For a similar price, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 provides an ecosystem advantage with seamless integration with other Apple devices, known for its build quality and high-res display, but at a premium with less flexibility in software and hardware upgrades. The ASUS Zenbook 14X, while offering solid performance and a touch-enabled screen which can be a plus for designers or those who prefer a more intuitive interface, it may not match the Mac's video editing capabilities and may have shorter battery life. The MacBook Pro typically excels in creative tasks, while the Zenbook could be more versatile for various Windows-based applications. Consider your preferred operating system, software needs, and whether you require touchscreen functionality or value long-term integration with Apple services. 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 engineering and design
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
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a balance of performance with its Apple M3 chip and portability with its light weight, along with a high-quality Mini LED screen for vivid colors and excellent battery life ideal for all-day use without frequent charging; however, it comes with a higher cost. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14X also presents strong performance with its Intel processor and more RAM, a high-quality OLED screen, and is lighter for better portability, but it trades off shorter battery life and it may be more suitable for those looking for a Windows 11 system with a better price point.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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
8.2/10
7.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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 14X for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 likely offers a high-resolution Retina display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, which is ideal for general use and design work where detail and color representation are crucial. Its adherence to professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures that engineers and designers see true-to-life colors, which is essential for their projects. However, for 3D applications, the MacBook Pro's screen probably doesn’t have a high refresh rate, making it less suitable for tasks that require smooth motion like gaming or 3D modeling.
Battery
17.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$777
$0
$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 Zenbook 14X costs $777.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Zenbook 14X 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
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its Apple M3 processor and integrated GPU, excels in engineering and design tasks due to its high-quality Mini LED screen and adequate CPU and GPU performance for computational tasks. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, powered by an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia GPU, is also suitable for these fields, providing higher RAM for multitasking and an OLED screen for vibrant colors, but is slightly lighter making it more portable, albeit with a lower battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and ASUS Zenbook 14X both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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."
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 14X
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.