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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a higher-resolution screen, macOS, longer battery life, and a more portable device, consider the Apple MacBook Pro 14. It offers a high-quality display suitable for general usage and creative work. However, if you need a machine for more demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H with its powerful graphics card and larger screen may be a better fit. It is heavier and has a lower battery life, making it less portable, but excels in performance-oriented tasks. Both laptops are similar in price and have ample storage and memory for most users. 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 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 Gigabyte Aorus 17H
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.9
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.8
8.7
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021), with its high screen refresh rate and quality GPU, is designed for intensive 3D tasks on macOS, but it may not support many popular games which are incompatible with its operating system. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H boasts an even higher refresh rate and a powerful GPU meant for optimal gaming performance, and running Windows means it can play a wider range of games.
Software Development
8.3
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
8.3
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has an exceptional screen that excels in resolution and brightness, making it ideal for general use, and its wide color gamuts ensure accurate colors for engineering and design tasks. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H also offers a high-resolution, bright display suitable for general activities and decent color reproduction for designers, but it might not be the best for gaming and 3D work due to a lower refresh rate. Since refresh rates are crucial for smoothly rendering fast-moving images in gaming and 3D applications, screens with higher refresh rates are preferred in these scenarios.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has 6 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
Poor
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$2,200
$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 Aorus 17H costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.6
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's high-quality CPU and GPU deliver great performance for engineering and design tasks, and its Mini LED display ensures excellent screen quality, but its portability is better suited for frequent mobility compared to the heavier Gigabyte Aorus 17H, which offers a powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU for intensive tasks and a larger screen, although with lower resolution, making it less portable but more suited for stationary use where screen size matters.
Content Creation
8.4
8.0
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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) and Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,905 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 10.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 13.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.2" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 479 nits | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"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."
Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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Dig into reviews and images
eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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.
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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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