The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is typically more expensive, offers a high-quality Mini LED display with a higher resolution, and is suited for those who prefer MacOS and prioritize portability with its lower weight and smaller dimensions. It excels in performance for both general use and professional applications like video editing or music production, thanks to its powerful M1 Pro chip. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A5, being much less expensive, is better suited for gaming and engineering tasks that require a dedicated GPU like the Nvidia RTX 3060. It also has a high refresh rate display, which is beneficial for gaming, but is heavier and larger, making it less portable. The Gigabyte A5 runs on Windows, which might be necessary for certain software exclusive to that platform. Battery life is another consideration, with the MacBook Pro typically offering longer usage on a single charge compared to the Gigabyte A5. 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 Gigabyte A5
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is highly regarded for general use because of its powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, premium Mini LED screen with high brightness and color accuracy, and long battery life, all packed in a lightweight and portable design.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) stands out for engineering and design use thanks to its potent Apple M1 Pro processor, high-quality Mini LED screen boasting excellent color coverage, and high screen brightness, making it suitable for intensive tasks and precise color work. In contrast, the Gigabyte A5, with its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, provides a solid performance for engineering applications, but its standard IPS screen and lower color coverage may be less ideal for color-critical design tasks, although it might appeal to those who prioritize a larger screen and require dedicated graphics for computation or gaming.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
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 Gigabyte A5 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
7.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A5 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
7.2/10
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
281.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's screen excels in general use and engineering/design tasks because of its high resolution, superb brightness, and wide color gamut support, which ensure crisp, vibrant visuals and accurate color representation. However, it falls short for 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which can't match the smoothness required by fast-moving visuals. In contrast, the Gigabyte A5 offers decent resolution and brightness suited for general and engineering use, but its color gamut coverage and refresh rate are not optimal for high-end 3D tasks and gaming, where fluid motion and extensive color detail are crucial.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
Good
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A5 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 Gigabyte A5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$830
$0
$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 Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A5 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a high-quality GPU and a 120Hz refresh rate display, making it suitable for 3D applications, but many popular games do not run on macOS. The Gigabyte A5, with a Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and sole compatibility with Windows, is ideal for gaming and 3D, offering a wider game selection and dedicated graphics performance.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Gigabyte A5 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."
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Gigabyte A5
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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