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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) provides excellent screen quality, a powerful processor with integrated graphics, and a high battery life suitable for general use and professional creative tasks, but it's less suited for intensive gaming due to the absence of dedicated gaming features. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17 offers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks with a dedicated high-end graphics card, a large screen with a high refresh rate beneficial for gaming, but it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, making it less portable. If portability and display are crucial for you, and you engage mostly in productivity tasks or creative work, consider the MacBook Pro. If you prioritize gaming or high-performance tasks that benefit from a dedicated GPU and don't mind a heavier laptop with less battery life, the Aorus 17 is a better fit. 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
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 17
- Very good for gaming and AI
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
267.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its high-quality CPU and screen, ample RAM, and long battery life, while maintaining reasonable portability. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, while offering good performance and a quality keyboard, is less portable, has a shorter battery life, and its screen quality is lower compared to the MacBook Pro.
Gaming and AI
7.0
8.1
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.8
8.0
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
7.5
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 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 17 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
8.0
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use and engineering design due to its high-resolution Retina display that offers vivid colors and excellent brightness, alongside wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which are crucial for accurate color representation in professional design work. However, its refresh rate is lower compared to gaming-oriented laptops, making it less suited for 3D tasks where smoother motion portrayal is key. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a good resolution and panel quality that ensures a sharp and bright image for everyday tasks and design work, but it also doesn't prioritize the high refresh rates necessary for the best gaming and 3D performance.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair 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 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,700
$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 17 costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.4
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) | Gigabyte Aorus 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,949 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 497 nits | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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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Dig into reviews and images
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 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aorus 17
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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