If portability and battery life are your priorities, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its lighter weight and longer battery time stands out, especially with its high-quality build and quiet operation. For tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 with its powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics card would be preferable, but it comes with increased weight and shorter battery life. The ASUS also features a touchscreen, which the MacBook Pro does not, and is oriented more towards Windows-centric engineering tasks, while the MacBook Pro is better for users dedicated to MacOS and general use. 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
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 Duo 15
Excellent for engineering and design
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.8/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 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
8.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 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
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
332.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro's high resolution and panel type offer exceptional sharpness and clarity for general tasks, while its wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design work. The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, with its dual-screen setup, also delivers a very good visual experience for general use and provides ample color accuracy for design professionals. However, both laptops offer screens with standard refresh rates, which are less suitable for 3D applications and gaming where higher refresh rates can improve the smoothness and responsiveness of on-screen action.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 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 Duo 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be excellent for general use, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is favored for general use due to its longer battery life and better portability, offering a lightweight design and all-day power backed by the efficient M1 Pro chip and high screen quality including a mini LED display with high brightness and wide color coverage. On the contrary, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 excels with a unique dual-screen feature and top-tier components like an Intel i9 processor and Nvidia GPU that enhance multitasking and intensive workflows, while also boasting an OLED screen, which is offset by its heavier weight and shorter battery life, making it less portable.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
9.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is praised for its strong CPU and GPU performance, with its Apple M1 Pro chips providing efficient processing for engineering and design tasks, and a high-quality Mini LED screen for precise color work; it also benefits from solid battery life and is significantly lighter, making it more portable.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 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
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,949
$2,000
$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 Duo 15 costs $2,000.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 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."
"Benchmarks aside, the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo is hard to compare with other PCs. Its closest competition may be a multi-monitor desktop, or a laptop with an attached travel monitor. The Pro Duo is more portable and versatile than either of those options, especially with the software tools Asus has thrown on top. For a certain niche of artists, media creators, and gamers, all that might add up to something special, even if it’s unattainable for the rest of us."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 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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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.
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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.
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Laptops Expert
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