The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is more expensive and offers a higher capacity power brick, more RAM, and a Mini LED screen which might be preferred for intense color work; best for engineering tasks and heavy multitasking. The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is less expensive, has an OLED touchscreen, lighter in weight, and is more suitable for general use and entertainment, offering vibrant colors and a sharp display. Choose the MacBook if you need stronger performance and can afford a higher price, or the Zenbook for everyday tasks, portability, and a better price-to-performance ratio. 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 14X OLED
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
376.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers superior performance with a higher RAM and advanced CPU, coupled with a standout Mini LED screen that enhances screen quality, which is ideal for general use; however, it has a higher weight and thickness than the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED, which offers good general use capabilities with a high-quality OLED touchscreen and similar storage, but comes with less RAM and a lower tier CPU, potentially affecting multitasking and demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.5/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 14X OLED is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its superior GPU, is better for 3D work despite a lower screen refresh rate, and while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED also offers a high screen refresh rate, it has a less powerful GPU for gaming and 3D applications and many popular games may not be compatible with MacOS, unlike the Windows platform on the Zenbook.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.7/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 14X OLED is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023), with its superior processing power provided by the Apple M2 Pro chip and higher RAM, excels in engineering and design tasks, complemented by an outstanding Mini LED screen offering crisp images and color accuracy. In comparison, the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED, while still suitable for engineering and design due to its competent Intel processor and OLED screen with high color fidelity, has less RAM and an integrated GPU, which may limit performance in more demanding applications.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.6/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 14X OLED 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
7.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 14X OLED 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
8.6/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
376.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a high-resolution display with exceptional color accuracy, covering a wide range of color gamuts, making it ideal for engineering and design work where precision in colors is crucial. Its screen isn't optimized for high refresh rates, which is essential for smooth visuals in 3D and gaming scenarios, explaining its poorer performance in that use case. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED also provides a high-resolution and color-accurate screen suitable for both general use and professional design work, yet like the MacBook, it lacks the high refresh rate sought after by gamers and those doing 3D work.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$825
$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 14X OLED costs $825.
"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."
"While one of the more budget-friendly configurations of the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED may make a compelling case as a top value pick, it’s difficult to be disappointed with the more expensive model we reviewed here. At its core, for all models, it’s a luxury-built laptop with extreme portability and a gorgeous OLED display. Our unit rocks with a snappy Core i9 processor for getting real work done, and the discrete GPU—even if it has a clear power ceiling—is a bonus for creative pros."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED
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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CEO and Laptops Editor
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
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