The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is a premium device with high performance for tasks like 3D rendering, engineering work, and machine learning, also offering superior screen quality and color accuracy, which suits professionals in design or video editing. Its battery life is excellent, and though costly, it provides a high-quality build and robust heat management. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is a budget-friendly option with decent performance for general use and gaming, a touchscreen display, and a numeric keypad. However, it has a lower battery life, and its screen is less suitable for tasks that require high color accuracy or fast motion display. If you prioritize high performance and superior display quality over price, the MacBook Pro might be the right choice, otherwise, for everyday tasks and a more affordable option, the IdeaPad should suffice. 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
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) offers a powerful Apple M3 processor, a vibrant Mini LED display, and boasts a long battery life, which makes it highly suitable for general use, complemented by its light weight and compact form factor for portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" provides a capable AMD Ryzen processor for everyday tasks, an IPS screen with touchscreen capability, and a respectable battery life, packaged in a slightly heavier build but at a likely more affordable price point.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
The MacBook Pro 14's superior GPU and higher screen refresh rate enhance its performance for smooth, detailed 3D rendering, compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5, whose GPU and lower refresh rate limit its performance for both gaming and 3D work; additionally, the MacBook's MacOS might not support many popular games.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
6.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
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
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
6.5/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14" typically boasts a high-resolution display that offers excellent clarity, brightness, and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and engineering and design tasks that benefit from a wide color gamut. It might not be the best choice for 3D tasks, as its focus is on color precision rather than the high refresh rates preferred for smooth rendering of 3D content. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" offers a fair display with adequate resolution and brightness for general use and basic engineering and design work but lacks the color range and refresh rate needed for specialized tasks such as high-end 3D modeling and gaming.
Battery
17.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 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
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$690
$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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" costs $690.
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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