The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is less expensive, lighter, has twice the storage, and superior battery life compared to the MacBook Pro 14. It also has a high portability score and a quality screen. However, the MacBook Pro 14's performance in general use and engineering is higher, and it has a better quality keyboard, webcam, and speakers; it's also more suitable for color-sensitive work thanks to its screen. Choose the Zenbook for budget-friendliness, travel, and longer off-the-plug stretches, or the MacBook if you need stronger performance for tasks like video editing and prioritize screen and build quality. 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 ASUS Zenbook S 13
Best in class portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1/10
9.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.2in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook S 13 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for daily tasks and engineering applications, but its refresh rate doesn't meet the needs of high-end gaming or 3D modeling. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 excels in screen resolution and color gamut, making it an excellent choice for professionals in engineering and design who prioritize color accuracy and detail. However, similar to the ASUS, it falls short for 3D uses as its refresh rate is not tailored for the demands of gaming or real-time rendering.
Battery
11.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
Best in Class
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.2in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is appreciated for general use because it's exceptionally portable and lightweight, making it easy to carry around, and features high RAM for multitasking, an OLED screen for vivid colors, and has a long battery life, with tradeoffs in slightly lower built-in storage capacity. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is also well-suited to general use due to its higher screen brightness and speaker quality, along with its powerful M3 processor and an even longer battery life, but it's less portable due to its higher weight and has less RAM, which could limit performance in heavy multitasking situations.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is equipped with a GPU and screen refresh rate that can handle most gaming and 3D tasks, but gamers should be aware that the MacBook Pro 14, despite having a better screen refresh rate, might not support as many popular games due to the MacOS ecosystem limitations.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a powerful CPU suitable for engineering software, plenty of RAM for multitasking, and an OLED screen that's great for design, however, it lacks a dedicated GPU which might limit performance in GPU-intensive tasks. The Apple MacBook Pro 14, while also having high-quality screen features and a capable CPU, combines that with a superior GPU compared to the ASUS, better speakers, and longer battery life, but it comes with less RAM and higher weight, which can affect portability and multitasking capabilities.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
8.3/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for software development.
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.
Cost
$1,400
$1,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,499.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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.
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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