The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is a premium option with a higher price, offering excellent general use performance with an Apple silicon CPU, a higher RAM capacity, and a longer battery life, ideal for professionals in design or video editing due to its superior Mini LED screen. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is less expensive and tailored for gaming and engineering tasks with its dedicated Nvidia GPU and higher refresh rate display, but has half the RAM of the MacBook and a standard IPS screen. The MacBook's build quality and screen might entice creatives, while the ASUS's performance features may appeal to gamers and engineers. 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 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G16
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its superior CPU performance, high RAM, exceptional screen quality with higher pixel density and brightness, long battery life, and a lighter build enhancing its portability. Whereas the ASUS ROG Strix G16, while also adequate for general use, offers a balance geared more towards gaming with adequate CPU and RAM, a good quality screen, and effective heat management, but it falls short in portability and battery life compared to the MacBook.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.9/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is well-suited for 3D tasks with its efficient Apple M1 Pro GPU and a high-quality Mini LED screen, but the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers a superior gaming experience with its higher refresh rate via an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and Windows OS, which supports a wider range of popular games. While the MacBook Pro offers a higher resolution display which is beneficial for screen quality in 3D modeling, the ROG Strix's display outputs at a faster rate, making it better for the fast-paced visuals needed in gaming.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.9/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 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
8.9/10
7.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
9.4/10
7.5/10
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's screen is renowned for its vivid colors and sharp resolution, making images and text exceptionally clear for everyday tasks, and it also boasts impressive color accuracy for professional design work. However, it falls short for 3D applications because it typically has a standard refresh rate, which is less than ideal for the smooth motion required for 3D rendering and gaming. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix G16, while also good for general use and color-accurate tasks, may not provide as fluid an experience in high-speed 3D scenarios due to its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 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
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,999
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,999 and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 costs $1,399.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ROG Strix G16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro chip, ample RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, making it ideal for demanding tasks and color-critical work. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G16, with its Intel processor and dedicated Nvidia GPU, caters well to engineering with superior graphical processing power and is also suitable for heavy-duty design applications, albeit with a lower screen resolution compared to the MacBook Pro. Both laptops have a balance of the mentioned factors but differ in their specific strengths, such as Apple's better screen quality and ASUS's stronger GPU for tasks requiring intense graphics computation.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 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 mobile Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, the Asus ROG Stix G16 hits the sweet spot between performance and cooling. The G16 also does not have to shy away from direct comparison with its supposedly stronger family member, the ROG Strix Scar 18 with its RTX 4090, as most benchmarks of the two laptops are very close to each other. Moreover, the G16 should be significantly cheaper. Depending on the supplier, the price difference here could be almost US$ 2,000. In the 2023 model series, Asus has significantly leveled out the differences between the two high-end lines."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix G16
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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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.
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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.