When deciding between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, consider your primary use. The MacBook Pro offers robust performance with a focus on creative tasks such as video editing and music production, complemented by its Retina display and macOS ecosystem advantages, but with limited gaming capabilities. The Zephyrus G15, tailored for gaming, features high-end graphics and a fast screen refresh rate, making it suitable for both gaming and demanding engineering software. However, it may sacrifice battery life and portability compared to the MacBook Pro. Choose the MacBook Pro for a mix of general use and creative work, or the Zephyrus G15 if gaming and engineering applications are your priority, keeping your budget in mind. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card and high screen refresh rate, is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is less optimal due to its AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and a lower refresh rate screen which limits performance in these tasks, not to mention the restriction on many popular games that are not compatible with MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, with its higher GPU power, is better suited for engineering and design tasks that require intensive graphics processing, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a higher quality screen that's beneficial for detailed design work. While both have similar amounts of RAM, the MacBook Pro is lauded for its build quality and thermal management but is less portable than the lightweight Zephyrus G15, which also has a more potent main processor for demanding tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
7.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant color reproduction and brightness, making it excellent for both everyday tasks and professional design work where color accuracy is key. However, its refresh rate is lower than what's preferred for 3D applications, which can affect the smoothness of motion in those environments. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, while also having a high-quality display for general and design use, falls short for gaming and 3D because even though it has a better refresh rate than the MacBook, it still doesn't match the top-tier gaming laptops designed specifically for that purpose.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has 9.5 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
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,637
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 costs $1,637.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers high color accuracy and a bright display, which makes it good for general use, but it prioritizes screen quality and battery life over portability due to its weight. Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 provides significant computing power with its CPU and ample RAM plus a high-quality display, delivering very good general performance, and it is more portable and offers better heat management than the MacBook, though it has slightly less battery life.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both very good for content creation.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"As long as you're aware of the fact that the GeForce RTX 3080 laptop version can only unfold its potential to a limited extent due to Asus's low TDP setting and that it can be slower than a fast RTX 3070 laptop, the ROG Zephyrus G15 GA503Q cuts a fine figure. One of the biggest highlights turns out to be the WQHD panel, since it attracts customers with 165 Hz, relatively fast response times, FreeSync, and good color-space coverage. Other selling points are the surprisingly rich sound, the long battery life, and the sleek design. In terms of looks, the white edition stands out nicely from the competition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
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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