The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
Software Development
8.1/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.6/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
346.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 for AI, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air is recognized for its vibrant and sharp display, making it excellent for everyday activities and professional design work due to its high resolution and wide color spectrum. The ASUS Zenbook Pro also boasts a comparable high-resolution display and color accuracy that benefits engineers and designers needing precise color representation. However, both laptops may not suit 3D applications and gaming as well as others because they typically have screens with lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness in such demanding visual tasks.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has 12.5 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,109
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 costs $1,109.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 with its high-resolution screen, long battery life, and lightweight makes it an excellent choice for general use, further enhanced by its fanless design which ensures silent operation. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers more storage and memory, an OLED touchscreen, and a dedicated graphics card, catering well to those who need more robust performance for multimedia tasks, despite being heavier and having slightly lower battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with its own GPU is suitable for some 3D tasks but its MacOS limits the gaming options available; on the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 houses a Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti card which better supports gaming and 3D applications, and runs on Windows 11 Pro which is compatible with a broader range of games. Both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, but the Zenbook's dedicated GPU and Windows operating system give it an edge for gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M2 CPU with an integrated GPU, which delivers strong performance and efficient energy use, alongside a high-resolution IPS screen with excellent color accuracy. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a robust AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU for intensive tasks and an OLED screen known for vibrant colors, but these come at the cost of greater weight and reduced battery life compared to the MacBook Air.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is good.
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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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 Zenbook Pro 15 offers a strong CPU, chassis, and display. One of the most popular 15.6-inch prosumer or multimedia laptops out there is the Dell XPS 15. Thus, comparisons between it and the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 are inevitable. Asus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that XPS users are still missing out on including 1080p OLED and an AMD Ryzen CPU which help separate the Zenbook Pro 15 from the XPS 15. It also integrates a numpad and a few more port options albeit at the cost of a larger chassis size."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.