The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers exceptional performance for engineering tasks and creative work with its powerful M3 chip and GPU, and it has a high-quality Mini LED display with superior color accuracy and brightness, making it suitable for color-critical work. It's also built with excellent build quality and has a very good battery life, though it comes at a slightly higher price point. However, it's not designed for gaming and lacks hardware ray tracing and DLSS.
On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is a strong contender for general use and multimedia consumption with its vibrant OLED display that provides deep blacks and rich colors, which is also great for watching movies or gaming. It's equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and an Intel Arc GPU, which offer good performance for light gaming and everyday tasks, and it's usually slightly less expensive than the MacBook Pro. The ASUS also has a numeric pad and more available storage slots, which could be beneficial if you need additional storage. However, its battery life is shorter, and it may not perform as well as the MacBook Pro for intensive engineering applications or high-end gaming.
In summary, if you prioritize top-tier performance for demanding tasks, a premium build, and longer battery life, and you're willing to pay a bit more, the MacBook Pro is the way to go. If you're looking for a more affordable option with an impressive display for general use and some light gaming, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is a solid 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 (Late 2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
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 Vivobook S 15 OLED
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.8/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
17.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 9 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
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$1,249
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED costs $1,249.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
8.1/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
8.2/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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 Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the ASUS Vivobook S 15 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.