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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high portability and longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) would serve better, also offering high-quality display colors and build quality; however, it is priced higher. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 7 provides better gaming capabilities, especially with superior 3D and machine learning performance, alongside a larger storage capacity at a somewhat lower price point, but it is heavier with a shorter battery life. The MacBook uses macOS, suitable for creative workflows, while the Legion, running Windows, might align better with gaming and a wider range of software compatibility. 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 7
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8
7.8
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
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 7 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.
Content Creation
8.4
7.9
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
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 7 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
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 7 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro is renowned for its vibrant and sharp display, offering high resolution and impressive color accuracy that covers a wide color gamut, making it ideal for professionals who require precise color representation for tasks like photo editing or graphic design. However, it tends to have a standard refresh rate, which is less optimal for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7 provides a balanced visual experience suitable for a variety of tasks but might not match the MacBook Pro's competence in color precision or peak brightness, and its gaming-oriented design doesn't translate to the best 3D experience due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 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
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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
$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 Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.4
7.9
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use due to its high-quality Mini LED screen, excellent portability with a lighter weight and longer battery life, along with a powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU that handles everyday tasks smoothly. The Lenovo Legion 7, while good for general use and offering a larger screen and more storage, is less portable due to its heavier weight and shorter battery life, but it includes a high-end GPU which makes it more suited for gaming and other GPU-intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 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 due to its high-resolution Mini LED screen with superior color accuracy and the power-efficient Apple M1 Pro chip that provides strong CPU and GPU performance for intensive tasks, while offering better portability and longer battery life. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 7 stands out with its potent AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, which are ideal for demanding engineering software and design work, along with a larger RAM capacity and good screen quality, although it is less portable and has shorter battery life.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) | Lenovo Legion 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,905 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 5.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 10.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 13.5 Hours | 6.5 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 | 469 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
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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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."
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Lenovo Legion 7
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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