The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a robust build, excellent performance for engineering tasks, and a high-quality screen with accurate colors, making it suitable for professional use. Its battery life is commendable, and the keyboard is comfortable and reliable. However, it's heavier and less portable than the ASUS, with a lower refresh rate which might not be ideal for fast-paced gaming.
On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is a more modern option with an OLED display that delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks, enhancing the visual experience for media consumption and general use. It's also lighter and more compact, making it a better choice for those who prioritize portability. The ASUS has a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals in gaming and fast-motion content, but it may not match the MacBook's performance for intensive engineering workloads. Additionally, the ASUS's battery life is shorter, and the build quality isn't as premium as the MacBook's.
Consider the MacBook if you need top-tier performance for demanding tasks and can handle the extra weight. Opt for the ASUS if you value a superior display for multimedia, require a more portable device, and engage in casual gaming or general productivity tasks. 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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
Very good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Very good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 9 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,249
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED costs $1,249.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both good for general use.
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
6.4/10
6.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
8.0/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both good for software development.
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 16 (Late 2019) and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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."
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
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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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.