Selecting between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 involves considering their individual strengths. The MacBook Pro offers superior performance, especially for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. Its larger screen with higher brightness, superior color accuracy, and higher resolution enhances visual clarity, making it ideal for creative professionals. Additionally, its battery life surpasses that of the Lenovo. However, this comes at the cost of higher weight and a less portable form factor.
On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has the advantage of being lighter and more compact, which contributes to greater portability. It also includes a touchscreen, which the MacBook Pro lacks. While it has strong performance credentials, particularly with its dedicated Nvidia graphics, it falls somewhat behind the MacBook Pro in high-performance tasks. The Lenovo is also generally less expensive than the MacBook Pro. For those who prioritize the Windows operating system, versatility, and value over top-tier performance and screen quality, the Lenovo tends to be a more cost-effective choice. 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
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 Slim Pro 7 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
8.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro chip with more RAM, a high-quality Mini LED screen, and long battery life, all packaged in a slim design, yet is less portable due to its larger size and weight. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 combines good performance from its AMD Ryzen processor and ample storage with a quality IPS touchscreen display in a lighter and more compact form factor, making it very portable with a moderate battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) leads in engineering and design use primarily due to its superior CPU and GPU capabilities, coupled with a high-resolution Mini LED screen which showcases excellent color accuracy and contrast, essential for design precision.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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) and Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
8.9/10
7.8/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.5in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display and excellent color reproduction, covering wide color gamuts essential for design accuracy. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers a good display for these tasks with respectable resolution and color coverage but falls short of the MacBook Pro's standards. However, both laptops are not ideal for 3D applications because they have screens with standard refresh rates, which are less fluid compared to specialized high-refresh-rate displays desired for 3D work and gaming.
Battery
17.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
14.5in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 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
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,200
$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 Slim Pro 7 14 costs $1,200.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with its high-quality Mini LED display and a GPU integrated into its Apple M1 Pro chip is well-suited for 3D tasks and creative work, but the lack of game compatibility with macOS can limit its use for gaming.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 compare to other laptops
"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 Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat for the price."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 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.