If high performance for engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning is essential and budget is less of a concern, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 with its dedicated graphics hardware is better suited. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which impacts portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers excellent performance for general use, a significantly longer battery life, and a superior display quality, which is lighter and therefore easier to carry around, but it may fall short in graphics-intensive tasks compared to the ASUS. The MacBook Pro is typically less costly and has a higher build quality, while the ASUS is a gaming-grade machine with a high refresh rate display and customizable RGB keyboard lighting. 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
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 Scar 17
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its impressive screen quality, powerful CPU with ample RAM, and long battery life, wrapped in a highly portable design. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 also suits general use well with its high-performing CPU and plentiful RAM while offering a larger storage capacity and superior keyboard, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) works well for 3D applications largely due to its robust GPU that's capable of handling complex graphics tasks; however, its screen refresh rate isn't as high as gaming-dedicated laptops and it also has limitations running many popular games as it operates on MacOS.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
7.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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
8.1/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's display excels in clarity, color accuracy, and brightness, making it ideal for general use and professional design tasks where true-to-life color representation like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB is critical. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers a well-rounded screen that's more than adequate for everyday activities and precision work but falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which is less smooth for fast-moving visuals. Such trade-offs underline the MacBook Pro as a choice for professionals prioritizing media and design, while the ASUS might appeal to those needing a good all-rounder but not specialized in gaming.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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
Poor
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 costs $2,499.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is highly suitable for engineering and design tasks with its powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen that offers superior color accuracy and brightness, but it's less portable due to its weight and size. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 provides robust performance for similar tasks with an Intel i9 processor, Nvidia RTX GPU, and expansive RAM, while also featuring a larger screen and higher refresh rate which is great for design, although its larger size and weight make it less portable and its screen is less color-accurate than the MacBook's.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 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."
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 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 is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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