The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers superior performance and is designed for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and software development, with a premium build quality and higher price to match. Its larger display is suited for detailed work and multitasking. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is more budget-friendly and offers enough capability for everyday tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. It's more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight but expect lower performance which may not be suitable for resource-intensive applications. Consider the MacBook Pro if you need high performance and can afford the investment, whereas the IdeaPad is sufficient for basic use and easier on the wallet. 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 engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
6.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
239.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use with a powerful CPU, ample RAM, a high-resolution Mini LED screen, and long battery life, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is limited by a basic processor, minimal RAM, a lower resolution TN screen, and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
5.5/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in 3D tasks due to its robust GPU and high refresh rate display, enhancing visual performance and smoothness, which are crucial for these applications. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" falls short for gaming and 3D because it has a less powerful GPU and a lower refresh rate screen, impacting the ability to render complex graphics and provide fluid gameplay.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
5.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) boasts a robust processor, substantial memory, a high-quality discrete GPU, and a superior Mini LED screen, making it well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is equipped with a basic processor, limited memory, an integrated low-end GPU, and a lower resolution screen, which are inadequate for such complex workloads.
Content Creation
8.8/10
6.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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
6.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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
5.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
239.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) boasts a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, covering a wide spectrum of color gamuts, making it ideal for general use and precision tasks like engineering and design. However, its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D tasks, which benefit from faster screen refresh capabilities. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" offers lower resolution and brightness, with limited color range, leading to a less vibrant and sharp viewing experience across all areas, from general activities to specialized applications like engineering, design, and gaming.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has 9 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$165
$0
$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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" costs $165.
"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 IdeaPad 1 14 is a simple machine, but it’s well-designed and has nearly everything you’d expect from a no-nonsense laptop that allows you to check emails and get schoolwork or other light tasks done with relative ease. A "true" 128GB SSD (as opposed to an eMMC drive) and a roomy 14-inch full HD display are arguably the star attractions, with the comfortable keyboard and reasonably modern styling playing important backup roles."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.