Buying a 13-inch laptop in 2022: a comparison of the top models

notebooks
13-inch laptops in comparison: Massive performance in a small format

12.07.2022, 14:01

6 min reading time

Anyone who travels a lot appreciates 13-inch laptops that easily fit into any backpack or bag. The comparison reveals which model is right for you.

What looks huge on a tablet is small, handy and popular on a laptop. The 13-inch laptop is one of the standard sizes of most computer manufacturers, along with 17 and 15.6-inch models. Tech giant Apple, for example, offers two models of this size with its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Microsoft’s Surface, the Dell XPS and gaming laptops are also available as 13-inch models. The reasons for this are clear: They are light, handy and even fit on the small tables in the ICE. And that’s exactly what makes it 13 inch laptop the ideal companion for on the go. However, buyers do not have to accept performance cuts: the same hardware works in the small laptops as in the larger models.

Laptop 13 inch: MacBook Air

The time has come for the MacBook Air with an M2 chip to be launched in mid to late July 2022. As long as interested parties still have to deal with the MacBook Air with M1 chip content First the good news: the performance of the M1 chip is perfectly sufficient for most users, at least when they surf, stream or do office work. The chip even offers enough power for computing-intensive applications such as Photoshop. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t treat its MacBook Air to active cooling in the form of fans.

If you edit particularly long photos or videos, it is better to use the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple has given it active cooling with fans to prevent heat problems. In terms of price, the MacBook Air ranges around 1000 euros. Unusual for Apple: This is a very strong price-performance ratio, because the screen, performance and build quality are convincing. Similarly powerful Windows equivalents are not cheaper. Only the internal memory is limited as usual in Macs and the surcharge is quite generous. This is where external SSD storage can help.

Windows alternative: Microsoft Surface 4

If you are looking for a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air because you shy away from MacOS, one is the right choice Microsoft Surface 4 on. Its matt black and simple design makes a lot – but that is known to be a matter of taste. Inside, Microsoft relies on the power of Intel processors. In the price range around 1000 euros, this is an Intel Core i5-1145G7. In terms of performance, it cannot compete with Apple’s M1. This is also due to the fact that the processor only has four cores, while Apple’s M1 has eight. When it comes to internal storage, however, the Microsoft laptop trumps its Apple competition. Unfortunately, the manufacturer only gives its laptop 512 gigabytes (GB) of 8 GB of RAM. Too bad: Unfortunately, buyers have to do without Thunderbolt 3.

For photographers and videographers: MacBook Pro 2022

If you’re looking for a laptop that’s built for image and video editing, this is it MacBook Pro 2022 with M2 chip take a closer look. Apple computers are particularly popular among creative people. This is mainly due to the excellent screens, which reproduce colors true to the original. Apple also offers in-house software such as FinalCut (editing program) that videographers who don’t want to use Adobe’s subscription model work with. The most obvious difference between the new MacBook Air 2022 with M2 is the active cooling of the MacBook Pro.

Apple has given its Pro version fans that dissipate the waste heat from the hardware. The MacBook Air does not have a fan, so it is only cooled passively. How this will affect the performance of both laptops cannot yet be said. However, laptops throttle when they get too hot to protect the hardware from damage. If you use long, computationally intensive programs, you want to know that the laptop has sufficient cooling installed in order to be able to work without sacrificing performance. And that might be the deciding factor in choosing a Pro over the Air. Office workers are more likely to use the MacBook Air because Outlook & Co. don’t fully utilize the hardware.

Windows alternative: Dell XPS

Creative people who prefer to work with Windows, on the other hand, do very well with a Dell XPS. The premium manufacturer is also careful to give its laptops an excellent screen. At this XPS model it dissolves even sharper than the Macs. Dell squeezes a full 3840 x 2160 pixels into the 13.3-inch screen. Incidentally, it is touch-capable, which is particularly pleasing to artists who like to draw on the display. In addition to 16 GB of working memory and 512 GB of system memory, an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor works in the XPS. Its integrated graphics unit serves as a graphics card. Its performance doesn’t quite match Apple’s M1. Despite this, the processor handles performance-hungry tasks such as video editing without any problems.

Surface Pro 8: The tablet PC

This is also suitable for special Windows users Surface Pro 8 from microsoft. It’s actually more of a tablet. However, Windows 11 works on it. You can also buy a keyboard cover so that the tablet becomes a full-fledged laptop. What makes the Surface Pro 8 special is its 120 Hertz display with a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920 pixels. The Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor works inside, and its performance is sufficient for demanding programs. Unfortunately, the internal memory is a bit small at 256 GB. After all, Microsoft installed 16 gigabytes of RAM in the i7 version of the Surface Pro 8. Nice: There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the tablet.

For gamers: Asus ROG Flow X13

If gamers are looking for a 13-inch laptop, this is the choice Asus ROG Flow X13 on. What is special about the notebook is an interface that gamers can use to connect an external graphics card. This is useful if you want to gamble with your laptop on your home screen and need maximum performance. Of course, the external graphics card costs extra and is not included in the scope of delivery. Asus also gives its little powerhouse everything a gamer’s heart desires: With the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, it is fueled by a powerful eight-core processor that has no problems with games. A Radeon 680M calculates this on the 120 Hertz display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels. Unfortunately, the internal memory is sparse at 512 GB. The 16 GB of RAM, on the other hand, is more than sufficient. Unfortunately, the laptop does not offer Thunderbolt sockets. Two USB-C ports are installed for this purpose, which gamers can also use to connect the screen.

Chromebooks: For the tight budget

If you’re looking for a particularly affordable 13-inch laptop that can’t cost a lot, you should keep an eye on Chromebooks throw. They run on the Google Chrome OS operating system and are particularly suitable for light tasks such as checking emails, streaming and surfing. They are not intended for video and photo editing. If you work with Microsoft’s Office programs, you could also run into problems, because they don’t run on every Chromebook and if they do, then only with additional software or in the browser version.

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