If budget is a major concern and you need a machine for everyday tasks like browsing the web, working with documents, and streaming video, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is a more budget-friendly option that offers decent performance for these activities. However, if you require a laptop for more demanding tasks such as video editing, music production, or software development, and you are willing to invest more, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has powerful hardware tailored for intensive tasks, along with a larger display which can improve productivity. Keep in mind that the MacBook Pro is also heavier, which could affect portability if you travel frequently or need to carry your laptop around often. The MacBook is known for its longer battery life, which can be beneficial if you're often away from power outlets, whereas the Zenbook prioritizes portability with its lighter and more compact design at the expense of battery life and high-performance capabilities. 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 Zenbook 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021), with its superior CPU and higher RAM, offers better performance for general use compared to the ASUS Zenbook 14, which has a lower-tier CPU and less RAM. Furthermore, the MacBook Pro boasts a Mini LED screen with higher brightness and color accuracy, a longer battery life, and overall higher quality in keyboard and speakers, while the Zenbook 14, despite good screen quality, falls short in these aspects but is lighter and thus more portable.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.1/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is better suited for 3D applications due to its powerful 16-core GPU and higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and better rendering capabilities. In contrast, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is fair for gaming and capable for 3D with its Iris Xe graphics, its lower screen refresh rate and the fact that many popular games are incompatible with MacOS give the Zenbook an advantage for gaming on Windows.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU, abundant RAM, and advanced GPU, which facilitate complex computations and graphics rendering alongside a high-quality Mini LED screen. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14, while offering good performance for its category with an Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, has less RAM and a less powerful GPU, but it boasts an OLED screen which provides excellent color accuracy and contrast, and is more portable owing to its smaller size and lighter weight.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's exceptional display offers a high resolution and brightness, along with wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, making for vivid and accurate colors for both general use and professional engineering and design work. However, it lacks a high refresh rate which is crucial for 3D applications. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14 provides a very good resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and design work, but similarly falls short on refresh rate for gaming and 3D content where smoother motion is essential.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good 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 Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$300
$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 Zenbook 14 costs $300.
"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."
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS Zenbook 14
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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