The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is a more portable and higher-priced option with an impressive display and strong performance for general use and content creation, though with less suitability for intensive gaming. It offers good battery life and a high-quality build. Conversely, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is less expensive but less portable due to its larger screen and weight—it has an excellent general performance and is better equipped for engineering tasks and gaming with its dedicated graphics card, but the display scores are not as high, and it has a shorter battery life. Choose the MacBook Pro for portability and display quality or the Zenbook Pro for better gaming capabilities and engineering performance within a tighter budget. 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 Zenbook Pro 17
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
7.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 stands out for general use and engineering with its high-resolution display and broad color gamut, ensuring sharp images and accurate colors, essential for detailed design work. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less suited for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers good quality for general tasks and design with a capable screen, but like the MacBook, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a less optimal refresh rate.
Battery
13.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good 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 Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,500
$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 Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its Apple M1 Pro processor, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and lightweight design offers great CPU power, screen quality and portability, making it ideal for general use, with the added benefits of long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and speakers.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
6.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
8.2/10
8.1/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful M1 Pro chip that integrates CPU and GPU for efficient performance, high RAM, superior Mini LED screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, all in a more portable package.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.9/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.