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Updated January 10, 2024·
Selecting between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H depends on your priorities. If you value a higher-resolution display, longer battery life, macOS ecosystem, and a laptop that's more portable, the MacBook Pro is a solid choice. However, if you're looking for superior gaming performance, customizable RGB keyboard, Windows operating system, and better suitability for engineering tasks that require a powerful graphics card, like 3D rendering and machine learning, the Aorus 17H would be the better option. Both are similarly priced, but each excels in different areas. 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 17H
- 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
351.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with a high-screen-quality Mini LED display, a powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU, and more RAM, which contributes to its very good general-use performance, additionally enhanced by its superior portability and longer battery life. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, while offering good general-use performance with a capable Intel CPU and high-end Nvidia GPU, is less portable and has a shorter battery life, but compensates with more storage and a screen better suited for gaming due to its higher refresh rate.
Gaming and AI
7.0
8.7
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for 3D tasks owing to its high-quality GPU, but its screen refresh rate is lower than that of gaming-focused laptops. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H excels in gaming and 3D with its more powerful Nvidia GPU and significantly higher refresh rate, however, unlike the MacBook, it isn't compatible with many popular games designed for macOS.
Content Creation
8.8
8.0
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 17H 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
9.0/10
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 17H 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
8.3
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
351.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's screen excels in color accuracy and high resolution which offers vibrant visuals for general use and detailed graphics for engineering and design, however, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion is required. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H also has a high-quality display suitable for general tasks and supports a wide color gamut benefitting engineering and design work, but its refresh rate, while higher than the MacBook's, may still fall short for the optimal 3D experience where fast refresh rates are crucial. Screen quality for gaming and 3D is not just about color and clarity but also about how fluid the motion appears, which is governed by the refresh rate.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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
Poor
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor 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 17H has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$2,370
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H costs $2,370.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.6
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with its Apple M1 Pro processor, integrated GPU, and high-resolution Mini LED display is well-suited for engineering and design, offering excellent screen quality but at the expense of less storage and gaming-specific features compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, which boasts a more powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, and a larger screen, making it ideal for engineering tasks as well, especially those requiring intensive graphics performance, even though it's less portable and has a lower-resolution display.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,949 | $2,370 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 10.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
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 | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
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 17H
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eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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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