If you require a laptop that offers high performance for intensive tasks such as video editing or 3D rendering, the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) excels with its robust build and powerful hardware, although it comes at a higher cost and is less portable due to its size. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14X is more cost-effective, offers excellent portability, and is suitable for everyday tasks and light content creation, but may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly as the MacBook Pro. If battery life is crucial, the MacBook typically outperforms many Windows-based laptops like the Zenbook, so consider how important all-day battery life is to you. The choice hinges on your needs for performance, portability, and budget. 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)
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14X
Very good overall display quality
Very good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X for software development, and content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has excellent resolution and panel type which, along with stellar brightness levels, make for a vivid and clear display suitable for general use and detailed enough for the precise color work often required in engineering and design due to its wide color gamuts. The ASUS Zenbook 14X offers a similar quality display with strong color accuracy because it covers a broad range of the color spectrum, making it also ideal for general use and professional design tasks. However, for activities like gaming or working with 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of motion and provide less fluid visual experiences.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X 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
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$777
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the ASUS Zenbook 14X costs $777.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Zenbook 14X are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is equipped with a powerful CPU, abundant RAM, high-quality IPS screen, and a long battery life, which together with its MacOS makes it a reliable choice for general use; however, it is heavier which affects portability.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and a standard screen refresh rate that is suitable for some 3D applications, but it may not support many popular games due to operating system limitations. In comparison, the ASUS Zenbook 14X offers an Nvidia MX550 GPU with a higher screen refresh rate, favoring smoother gameplay and better performance in gaming and 3D tasks, but its software ecosystem is more accommodating to a wider range of games.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) suits engineering and design use with its high-quality IPS display and a powerful AMD Radeon GPU complementing the capable Intel i7 CPU, but it's less portable and has notable operating noise. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, while also suited for such tasks with an Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia GPU, boasts a higher contrast OLED screen and is more portable, but it has shorter battery life and lower speaker quality.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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
7.9/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Zenbook 14X 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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."
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the ASUS Zenbook 14X
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
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.