When comparing the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, the MacBook Pro is often significantly less expensive and offers great quality for general use and professional tasks, particularly those that do not require a high-performance graphics card. It also has a solid build and long battery life, which is good for portability. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, being more expensive, provides better performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks due to a more powerful CPU and a high-end graphics card. However, it is heavier and may have shorter battery life, making it less portable. If portability and cost are critical, go with the MacBook Pro; for intensive tasks and gaming, consider the Lenovo even though it's pricier. 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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
8.0/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i excels in gaming and 3D over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) because it comes equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU known for its strong performance in these areas and supports a higher screen refresh rate, beneficial for smoother gameplay. In contrast, the MacBook Pro has a lower-performing AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and its screen refresh rate is capped at a lower level, which together with the limited game availability on MacOS, restricts its capabilities for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is favored for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, advanced Nvidia RTX GPU, and a higher-refresh-rate screen which is crucial for tasks requiring smooth visual workflows, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019), despite its robust build, also offers a high-quality display and a capable GPU; however, it may not handle intensive tasks as efficiently as the Lenovo. The Lenovo does trade off some portability for its power, with greater weight and a bulkier build compared to the sleeker MacBook Pro, which also offers a superior keyboard and speaker quality, aspects that might enhance the overall user experience for extended usage.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's Retina display offers high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use; for engineering and design, its wide color gamut covers a broad range of colors, but the screen's standard refresh rate limits its performance for 3D tasks. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a high-quality screen with ample brightness and resolution suited for general tasks, and while it has good color representation for engineering and design work, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. Essentially, the MacBook Pro excels in visual clarity and color accuracy for professional work and everyday tasks, whereas the Legion's display is competent for general use and design but misses the mark for the high refresh demands of 3D and gaming enthusiasts.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,055
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,055.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is ideal for general use with its higher-resolution screen, excellent build and keyboard quality, alongside a long battery life and quiet operation, making it very portable despite a higher price. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers more storage and superior CPU performance which might appeal to users preferring a Windows environment or needing more power for heavier tasks, though it compromises on battery life and is heavier, which affects its portability.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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