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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 depends on your priorities. If you prioritize a lightweight, silent laptop with a longer battery life, and you're mainly interested in general use, the MacBook Air, which is less expensive, is better suited for you. However, if you need a powerful laptop for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, or gaming, the ASUS, while more expensive and heavier, provides superior performance for these more demanding activities and features a touch-screen OLED display for enhanced screen colors and high screen resolution. 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)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.5
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
332.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15, with its lightweight design and long battery life, is ideal for those who prioritize portability and all-day use, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15's high-powered CPU, ample RAM, and superior screen quality make it better for performance-intensive tasks, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.8
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.6
9.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is superior for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel processor, higher RAM capacity, more advanced Nvidia GPU, and OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which cater to intensive tasks and detailed visual work; however, it is heavier, which affects portability. Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a lower-specced CPU and GPU, and less RAM, which makes it better suited for less demanding tasks, but it boasts a high-quality IPS display, longer battery life, and silent operation, along with a lighter frame for easier transport.
Content Creation
8.0
8.7
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation, though the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
332.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Air's high resolution and brightness make it great for general use, and its wide color coverage suits engineering and design tasks, but a lower refresh rate hinders 3D performance. The ZenBook Pro Duo's impressive screen delivers similar benefits for general tasks and creative work due to its color accuracy and quality. However, gamers and 3D artists might find its screen lacking because of a refresh rate that isn’t optimized for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has 7 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
5.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.6
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 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
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Software Development
8.1
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.2'' x 9.8'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 5.16 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.81" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 92 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 332 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"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."
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Jared Newman | August 2021
"Benchmarks aside, the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo is hard to compare with other PCs. Its closest competition may be a multi-monitor desktop, or a laptop with an attached travel monitor. The Pro Duo is more portable and versatile than either of those options, especially with the software tools Asus has thrown on top. For a certain niche of artists, media creators, and gamers, all that might add up to something special, even if it’s unattainable for the rest of us."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 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.
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