The Apple MacBook Pro has better build quality, a higher quality display, and longer battery life, making it ideal for professionals who prioritize these aspects and are willing to pay a premium for them. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus offers superior gaming performance, including hardware tailored for gaming, at a lower price point. It is suited for gamers and users with intensive graphical needs. The MacBook Pro offers a more portable and premium experience, while the Aorus provides cost-effective high-performance gaming capabilities but with added bulk and shorter battery life. 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
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 7
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.6/10
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
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers excellent performance with its CPU and high RAM capacity, superior screen quality with Mini LED technology, and extraordinary battery life, making it very good for general use despite a higher price and being less portable due to its build quality and weight. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 still provides ample performance for general tasks, but with a standard IPS screen, a less powerful CPU, and reduced battery life; it is easier on the wallet and includes a dedicated number pad, contributing to its good rating for general use, but it is bulkier which impacts portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.8/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
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 7 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-quality GPU and exceptional screen quality, making it suitable for 3D work, but limited game compatibility restricts its gaming prospects. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 7, with its superior GPU and high screen refresh rate, excels in gaming and 3D applications, though it might have a less powerful CPU and screen quality compared to the MacBook.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
8.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Gigabyte Aorus 7 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design because of its high-performing M1 Pro processor, substantial RAM, and industry-leading GPU, coupled with a high-resolution Mini LED display that's beneficial for detailed work.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 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
8.9/10
7.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 7 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
9.4/10
8.3/10
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 7 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and clarity, making it ideal for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, its screen boasts wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for professional graphic work. However, for 3D applications, its screen falls short as it has a standard refresh rate, which doesn't match the smoother visuals provided by displays with higher refresh rates required for fluid 3D rendering and gaming.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 7 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 7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,190
$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 7 costs $1,190.
"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 Gigabyte Aorus 7 is a gaming laptop that is pitched at perhaps the hardest market to get right: the mid-range. So, unlike high-end gaming laptops that can throw the latest and greatest components together in a bid to attract gamers with plenty of money to spend, or budget gaming laptops that can make wise cuts that are justified as long as the price is low enough, mid-rangers like the Gigabyte Aorus 7 have to balance the two."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Gigabyte Aorus 7
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.
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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