If you prioritize a high-resolution display, superior build quality, and longer battery life for tasks like video editing or graphic design, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is the better option; however, it is more expensive and less suited for intensive gaming. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers strong performance for 3D rendering, gaming, and engineering tasks at a lower price and has a high-refresh-rate screen which is better for fast-paced gaming, but with shorter battery life and lower screen resolution, which might not be ideal for precision creative work. The MacBook Pro's macOS might limit your software choices compared to the ASUS' Windows 11, and the ASUS' design is more gaming-centric, which might not appeal for professional environments. 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 (2023)
Excellent for general use
Very good for software development
Excellent 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 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
8.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for 3D tasks due to its powerful integrated GPU and high-quality Mini LED display, but with a moderate refresh rate, it's less ideal for high-speed gaming which benefits from higher frame rates. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its high refresh rate screen and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, offering smoother visuals for fast-paced games; however, keep in mind that Mac operating systems do not support many popular games that run on Windows.
Content Creation
9.1/10
8.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very 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
8.9/10
7.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
9.3/10
7.9/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 16's display offers high resolution and brightness which enhances the clarity and readability for general use, and its wide color gamuts make it ideal for engineering and design tasks where color accuracy is crucial. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, making it less optimal for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. In contrast, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 provides a good quality display for day-to-day tasks and has ample color representation for creative work, it also falls short for gaming and 3D, as its refresh rate isn't tailored for the ultra-smooth visuals expected in those areas.
Battery
17.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$2,000
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 costs $2,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) offers exceptional screen quality with high resolution and color accuracy, suitable for engineering design work, and has a strong CPU and GPU integration, excellent for multitasking but trade-offs include lower gaming performance and limited port variety compared to some Windows laptops. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, sporting a high-refresh-rate display and powerful dedicated Nvidia graphics, excels in tasks requiring a dedicated GPU such as 3D rendering, with better portability due to more RAM and storage expansion options, but has a lower screen resolution that may not be as ideal for precision design work.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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."
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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.
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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.
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Laptops Expert
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