When choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, consider that the MacBook Pro offers longer battery life and a larger screen, which is excellent for creative work such as video editing but at the expense of portability. It also uses Apple's own M1 Pro chip, which provides strong performance for general use, engineering tasks, and 3D rendering, but the MacBook Pro is less suitable for intensive gaming. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, on the other hand, is lighter and has a higher refresh rate display with touch capability, plus an Nvidia RTX 4050 which is beneficial for gaming and machine learning tasks. It is typically less expensive but has a shorter battery life than the MacBook Pro, making it more suitable for portability and gaming but less ideal for long periods away from a power source. 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
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 9i
Best in class overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.6/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
9.6/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.5in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i both boast high-resolution displays and wide color gamuts, offering sharp, detailed images and accurate colors essential for general use and professional design work, with bright screens enhancing visibility in various lighting conditions. However, their screens are not optimal for 3D applications and gaming due to lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth motion and slower screen updates. This makes them less suitable for tasks that require rapid, real-time visual feedback, such as 3D animation or fast-paced gaming.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use with its powerful Apple M1 Pro CPU, ample RAM, high-quality Mini LED screen, and impressive battery life, while its heavier weight impacts portability. Conversely, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, with a fast Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, offers a touch-enabled, high-brightness display, more storage, and better portability due to its lighter weight, though its battery life is shorter.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
8.9/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with Apple's M1 Pro chip, offering impressive processing for engineering and design with better battery life and a slightly brighter screen, while its design prioritizes portability and low operating noise.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i are both very good for content creation.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.5in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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.
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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.