The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in performance for intensive tasks like engineering and machine learning, has a Mini LED display with higher brightness and color accuracy, a longer battery life, and better build quality. However, it's much heavier, less portable, and significantly more expensive. The ASUS Vivobook 15, on the other hand, is more affordable, lighter, and decent for general use with standard performance suitable for everyday tasks but falls short for demanding activities like gaming or 3D rendering. If budget allows and performance is crucial, go for the MacBook Pro, but for casual use and better portability at a lower price, the Vivobook 15 is sufficient. 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 engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
6.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use with a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen, further complemented by its long battery life and high portability despite its larger size. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15, while still suitable for general tasks, has modest CPU performance, less RAM, and an IPS screen with lower color accuracy and brightness, and its shorter battery life and lighter weight make it less capable for extended use without charging but more convenient to carry around.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
5.9/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with its high-performance Apple M1 Pro GPU and 120 Hz refresh rate display is well-suited for 3D tasks, offering smooth visuals and capable graphics processing, but note that many popular games aren't compatible with its macOS. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15 has a basic Intel UHD Graphics GPU and a standard 60 Hz screen, making it less optimal for 3D and gaming, although it runs Windows which supports a wider array of games.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
6.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with a powerful M1 Pro chip, ample RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, making it ideal for demanding engineering and design work that requires robust performance and precise visuals. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15 has less RAM and a less powerful Intel i3 processor, along with a standard IPS screen, which can handle basic design tasks but may struggle with more intensive applications and workflows.
Content Creation
8.8/10
6.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) stands out with its high resolution and brightness, enhancing clarity and visibility, whereas the ASUS Vivobook 15 offers a satisfactory but less impressive display with lower brightness and resolution. For engineering and design tasks, the MacBook Pro's superior color gamut coverage ensures more accurate color representation for professional work, while the Vivobook 15 delivers acceptable but less precise color performances. However, for 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial, both laptops may not offer the optimal experience due to moderate refresh rates, with the MacBook Pro still lagging behind in this regard due to its focus on other display features.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$529
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 costs $529.
"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 Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS Vivobook 15
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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