For better performance in engineering tasks and a high-quality display, the MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers advantages like a powerful processor, better battery life, and a mini LED screen with higher brightness and color accuracy. It is more portable and has a higher build quality. However, it is notably more expensive. In contrast, the Gigabyte A7 packs a dedicated gaming-capable graphics card and a larger screen with a faster refresh rate, suitable for gaming and 3D workloads at the expense of battery life and portability. Its price is considerably lower, making it a cost-effective option for power users who don't mind the extra size and weight. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
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 Gigabyte A7
The Gigabyte A7 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.6/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in engineering and design use owing to its powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, complemented by high-quality Mini LED display, providing exceptional screen quality with wide color coverage and brightness. In comparison, the Gigabyte A7 offers a robust AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia GPU which are suitable for similar tasks, but with a larger form factor and an IPS display that has lower resolution and color accuracy, making the MacBook Pro more suitable for color-critical work but less portable than the A7.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A7 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
7.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A7 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
7.3/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A7 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, brightness, and wide color gamuts that provide sharp, vivid images and accurate color representation, making it ideal for detail-oriented tasks. However, it may not be as suitable for 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial, as it's typically not a feature prioritized in Apple's displays. Conversely, the Gigabyte A7 offers respectable screen quality for general use and engineering with adequate resolution and color accuracy, but it falls short for gaming and 3D, as it likely lacks the high refresh rates required for smooth motion rendering in fast-paced visuals.
Battery
13.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte A7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$940
$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 Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
The Gigabyte A7 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is equipped with a high-performance GPU integrated with its Apple M2 chip, suited for 3D rendering, and its screen refresh rate supports fluid visuals, but it runs MacOS which limits game availability compared to the Gigabyte A7 that runs Windows. The Gigabyte A7, with an Nvidia RTX GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, is optimized for gaming and 3D tasks, ensuring compatibility with a wider range of games and providing good rendering capabilities.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Gigabyte A7 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."
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Gigabyte A7
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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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
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