The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is a more budget-friendly option that offers a high-resolution display, a solid build, and macOS, which could be preferable if you're used to Apple's ecosystem or work in creative fields. However, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X, while more expensive, provides a much more powerful processor, superior graphics for demanding games or 3D work, a higher refresh rate screen beneficial for gaming, and Windows 11, which might be essential for certain software compatibility. The Aorus is heavier and likely has a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the MacBook Pro. Consider the MacBook Pro if you desire a balance of performance and portability at a lower cost, or the Aorus 15X if you need top-tier performance for gaming or resource-intensive tasks and don't mind the extra expense and weight. Give Feedback
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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 Gigabyte Aorus 15X
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is optimized for gaming with its high-refresh-rate screen and powerful Nvidia GPU which supports advanced gaming features like hardware ray tracing, suited to fast-paced action and high-quality visuals, and also offers a wide library of compatible games on its Windows platform. Conversely, the MacBook Pro's lower refresh-rate screen and less powerful AMD GPU, while adequate for some 3D tasks, doesn't cater as well to gaming, especially given the limited game library available for MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a balance of performance and portability, with high screen quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X provides superior processing power and a more potent graphics unit, making it highly suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, albeit with greater weight which can affect portability.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its high-resolution Retina display offers excellent clarity and brightness, making it ideal for activities such as browsing the web, watching videos, and document editing, which are common in general use. It also has wide color gamut coverage, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for engineering and design tasks. However, its refresh rate isn't as high as specialized gaming laptops, which can be a drawback for graphics-intensive 3D work where smooth motion is key.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,600
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X costs $1,600.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a higher-resolution screen and a lighter weight which enhances both the visual experience and portability, complemented by a longer battery life for extended use without recharging. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X boasts a more powerful CPU and double the storage capacity, which makes it suitable for more demanding tasks and storing larger amounts of data but comes with a tradeoff in greater weight and reduced battery life.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Gigabyte Aorus 15X
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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