The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is a premium choice for creatives and professionals who need high performance in tasks like video editing or design, with excellent screen quality, a sturdy build, and good battery life. It runs MacOS, so consider this if you are within the Apple ecosystem or prefer its software. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Dash 15 offers solid performance for gaming and engineering programs at a more affordable price, and it's equipped with Windows 11. It also has superior gaming features like hardware ray tracing and a higher refresh rate screen, which is ideal for fast-paced games. However, it’s heavier and doesn't match the MacBook's display quality or battery life. The right choice depends on your priorities: if you need a powerful, well-rounded machine with great display and battery for general and creative tasks, the MacBook Pro might be worth the extra cost; however, if you're focused on gaming or require a Windows machine and want to save money, the TUF Dash 15 is a competent alternative. 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 engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
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 TUF Dash 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
272.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) shines for general use due to its impressive Mini LED screen quality, superior keyboard, and speaker quality, alongside a lighter weight for better portability, and longer battery life, all driven by the efficient M1 Pro chip.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.4/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in 3D tasks with its Apple M1 Pro GPU which is suited for professional applications and has a high-resolution Mini LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals, but runs MacOS which limits gaming options. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is favored for gaming due to its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which supports ray tracing and DLSS for advanced graphics, plus a 144Hz IPS display for fast-paced games, and it runs Windows which accommodates most popular games.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Dash 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.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Dash 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
7.0/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
272.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Dash 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro's superior screen quality stems from its high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general tasks and engineering where detailed visuals and color accuracy are paramount. However, its lower refresh rate is less optimal for 3D applications, which benefit from smoother motion. The ASUS TUF Dash 15 offers decent performance for general use and tasks requiring good color representation but falls short for gaming and 3D because it doesn't prioritize the high refresh rates needed for the best visual fluidity.
Battery
13.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has 9 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
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,150
$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 TUF Dash 15 costs $1,150.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with its Apple M1 Pro chip and high-resolution Mini LED screen excels in CPU and screen quality for tasks in engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15, though heavier and with a lower resolution IPS screen, features an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU making it a significant contender for similar tasks, albeit in a package that might be less portable and with slightly inferior display features. Both are comparable in RAM; however, the MacBook Pro delivers superior screen quality and portability, which are crucial in creative sectors, despite the ASUS's gaming-capable hardware and broader port variety which could appeal to users with need for intensive computational tasks.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the ASUS TUF Dash 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."
"The Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR is a laptop with mobile RTX 3070 and acceptable battery life. The Asus TUF Dash F15 was made for high-performance applications like video editing, rendering, and gaming. The laptop can manage the latter in QHD resolution and at high to maximum settings. However, the focus isn't on maximum performance, but instead, it's about a compromise between performance and portability."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS TUF Dash 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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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
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