The Apple MacBook Pro 14 provides a premium experience with a higher price, a high-resolution Mini LED display, and exceptional build quality, making it suitable for tasks needing high color accuracy like photo and video editing. However, LG's Ultra 16 is less expensive and offers more RAM out of the box, which can be an advantage for multitasking. The LG also runs Windows, which might be preferable for software compatibility. Both have similar battery life and are not built for intensive gaming. The MacBook Pro 14's keyboard, webcam, and speakers are rated better, but you'll be sacrificing some portability compared to the lighter LG Ultra 16. 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
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
The LG Ultra 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
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
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
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 LG Ultra 16 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 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
6.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers exceptional screen resolution, panel quality, and brightness, making it excellent for general use, while its wide color gamut support satisfies the color accuracy needed by engineering and design professionals. The LG Ultra 16 provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and engineering applications but doesn't stand out in any particular aspect. When it comes to 3D applications or gaming, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which are less than ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in those fields.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair 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 LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its Apple M3 processor and high-quality Mini LED display, is perfect for general use due to its strong CPU performance, vivid and accurate screen colors, and substantial battery life, while remaining highly portable. On the other hand, the LG Ultra 16 stands out with a larger screen, double the RAM, which enhances multitasking capabilities, and fanless operation for quieter use, although the screen quality isn't as superior as the MacBook's, but it also offers notable battery life and still maintains good portability.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's integrated GPU outperforms the LG Ultra 16's, and it has a higher screen refresh rate, contributing to smoother visual experiences in 3D environments; however, its operating system limits the availability of popular games, unlike the Windows 11 Home on the LG laptop, which is more gaming-friendly despite its lower GPU and screen refresh rate performance. The MacBook's superior processor and screen quality are beneficial for 3D work and could offset its gaming limitations for users focused on 3D applications.
Battery
17.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the LG Ultra 16 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."
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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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.