The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) provides an excellent general-use experience due to its high-quality Mini LED screen, strong CPU and ample RAM contributing to smooth performance, in addition to a lightweight form factor and excellent battery life, making it very portable. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15, while good for general use, is optimized for gaming with its high-end GPU, has a standard IPS screen, less RAM, and a shorter battery life but compensates with a larger storage capacity and a more robust keyboard with a number pad, yet is slightly heavier which impacts its portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) typically boasts superior screen quality and strong GPU performance, making it suitable for 3D applications and providing a crisp visual experience, but it's limited in gaming due to compatibility issues with many popular games. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15, with its high screen refresh rate and powerful GPU, excels in gaming, providing smooth visuals for fast-paced games and is also capable of handling 3D tasks effectively.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 TUF Gaming A15 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
7.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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
7.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) boasts a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and panel quality, making it ideal for general use, and its wide color gamut ensures accurate colors critical for engineering and design tasks; however, its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers a decent display for everyday tasks and supports a wide enough color spectrum for most engineering and design work, but for gaming and 3D purposes, the lower-than-expected refresh rate doesn't deliver the fluid motion graphics enthusiasts prefer. Hence, while the MacBook Pro excels in visual clarity and color accuracy for professionals, the TUF Gaming A15 falls short for gamers and 3D users despite its adequate performance for general use and technical work.
Battery
17.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and GPU combination, higher RAM, and a superior Mini LED screen with higher resolution, offering exceptional detail and color accuracy, which benefits design work, but it's less portable and pricier. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 includes a capable CPU and a high-end gaming-oriented GPU, which is beneficial for engineering simulations and design software, more storage, and a good quality IPS display, plus its build includes more ports and gaming-focused features with better portability at a lower price but with lower screen resolution and color fidelity.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,949
$2,059
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 costs $2,059.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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 release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS TUF Gaming A15
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.