If you prefer a laptop with MacOS, go for the Apple MacBook Pro 14; it has a longer battery life and is lighter, enhancing portability. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aero 17, with Windows 11 Pro and a more powerful graphics card, is better suited for 3D, machine learning, and intensive gaming, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. Both have similar price points and RAM, but the Aero 17 offers larger storage. The MacBook's display has a higher brightness, while the Aero 17 has a larger screen. Evaluate if you prioritize portability and battery life or high-performance graphics and gaming capabilities in your decision. 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
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
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
8.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is excellent for engineering and design due to its Apple M1 Pro processor, integrated graphics, and high-quality mini LED screen with very high color accuracy. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 offers a powerful Intel i7 processor and discrete Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics, a larger and sharper mini LED display, but its greater weight and larger size make it less portable than the MacBook Pro.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
9.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 17 for general use, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 stands out for general and engineering use due to its high-resolution display, exceptional brightness, and broad color gamut, ensuring accurate colors crucial for design work. However, its typical refresh rate is not ideal for 3D applications where a higher refresh rate is crucial for smooth visuals. The Gigabyte Aero 17, while also boasting a high-resolution screen and excellent color reproduction for design tasks, falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate not being optimal for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 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
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 Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Gigabyte Aero 17 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers superior portability and battery life combined with exceptional screen quality, keyboard, and speakers, making it ideal for general use, while the Gigabyte Aero 17, with its larger screen and high-resolution display, is powerful for intensive tasks but is less portable and has shorter battery life. The MacBook's high-quality build and efficient CPU also contribute to its better suitability for everyday tasks, whereas the Aero's extra storage and robust GPU are more aligned with specialized use such as engineering or gaming.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Gigabyte Aero 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 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 Gigabyte Aero 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."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aero 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 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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