If your primary concern is performance for intensive tasks like engineering software or 3D modeling, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo offers more RAM which can handle multitasking and demanding applications better. For those favoring a laptop with a more vivid display for creative work, the ASUS's OLED screen can be a good choice, and it also includes a secondary touchscreen for added functionality. However, for users who prioritize a laptop that's easy to carry around with longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is more portable and offers significantly longer usage between charges. It features a high-quality Mini LED display and is excellent for general use, with the advantage of running macOS if you're integrated into the Apple ecosystem. The MacBook Pro is typically more expensive than the ZenBook, so budget considerations will also come into play in your decision. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Good for gaming and AI
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.6/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.5in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
357.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The MacBook Pro 14's display is praised for its high resolution and brightness, along with panel quality that offers crisp visuals, making it excellent for general use and tasks that need accurate color representation such as engineering and design. However, its refresh rate is not as high, which can make it less suitable for 3D work where smoother motion is crucial. The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo, while also offering very good resolution and color accuracy, doesn’t specialize in the gaming and 3D domain due to similar limitations in refresh rates.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo 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
Good
14.2in
SIZE
14.5in
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 ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,299
$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 Pro 14 Duo costs $1,299.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is excellent for general use because it offers a powerful CPU and GPU for smooth performance, substantial RAM and storage for multitasking, a high-quality Mini LED screen for crisp visuals, along with great portability and long battery life. In contrast, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo provides a spacious OLED touchscreen with high color accuracy, a significant amount of RAM, and ample storage, making it also suitable for general use, but it has a shorter battery life and is slightly less portable.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.7/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) to be good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, substantial RAM, and high-quality Mini LED display with excellent screen color accuracy. In contrast, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo stands out with its high screen quality on an OLED display, a capable Intel CPU, a larger amount of RAM for multitasking, and a secondary touchscreen for additional productivity, although it is somewhat less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.6/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for content creation.
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
8.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo are both very good for software development.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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."
"The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a well-tuned instrument for content creators, excelling at a range of general office tasks as well as tasks that require a little more grunt like encoding and 3D rendering. The big attraction is the laptop’s dual displays. They’re the best ones we’ve used in an Asus Zenbook Duo laptop to date with a spate of year-on-year improvements that make the visuals more striking and the cross-screen integration easier than ever before."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
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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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.
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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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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.