For better portability and longer battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is the superior choice and also offers a higher quality build, keyboard, webcam, and speakers. However, it costs more and has lower performance for engineering tasks, 3D modeling, and machine learning compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i. The IdeaPad Pro 5i, while less portable and having shorter battery life, offers significantly better performance for such specialized tasks with its more powerful processor and graphics card, an extra RAM slot, and comes at a lower price. It's also more suitable for intensive gaming. Both have similar screen sizes, resolution, and no touchscreen functionality. Choose the MacBook Pro if you prioritize portability and battery life, and the IdeaPad Pro 5i if you need higher performance for demanding tasks and gaming at a better price. 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
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 Pro 5i
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has an integrated Apple M3 GPU and a high screen refresh rate suitable for smooth 3D rendering, but its gaming capacity is limited because many games do not run on macOS. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, on the other hand, features a powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and similarly high refresh rate, offering robust performance for both gaming and 3D applications on the widely compatible Windows platform.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
7.8/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's high resolution and brightness, paired with its superior panel type, make its display clear and vibrant, comfortable for reading and browsing. When it comes to engineering and design, its screen excels due to its wide color gamut coverage, ensuring that colors are both accurate and consistent, which is crucial for professional color work. However, due to a lower refresh rate, the MacBook Pro's display is less suited for 3D work and gaming, where fluid motion and quick screen updates provided by higher refresh rates are key.
Battery
17.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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 Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$860
$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 Pro 5i costs $860.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) with its high-quality Mini LED screen, powerful Apple M3 processor, and long battery life provides an excellent general-use experience in a highly portable form factor, enhanced by top-notch build and keyboard quality.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is equipped with its own high-performance CPU and GPU suited for design tasks, and its exceptional Mini LED screen offers superior color accuracy for engineering applications; however, it has less RAM than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, which includes a dedicated high-end Nvidia GPU and a more powerful Intel CPU for intensive workloads, but its IPS display has lower color space coverage compared to the MacBook's display. While both are well-suited for engineering and design, the Lenovo may better handle heavier tasks due to its specs, but the MacBook Pro excels in display quality and has a longer battery life for greater portability and extended work sessions away from a power source.
Software Development
8.2/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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."
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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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