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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is designed for professionals seeking a balance between performance and portability with a higher emphasis on display quality, boasting a Mini LED screen that makes it excellent for color-related tasks. It offers a strong battery life and a lightweight design, which contributes to its portability. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 15P is tailored for high-end gaming and intensive 3D tasks with its powerful Nvidia GPU, making it more suitable for engineering applications. Despite being of a similar weight, its battery life is much shorter than the MacBook's, which affects its portability for long periods away from a power source. Both have ample RAM and are priced similarly but cater to different user needs – the MacBook favors creators and everyday users, while the Aorus 15P gears towards gamers and engineers requiring more graphical horsepower. 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 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 Gigabyte Aorus 15P
- The Gigabyte Aorus 15P has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0
7.9
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15P is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is considered very good for general use because it provides outstanding battery life along with a high-resolution Mini LED display, exceptional build, keyboard, speaker quality, and good heat management, making it a solid choice for users who value screen quality and device longevity.
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.8
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15P and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the Gigabyte Aorus 15P is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its advanced GPU is suitable for 3D modeling, but its 120Hz screen refresh rate isn't optimal for the most demanding gamers; despite this, its screen quality and GPU still make it a viable option for less intense gaming and 3D tasks. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aorus 15P caters to gamers with its high-end Nvidia GPU and notably higher screen refresh rate, enhancing fluid visuals in gaming; however, popular games may not run on the MacBook due to MacOS, while the Aorus supports a broader library of games on Windows.
Content Creation
8.8
7.8
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15P 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
7.3
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15P 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
8.1
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15P for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) delivers exceptional clarity and vividness due to its high-resolution display and excellent brightness, providing an immersive viewing experience. The MacBook Pro's superior color accuracy, covering wider color gamuts, makes it ideal for engineering and design professionals requiring precise color representations. However, for 3D applications where the fluidity of motion is crucial, its standard refresh rate may not be as smooth as displays with faster refresh rates, which are preferred for such tasks.
Battery
17.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15P has 5 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
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 15P both have good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15P has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.3
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 15P are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with the M1 Pro chip that offers strong CPU and GPU performance for engineering applications, with a high-resolution Mini LED screen ideal for design work, whereas the Gigabyte Aorus 15P provides a robust CPU with Intel i7-11800H and superior GPU with Nvidia RTX 3080, beneficial for demanding engineering tasks, but has a lower screen resolution. The MacBook Pro excels in portability and screen quality, while the Aorus 15P stands out for its gaming capabilities and upgrade flexibility with available RAM and storage slots, albeit with a compromise in display quality and a slightly bulkier form factor.
Cost
$1,949
$1,950
$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 Gigabyte Aorus 15P costs $1,950.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Gigabyte Aorus 15P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) | Gigabyte Aorus 15P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,949 | $1,950 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 14'' x 9.6'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 4.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 9.6" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 300Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 497 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"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."
Gigabyte Aorus 15P
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NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | June 2021
"The Aorus 15P is a high-end gaming laptop with fast 360 Hz display. Gaming performance in the Aorus 15P YD is very high thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 installed here. However, with the use of the Intel Core i7-11800H, CPU performance also closes in on the strong competition from AMD. SSD performance is excellent as well, and it leaves no room for criticism. Thanks to the built-in Intel Core i7-11800H, the system performance of the Aorus 15P YD increases significantly."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aorus 15P
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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