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MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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Legion Pro 5i (2024)
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What we think

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Updated June 22, 2024·

For a balance of performance and portability with exceptional battery life and a top-tier display, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is ideal, especially for creative tasks and general use. Its M1 Pro chip offers robust performance for engineering tasks, though it lacks hardware ray tracing found in the Lenovo. The MacBook's mini LED display boasts superior color accuracy and brightness, making it a standout for color-critical work and enjoyable media consumption. However, it's pricier and not designed for gaming, lacking DLSS technology. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is a strong choice for gamers and those into 3D rendering or machine learning, thanks to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with ray tracing and DLSS. It's also more budget-friendly and offers better upgradeability with additional RAM and storage slots. The Legion's 165Hz refresh rate display is great for fast-motion content, though it falls short in color accuracy compared to the MacBook. Its bulkier design and shorter battery life make it less portable, but it's a solid performer for intensive tasks and gaming. 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
  • Very good for gaming and AI

Key differences

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General Use

9.0
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
7.8
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good.

Gaming and AI

7.0
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
8.5
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
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 Pro 5i (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.

Content Creation

8.8
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
7.9
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
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 Pro 5i (2024) is good.

Software Development

8.9
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
7.7
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good.

Screen Quality

9.4
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
8.1
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
368.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Battery

17.5 Hours
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
3.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

10.0
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
7.4
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) has good build quality.

Cost

$1,949
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
$1,450
Product image
Product image

$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 Pro 5i (2024) costs $1,450.
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Key similarities

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Engineering and Design

8.7
MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Legion Pro 5i (2024)
8.7
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) are both very good for engineering and design.

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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)

GENERAL

Price
$1,949
$1,450
Release Date
October 1, 2021January 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66''14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97''
Weight
4.7 lbs5.6 lbs
Width
14.01"14.31"
Depth
9.77"10.25"

INTERNAL

Processor
Apple M1 Pro (10C)Intel i7-14700HX
RAM
32 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
512 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
17.5 Hours3.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
99.6 Wh80 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16.2"16"
Display Technology
Mini LEDIPS
Resolution
3456 x 22342560 x 1600
Refresh Rate
120Hz165Hz
Display Brightness
497 nits368 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
10/107.4/10
Portability Score
7.6/106.6/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
YesNo
Fan Noise Score
8.8/106.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
9.5/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/107/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
YesNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
04
USB-C ports
32
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
23
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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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 Pro 5i (2024)

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Dig into reviews and images

PCMag

Brian Westover | August 2023
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."

Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)

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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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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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

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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.

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