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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is better for general use and tasks that benefit from a high-quality display and battery life; however, for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and other highly demanding tasks, the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro is superior with its more powerful GPU and processor. The MacBook offers a balance of portability and strong performance in a sleek design, whereas the Legion prioritizes raw power and gaming features at the expense of weight and size, making it less portable. Both are premium machines at similar price points, so the decision rests on whether portability or maximum performance is your priority. 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)
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8
9.1
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its Apple M1 Pro GPU provides a quality option for 3D applications with a decent screen refresh rate, but the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i shines in gaming and 3D work with its superior Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and far higher screen refresh rate; however, the Legion's advantage in gaming is further pronounced considering the limited game library available on MacOS compared to Windows.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.3
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its Mini LED screen and efficient M1 Pro chip, suits design work with excellent screen quality and CPU performance, but the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro, with a more powerful Intel CPU, double the RAM, and a high-performance Nvidia GPU, offers superior capabilities for engineering tasks that require intensive computational power, despite being less portable and having a lower quality screen. While both have high-quality keyboards and build, the Legion 7i Pro's additional ports and upgradeability may appeal to users needing more versatility and future-proofing.
Screen Quality
9.2
8.7
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for general use, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's panel offers exceptional resolution and brightness, providing a crisp and vivid experience suited to everyday tasks and media consumption. Engineers and designers will appreciate the MacBook Pro's wide color gamut, delivering accurate and rich colors essential for professional design work. However, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i's lower refresh rate, although adequate for general use and design, isn't ideal for 3D applications which benefit from higher refresh rates to render smooth motion.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has 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
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has only fair 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 Pro 7i 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
$1,750
$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 7i costs $1,750.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.4
8.4
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
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
8.4
8.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) 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
8.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are both very good for software development.
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 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,905 | $1,750 | ||
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 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 10.32" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 99.9 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 | 240Hz | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 9.8/10 | |
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 | 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."
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
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NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2023
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
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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