If you prioritize a higher resolution display and better battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is a solid choice, and it is more portable than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5. It comes with an Apple M3 chip that integrates both CPU and GPU for efficient performance. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers more RAM, a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU for superior gaming and 3D rendering performance, and a faster screen refresh rate which is great for fast-paced gaming, but this comes with a somewhat shorter battery life and less portability due to its larger size and weight. Consider the MacBook Pro if you need something for general use with a premium build and great screen, and the Legion Slim 5 if gaming or engineering software performance is your top priority. 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 Legion Slim 5
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with its own high-performance GPU and Mini LED display excels in 3D work with high screen quality but is limited by fewer compatible games. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 pairs an AMD CPU with a powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, offering higher screen refresh rates suited for gaming and 3D tasks on a platform with a wider range of game compatibility.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Legion Slim 5 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
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has exceptional resolution and brightness, making it ideal for general usage where clarity and detail are key, along with wide color gamuts that benefit engineering and design tasks requiring color accuracy. However, its refresh rate isn't optimized for 3D applications where smooth motion is essential. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 provides a balanced screen experience for general use and engineering design but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lesser refresh rate, which is crucial for fluid, fast-paced visuals.
Battery
17.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$1,000
$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 Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is well-equipped for engineering and design with its powerful CPU and GPU integrated on the Apple M3 chip, complemented by high screen quality with Mini LED technology, but its 8 GB RAM may limit performance with very demanding tasks. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, on the other hand, boasts a strong combination of an AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU, double the RAM at 16 GB, a reasonably good IPS screen, and is designed to cope with the intensity of engineering software, yet it is heavier and less portable.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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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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.
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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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