The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is a well-balanced option for those who prioritize a combination of performance, battery life, and portability, making it suitable for professional work and general use. Its build quality and ecosystem might appeal to users who value a seamless integration with other Apple products. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is designed for gaming and performance-intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning. It offers high-end graphics and processing power but is bulkier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. Choose the MacBook Pro if you value a sleek design and long battery life for everyday productivity or the ASUS if raw performance and gaming are your top priorities. 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 Pro 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is rated as very good for general use due to its exceptional keyboard and speaker quality, great battery life, and high screen quality with better portability compared to the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, which offers a larger storage capacity but is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less suitable for frequent mobility despite its solid performance and very good keyboard quality.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
8.3/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is equipped with an Apple GPU optimized for 3D creative work, offering a high-quality Mini LED display with a refresh rate suitable for smooth visuals, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 includes a high-performing Nvidia GPU alongside a screen with an exceptionally high refresh rate, enhancing gaming experiences; however, gaming options on MacOS are limited compared to Windows on the ASUS, where most popular games are available.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 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
9.2/10
7.9/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's display is renowned for its high resolution and brightness, making it ideal for general use, and its wide color gamuts provide accuracy needed for engineering and design tasks; however, its typically lower refresh rates are a drawback for 3D applications where fluid motion is crucial. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar, while offering a good balance of resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and design work, might fall short in gaming and 3D due to lesser color accuracy or lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming models. Essentially, the MacBook excels in visual clarity and color precision for professional work, while the ASUS is versatile but doesn't quite match gaming-specific displays with faster refresh rates.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair 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 Scar 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is favored for engineering and design due to its high-quality Mini LED screen and efficient M1 Pro chip with integrated graphics, which balance performance with battery life, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers a powerful combo of Intel i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, which is ideal for the most demanding tasks but makes the device heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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.
Cost
$1,905
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 costs $2,000.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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."
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 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.
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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.
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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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Laptops Expert
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