Given the substantial difference in price, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) provides a balance of portability and performance that might be suitable for general use or tasks that are not extremely resource-intensive. It runs MacOS and includes a high-resolution display. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers superior performance with more memory and a more powerful processor, better suited for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, at the cost of increased weight and less portability. It runs Windows 11 Home, which might be preferred for compatibility with certain software. Both laptops have a similar quality display, but the MacBook has a higher pixel density, which could be noticeable in graphic design or video editing. If battery life is a major concern, check the specific endurance as it can vary greatly between models. Consider your primary activities on the laptop, whether you favor MacOS or Windows, and if the higher cost is justifiable for the additional performance when deciding between these two options. 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 Zenbook Pro 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) with its high-resolution screen and powerful AMD Radeon Pro GPU is well-suited for detailed design work, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17's larger screen and superior AMD Ryzen CPU alongside more RAM make it ideal for demanding engineering software. Although both laptops offer quality displays and sufficient CPU-GPU combinations for professional tasks, the MacBook is more portable and has a higher-quality build, whereas the Zenbook provides more raw computational power and upgrades like hardware ray tracing that may appeal to users in need of intensive graphics processing.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen for software development.
For general use, the MacBook Pro boasts a high-resolution Retina display that offers vibrant colors and excellent brightness, making it pleasant for everyday tasks and media consumption. Engineers and designers will appreciate the MacBook Pro's wide color gamut support, providing accuracy for professional color work, whereas the ASUS Zenbook Pro also offers a good color range but may not match the MacBook's performance in color-sensitive tasks. However, neither laptop is ideal for 3D work or gaming due to lower refresh rates, which can make fast-moving visuals less smooth compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates specifically for those purposes.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,500
$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 Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
6.4/10
6.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, is more suitable for gaming and 3D applications than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019), which uses an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU, because the Nvidia graphics card generally offers better performance in these areas. Moreover, the MacBook Pro operates on MacOS, which isn't compatible with many popular games, whereas the Zenbook runs Windows 11 Home, providing access to a broader range of gaming titles.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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 Zenbook Pro 17 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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
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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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
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.