The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is the more budget-friendly option and offers a higher resolution display, which makes for a sharper image, and it runs MacOS, which is preferred by some for its user interface and integration with other Apple products. However, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, while more expensive, has a faster refresh rate screen which is great for gaming, newer and more powerful graphics, and it runs Windows 11 Home, which may be more familiar to most users and compatible with a wider range of software, particularly for engineering and gaming applications. The MacBook is generally more portable with a longer battery life, making it better for on-the-go use, whereas the Aorus 17 prioritizes performance and gaming capabilities but sacrifices portability and battery efficiency. 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
Good portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 17
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
8.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its AMD Radeon Pro 5300M graphics and standard refresh rate screen, offers fair performance for 3D applications, but many games aren't compatible with macOS. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, is better geared towards gaming and delivering smooth 3D performances.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 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) is geared towards engineering and design with a competent CPU, ample RAM, a dedicated GPU suited for professional tasks, and a high-quality screen, but the Gigabyte Aorus 17 surpasses it with a more powerful CPU, a superior gaming-class GPU, and a similarly high-quality display, making it very apt for more demanding engineering software and design work, while sacrificing some portability due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, offering sharp and vibrant visuals that appeal to general users and professionals in engineering and design, whereas its refresh rate is lower, making it less suitable for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, while also offering good resolution and brightness, may lack the advanced color gamut coverage required by professional designers and engineers who need precise color accuracy. However, both the MacBook Pro and the Aorus 17 might not provide the high refresh rates preferred by gamers and those involved in 3D work, for whom fluid visual performance is essential.
Battery
12.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair 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 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 costs $1,700.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) excels in screen quality with a higher pixel density and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use that involves media consumption or creative work, and it offers longer battery life for extended use away from a power source. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 provides double the storage and a more powerful CPU, important for applications requiring more space and processing power, but it sacrifices some portability due to its weight and larger size, and has shorter battery life which may limit usage on the go.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Gigabyte Aorus 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 Gigabyte Aorus 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."
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Gigabyte Aorus 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 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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