The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is known for its long battery life and impressive screen technology, making it suitable for professional work that requires color accuracy and intensive CPU tasks, as well as offering a high-quality keyboard and build. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, with its OLED touchscreen and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, caters to those requiring high-performance graphics, such as in 3D/machine learning tasks, or gaming. If portability is a priority, the Zenbook is heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro. Both laptops have high-quality screens, but the MacBook's mini LED screen is brighter and has a higher refresh rate, contributing to reduced motion blur and better overall visual performance. The trade-off between the two comes down to operating system preference, with the MacBook Pro running MacOS and the Zenbook on Windows 11, as well as the need for touch screen capabilities and high-performance graphics which the Zenbook offers. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
8.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with the Apple M1 Pro chip, ample RAM, and high-resolution Mini LED screen, is highly efficient for general use due to its exceptional battery life and portability, despite weighing less than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, which offers an Intel i7 processor with ample storage, a vivid OLED touchscreen, but it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, making it slightly less portable. Both laptops boast high screen quality and substantial RAM for smooth multitasking, but prioritize different aspects: MacBook for battery life and portability, Zenbook for storage and touch capability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.5/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-resolution display known for its brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for tasks that rely on visual detail and fidelity, such as general use and engineering tasks where precise color representation is crucial. On the other hand, for activities like 3D rendering where a high refresh rate is key, its display falls short in comparison to specialized gaming laptops. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X similarly offers a sharp and color-accurate screen suited for general usage and professional design work; however, its lower refresh rate is not optimized for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,300
$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 Pro 16X costs $1,300.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) stands out in engineering and design due to its robust Apple M1 Pro chip with more cores in both CPU and GPU, which is complemented by more RAM for efficient multitasking; plus, its Mini LED screen delivers exceptional brightness and color accuracy. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X also excels with its high-resolution OLED touchscreen that provides vibrant colors and deep contrast, and a powerful combination of Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU suited for demanding software, but with half the RAM of the MacBook, multitasking with complex projects could be less fluid.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X are both very good for content creation.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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."
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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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