The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is typically more expensive and offers a high-quality Mini LED display, long battery life, and strong performance, especially for multimedia tasks, with its own M1 Pro chip. The MacBook Pro is more portable and has a better screen for color-sensitive work, whereas the Lenovo may excel in tasks that benefit from its gaming-oriented hardware. 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 engineering and design
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 LOQ 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 excels in portability with its lighter weight and superior battery life, it also boasts higher screen quality and better heat management which are key for comfort and performance in general use, setting a high bar for user experience. On the other hand, the Lenovo LOQ 15, while offering solid general performance with comparable RAM and CPU, falls short with a lower screen resolution and significantly less battery life, which might compromise its convenience for continuous on-the-go usage.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.5/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a high-quality screen suitable for 3D creativity and a more capable GPU integrated with its Apple M1 Pro chip, but the Lenovo LOQ 15, with its Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and faster screen refresh rate, not only excels in 3D applications but also provides an enhanced gaming experience; furthermore, it supports a wider variety of popular games thanks to its Windows operating system.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 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
8.3/10
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Lenovo LOQ 15 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
9.2/10
7.1/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo LOQ 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and engineering/design tasks where the detail and color reproduction are critical. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth 3D rendering, making it less suited for tasks involving 3D graphics. On the other hand, the Lenovo LOQ 15 also provides a suitable screen for everyday tasks and color-sensitive work with its good resolution and color range but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a modest refresh rate, which limits the smoothness of fast-moving visuals.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 15 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
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,179
$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 LOQ 15 costs $1,179.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, high RAM, and superior GPU performance, coupled with a Mini LED screen that offers deep contrast and wide color coverage. Conversely, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is also well-suited for such tasks with a high-performance AMD CPU, ample RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU for intensive graphics work, though its IPS screen isn't as vibrant as the MacBook's, and it's less portable and louder under load.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Lenovo LOQ 15 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."
"Even after a short time with the LOQ 15, you'll find it has a lot going for it, but ultimately it's just "good"—not quite a star. The performance is respectable for the hardware it’s running, but Lenovo had to make some design sacrifices to trim the price. One of the better aspects is the keyboard, making it one of the better low-cost gaming laptops to actually put your hands on."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Lenovo LOQ 15
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.
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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