The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers high build quality, excellent screen colors with higher brightness and resolution, and a generally great experience for everyday use, professional creative tasks, and is very portable with long battery life. Alternatively, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17, with its larger screen and powerful processor and graphics card, is designed for gaming and can handle demanding 3D rendering and machine learning tasks better, but it is heavier and less ideal for carrying around. It also has a longer battery life for general use, but the display has a lower resolution and color accuracy. If mobility and display quality are priorities, choose the MacBook Pro. If you need a laptop for gaming or intensive computing tasks, and portability is not as critical, the ASUS may be a better choice. 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 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 TUF Gaming A17
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
8.1/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
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
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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 a high-quality display and capable GPU, making it suitable for 3D tasks, but its screen refresh rate isn't optimal for gaming, and certain games may not be compatible with macOS. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, on the other hand, offers a superior GPU and a higher screen refresh rate that's favorable for gaming performance, plus its compatibility with a wide range of games thanks to its Windows operating system makes it a better fit for dedicated gamers and 3D work that requires smooth visual performance.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.7/10
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
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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
6.8/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
253.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) boasts a high-resolution display with bright, vibrant colors and wide color gamut coverage, making it excellent for engineering and design tasks that require color accuracy, but its standard refresh rate limits its suitability for 3D applications. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, on the other hand, has a display that's adequate for day-to-day tasks and work that isn't color-critical, yet the screen doesn't offer the high refresh rates needed for a smooth 3D or gaming experience. When considering general use, a balance of resolution, color quality, and brightness ensures a pleasant viewing experience, which is well fulfilled by the MacBook's superior display.
Battery
13.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,552
$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 Gaming A17 costs $1,552.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in general use with its high-resolution Mini LED screen, efficient M1 Pro processor, and 13.5 hours of battery life, in a lightweight and highly portable design. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, however, offers a larger screen and higher storage capacity, bolstered by a powerful AMD Ryzen processor and RTX 4070 GPU, which make it suitable for more demanding tasks and gaming, though at a compromise in portability and battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its high-quality Mini LED screen with excellent color accuracy and strong CPU and GPU performance, perfect for compute-intensive tasks and visuals, while maintaining relatively high portability.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.1/10
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 TUF Gaming A17 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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."
"There is one big question that needs an answer. Is the TUF Gaming A17 FA707 a better purchase than the ROG Strix G17 G713R (2022)? Well, it depends. Undoubtedly, the Strix is the more premium product. Arguably the biggest advantage it has over its TUF fellow is in regards to the display. ASUS TUF Gaming A17 A707’s IPS panel has a Full HD resolution, comfortable viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS TUF Gaming A17
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 Golden, Ph.D
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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
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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