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Updated January 10, 2024· Prices updated 24 hours ago
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is more portable, offers great build quality, high screen color accuracy, and suitable for general use with its good battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is heavier and less portable, but it excels in performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its powerful processor and graphics. If gaming or heavy-duty tasks are your focus, the Legion 5 Pro stands out, while for everyday use and creative work involving color accuracy, the MacBook Pro is superior. Both are similarly priced with ample storage, but the Legion offers more on that front. 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
- 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.8
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) boasts a high-quality Mini LED screen, top-tier speakers, and an efficient CPU that allows for a longer battery life which makes it highly suitable for general use; it combines performance with portability as it is lighter and thinner, ensuring ease of transport and comfortable usage.
Gaming and AI
6.8
8.4
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very 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.
Content Creation
8.4
7.8
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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
7.6
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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
8.0
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 generally offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, which enhances visibility and detail for tasks like document editing and web browsing. Its display covers a wide color gamut, making it ideal for engineering and design applications where precise color representation is crucial. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, which is key for smooth visuals in 3D applications and gaming, areas where the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 falls short in general use and engineering/design due to lesser screen quality but would similarly struggle with 3D content for the same reason.
Battery
13.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 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
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,320
$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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 costs $1,320.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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 tasks with its high-resolution Mini LED screen, offering detailed visual clarity and color accuracy, in addition to the efficient performance of its M1 Pro CPU and integrated GPU, making it a solid choice for demanding software. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro stands out with its high-end AMD CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, delivering robust computational power and graphics performance essential for engineering simulations and design work; its IPS screen, though not as bright, still provides good color fidelity and faster refresh rates for smooth visuals.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) | Lenovo Legion Pro 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,905 | $1,320 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 5.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 14.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 10.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX | |
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 | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.2" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 479 nits | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.6/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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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."
Lenovo Legion Pro 5
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Pricing last updated 24 hours ago |
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | July 2023
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
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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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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By the numbers
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Recommendations made
36,508
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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.
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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.
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