Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 depends on what you'll use your laptop for. The MacBook Air is slimmer, lighter, and has a longer battery life, which is ideal if you need something portable and for general use. However, the ASUS offers superior performance suited for gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning tasks; just note that this power comes with increased cost, weight, and often shorter battery life. If your priority is high-end tasks and you're less concerned about portability and price, go for the ASUS. For everyday tasks with the benefit of a sleek design and better battery, the MacBook Air is your best bet. 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 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
While the MacBook Air 15 has a capable GPU for light 3D tasks, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14's superior GPU and higher screen refresh rate make it better suited for gaming and advanced 3D applications. Additionally, the wider availability of games for Windows on the ASUS compared to the MacBook Air ensures a more versatile gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air is known for its balance of performance and portability with a high-quality screen and efficient CPU, making it suitable for on-the-go engineering and design tasks, but may fall short for graphically intensive work due to its less powerful GPU. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, on the other hand, includes a more robust GPU and CPU, ample RAM, and an excellent screen, giving it an edge in demanding engineering applications and design work, but it is bulkier and might have louder operating noise, which could affect its portability and user comfort.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.9/10
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
If you prioritize a clear and vibrant display for everyday tasks, browsing, and watching videos, both the MacBook Air and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus offer screens with high resolution and brightness, ensuring crisp and vivid visuals. For those in engineering and design, these laptops provide screens with a wide color range, covering a spectrum that helps deliver color accuracy for professional work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, where fluid motion is key, neither laptop is ideal, as they lack the higher refresh rates preferred for those smooth visual experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has 12 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15, designed for general use, offers a balance between performance and portability with a focus on a high-quality screen and long battery life, whereas the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, though also suitable for general use, provides higher CPU and RAM capacities geared for more demanding tasks but may compromise on portability and battery life due to its gaming-oriented hardware. Additionally, both laptops offer quality keyboards and adequate storage, but the Zephyrus may run louder and hotter given its performance focus.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (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
8.1/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is good.
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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,299
$1,299
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) costs $1,299.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 offers an impressive package. Asus improves the performance of the new 2023 ROG Zephyrus G14 considerable and offers a very powerful 14-inch notebook with plenty of performance for gamers and content creators. The high-quality chassis is unchanged from last year, but is now equipped with the latest and greatest from AMD as well as Nvidia. The Mini-LED panel also puts up a convincing performance in pretty much every regard, even though the MacBook Pro 14 still offers superior brightness values. The panel works extremely well for gaming and the included color profiles offer very accurate colors."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
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.
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.
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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