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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Legion 7 depends on your specific needs. The MacBook Pro offers impressive color accuracy, a higher brightness display, and longer battery life, making it suitable for creative professionals who value screen quality and portability. On the other hand, the Legion 7 has a more powerful graphics card and a higher refresh rate screen, which makes it better suited for gaming and 3D work but with a sacrifice in battery life and a heavier build. The MacBook is generally pricier, so if budget is a concern, the Legion offers competitive features for less. Both have ample processing power for general use, but the MacBook is more portable and has a better build quality overall. 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 Lenovo Legion 7
- The Lenovo Legion 7 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0
7.9
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a high-performance CPU, more RAM, and a superior Mini LED screen with greater brightness and color accuracy, making it exceptional for general use where screen quality, battery life, and ease of carrying are prioritized. The Lenovo Legion 7, while still good for general use, offers a larger storage capacity and respectable screen quality, but it trades off some portability and battery life due to its heftier build and lower battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.8
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with its high-quality GPU and Mini LED screen is excellent for 3D work, benefiting from a high screen refresh rate and color accuracy, but limited in gaming due to compatibility issues with many popular Windows-based games. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a superior GPU suitable for both gaming and 3D tasks, and its higher screen refresh rate provides a smoother experience in fast-paced games, making it a versatile choice despite its heavier weight and larger size.
Content Creation
8.8
7.9
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo Legion 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
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 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
8.3
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 7 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro has an exceptional screen with high resolution and bright display, which, combined with its true-to-life color accuracy, ensures crisp and detailed visuals for general tasks and is ideal for professionals in engineering and design due to its wide color gamuts. However, its screen lacks a high refresh rate, making it less suitable for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 7 has very good display quality and resolution that works well for everyday tasks and design work, but it is not optimized for gaming or 3D tasks due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Legion 7 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
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,500
$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 Legion 7 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.2
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Legion 7 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) | Lenovo Legion 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,949 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 5.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 10.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
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 | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 497 nits | 469 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo Legion 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 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.
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