If price is a significant factor for you and general use is your main concern, the ASUS Zenbook 14, being much less expensive, may meet your needs sufficiently. It's more budget-friendly and also lighter, making it easier to carry around. However, if you require a laptop for more intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or other engineering applications, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers better performance and a higher-quality display but at a higher cost. The MacBook Pro also has longer battery life and a more robust build quality, which could be important if you need your laptop to last a long time on a single charge and endure heavy usage. Keep in mind that the MacBook uses MacOS, while the Zenbook runs Windows, so if you have a preference for one operating system over the other, that could sway your decision. Additionally, the MacBook Pro's higher price factors in its brand reputation and ecosystem benefits, like compatibility with other Apple devices. 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
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in general use thanks to its stronger CPU, more RAM, superior Mini LED screen quality, and longer battery life, along with exceptional build and speaker quality, making it highly suitable for a range of everyday tasks. In contrast, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is lighter and thus more portable, it has a less powerful CPU, half the RAM, and a shorter battery life, with its OLED screen and overall good quality still ensuring a fair performance for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.1/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) with its high-performance Apple M2 Pro GPU and a higher screen refresh rate suits more intensive 3D tasks, but keep in mind that many popular games don't run on macOS. The ASUS Zenbook 14, with a capable but lower-end Intel Iris Xe graphics and a modest screen refresh rate, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D applications under Windows, which supports a broader range of games.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) surpasses the ASUS Zenbook 14 in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a higher quality Mini LED screen, providing exceptional performance and vibrant visuals that professionals demand.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers exceptional clarity and color accuracy with its high-resolution display and wide color gamut, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks where these elements are crucial. However, its refresh rate is lower, which is less optimal for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. The ASUS Zenbook 14 also provides a crisp, vibrant display suitable for general and design work, but like the MacBook, its standard refresh rate limits its performance in gaming and 3D scenarios.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$300
$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 Zenbook 14 costs $300.
"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."
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 14
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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