming laptop.
MSI Prestige 14
The Prestige 14, currently priced at about $1,547, has a 6-core Core i7-10710U and GeForce GTX 1650, but it is rather lightweight. The device loses performance as it heats, but it offers discrete graphics and higher processor core count, as well as a factory-optimized 4K panel.
Razer Blade Stealth 13
If you want the same Ice Lake CPU as the upcoming MacBook Pro 13, as well as GTX 1650 Ti graphics, the Razer Blade Stealth 13, has a price tag of $1,800. The laptop is a few grams heavier than Apple’s device but has a factory-calibrated 4K screen options. Its Ice Lake processor has a base TDP of 25 watts, and the design does a better job of preventing the SoC to heat.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is currently around $1,450 and offers an amazing CPU performance due to its Ryzen 9 4900HS, and a real graphics card with a GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q chip. It comes with 8 cores of performance and does more than put the MacBook Pro 13 to shame. The laptop has a less-than-stellar display, which is better for general use and gaming and has no webcam. There’s also no Thunderbolt 3, but it has a real GPU inside the laptop.
Other Options
If you want a laptop with two Thunderbolt ports, Dell’s XPS 13, which is about $1,620 on the official website, or its XPS 12 2-in-1, currently about 1,650 can offer similar performance, besides some amazing Sharp IPS panels.
Apple’s MacBook Pro 13 is a pretty nice laptop, and many fans are glad to see the company upgrade to 10th-gen Intel Core CPUs. However, as we mentioned above, most of the specs found in the upcoming MacBook Pro 13 are already included in a Windows laptop that’s been on the market for a few months already.
