For better performance, especially in engineering and creative tasks, the MacBook Pro 14 (2023) with the M2 Pro chip is superior. This newer model also offers advanced display technology with a Mini LED screen that has a higher refresh rate, making it suitable for design work and smoother visuals. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is less expensive and offers a larger screen. While it has an older Intel processor and a traditional IPS display that's limited to a lower refresh rate, it's still a capable machine for everyday use and less demanding professional tasks. The larger screen can be beneficial for multitasking and media consumption. However, it's heavier and may be less portable than the newer MacBook Pro 14. Therefore, if portability and cutting-edge performance are important to you and you're willing to invest more, choose the MacBook Pro 14. If you prefer a larger display, are looking to save money, and have less intensive processing needs, the older MacBook Pro 16 might be the better option. 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 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent overall display quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers better portability and a more advanced processor suitable for general use, contributing to its higher portability score and longer battery life than the also capable but slightly heavier Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019), which has a still competitive CPU and RAM configuration for general tasks but is matched with a slightly older graphics unit. Both models have high-quality screens, but the newer 14-inch model benefits from a Mini LED display with a higher brightness and refresh rate, which can enhance the visual experience significantly.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.4/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is better suited for 3D applications due to its GPU being more powerful and offering higher screen refresh rates, enhancing fluid visuals for 3D work, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a less capable GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which makes it less ideal for such tasks despite its still good screen quality and CPU. Both laptops have high-quality displays and competent CPUs, but the newer model's advanced GPU and refresh rate improvements provide a notable edge in 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers superior engineering and design capabilities with its more advanced M2 Pro processor and integrated GPU, which provides faster performance than the older i7-9750H and Radeon Pro 5300M combination found in the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019); the newer 14-inch model also boasts a brighter and more color-accurate Mini LED display. While the MacBook Pro 16 has a slightly higher screen real estate which benefits design work, and somewhat better battery capacity for extended use, it lags in processing power and display technology compared to its newer counterpart.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is somewhat better.
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
8.4/10
7.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.8/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers superior screen resolution and brightness, making it ideal for general use, while its wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design tasks. The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) also provides great resolution and color accuracy, though slightly less impressive than the 2023 model, still excelling in general use and professional design applications. However, both fall short for 3D uses due to their lower refresh rates, not meeting the demands of applications that require fluid motion to view models or environments smoothly.
Battery
13.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$540
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) costs $540.
"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."
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
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.
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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,095
Recommendations made
22,338
Consumer hours saved
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
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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.
Craig Russell
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.