The Apple MacBook Pro 14 tends to offer a balance of performance, portability, and build quality suited for professionals doing creative work, with a strong emphasis on a high-quality display and longer battery life. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Strix is a gaming-focused machine, delivering top-of-the-line performance for 3D gaming, machine learning tasks, and engineering software but at the expense of battery life and portability due to its larger size and heavier weight. If the daily tasks are more inclined towards gaming or extremely demanding computational tasks, the ASUS might justify the higher cost, otherwise, the MacBook Pro's all-around performance and ease of carrying could be more appealing. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
8.7/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a high-quality screen and a capable GPU which supports 3D work well, but its refresh rate isn't optimized for the fast-paced visuals critical in many modern games. The ASUS ROG Strix G18, with its superior refresh rate and more powerful GPU, delivers a smoother and more immersive gaming experience, and unlike the MacBook, it can run a wider variety of popular games that are not available on macOS.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a balance of high-quality CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality, which is essential for engineering and design tasks, but the ASUS ROG Strix G18 exceeds in performance with more powerful components, making it preferred for the most demanding engineering software and 3D tasks. While the MacBook Pro 14 is more portable with a better keyboard and less operating noise, the ROG's sheer power might appeal more to those who prioritize peak performance and screen quality over portability and user comfort.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.7/10
14.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G18 for general use, and engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Pro 14 excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display, exceptional brightness, and wide color spectrum, making text crisp and colors accurate, which professionals in design and photo editing value. The ASUS ROG Strix G18, while having a quality display, offers a less impressive brightness and color range compared to the MacBook, but it is still quite suitable for general use and engineering tasks. However, both laptops fall short for 3D applications as they lack fast refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth rendering and an immersive experience in activities such as gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 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
Poor
14.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$2,203
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) costs $2,203.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a balance of strong CPU performance, ample RAM, and high-quality screen, making it excellent for general use, along with a focus on portability and long battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 also delivers robust CPU and RAM capacity with a premium screen but trades some portability and battery life for enhanced gaming and engineering capabilities, and it excels in managing heat, has ample storage, a responsive keyboard, quality speakers and maintains low noise levels during operation.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) 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
8.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) 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 Pro 14 (2021) and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) compare to other laptops
"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."
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (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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