The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is more expensive and offers higher performance, making it suitable for demanding engineering tasks, has better build quality, higher screen quality for color-critical work, and a longer battery life. It also features more USB-C ports including Thunderbolt, a mini LED display for superior contrast, and a 120Hz refresh rate which adds to a smoother visual experience. However, it's heavier and slightly less portable compared to the ASUS Vivobook 15X.
The ASUS Vivobook 15X is less expensive, lighter, and more portable, with a larger 15.6-inch screen. It's better for general use and casual gaming but comes with less powerful hardware, meaning it's less suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning. It has a standard IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and lower color accuracy compared to the MacBook Pro. If budget is a concern and you are primarily using the laptop for everyday tasks, the ASUS may be a more suitable choice. 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
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 ASUS Vivobook 15X
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in general use due to its powerful M2 Pro CPU, ample RAM, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and long battery life, all in a lightweight package that enhances portability. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15X has a less capable processor and half the RAM, which can limit performance; its screen is lower resolution and less vivid, but it offers more ports and an easily accessible internal design for upgrades.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.0/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is considered good for 3D due to its powerful integrated Apple M2 Pro GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which benefits animation and rendering tasks, but it runs MacOS which limits the availability of popular games. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook 15X has a fair performance for gaming and 3D with its AMD Radeon Vega 7 integrated graphics, which is less powerful and has a standard refresh rate screen, but being a Windows laptop, it supports a wider range of games.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) outshines the ASUS Vivobook 15X for engineering and design because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU -- the Apple M2 Pro -- which is crucial for intensive tasks, and a higher-quality Mini LED screen with better color reproduction and contrast, making it very good for such use. Although the ASUS Vivobook 15X has a decent CPU and screen for day-to-day tasks, it lacks the high performance and display fidelity that makes the MacBook Pro 14 exceptional in these areas, thus considered fair for engineering and design.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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
8.4/10
6.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
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
6.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15X for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 14 is renowned for its exceptional display, providing crisp resolution, bright and vibrant colors, which makes it ideal for general use and engineering tasks that benefit from its wide color gamuts. However, its lower refresh rate is less suited for 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15X has a decent display for everyday tasks and creating designs, yet its color range and lower refresh rate may not satisfy those focused on high-quality 3D rendering or gaming.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15X has 8 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
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$525
$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 ASUS Vivobook 15X costs $525.
"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."
"All in all, my day on the Vivobook had its ups and downs. It is a really pretty and well-built device, and it had all of the functionality I needed to get me through my browser-based workload. But the speakers weren’t my favorite, and the battery life was just too short."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the ASUS Vivobook 15X
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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 is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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