The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and ASUS TUF Dash 15 cater to different needs. The MacBook Pro offers strong performance for professional creative work, with a high-quality display, and a robust build. Its battery life tends to be excellent, which is ideal for those on the go. However, it is more expensive. The ASUS TUF Dash 15, on the other hand, is geared towards gaming with a high refresh rate screen and dedicated graphics card, usually at a more affordable price. It's also lighter, benefiting portability, but with typically shorter battery life and a build that's less premium than the MacBook. If you require a laptop for intensive engineering tasks or machine learning, the ASUS may be preferable due to its gaming-optimized hardware. For general use and demanding creative applications like video editing, the MacBook could serve you better. Consider what's more important for your needs: the MacBook Pro's premium build and longer battery life or the ASUS's gaming capabilities and lower price. 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 engineering and design
Very good for software development
Excellent 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 ASUS TUF Dash 15
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
272.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, higher screen quality, longer battery life, and greater portability, making it very good for a range of tasks. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Dash 15, while also suitable for general use, compromises slightly on these very important factors but offers benefits in areas like storage, keyboard, speaker quality, and managing heat and noise, which are somewhat important for the overall experience.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
7.8/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design use due to its superior screen quality, higher resolution Mini LED display, and a powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU that offers excellent computational performance, albeit with less potential for hardware upgradability and a higher weight impacting portability. Conversely, the ASUS TUF Dash 15, while still capable for engineering tasks with a capable Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, prioritizes portability and upgrade options, but provides a lower resolution IPS screen and may have more operating noise, which could be a consideration for quiet workplace environments.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 TUF Dash 15 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
8.9/10
7.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Dash 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
7.0/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
272.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Dash 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a crisp display with vivid colors for work or entertainment, the Apple MacBook Pro 16's high resolution and excellent color accuracy will make it stand out, especially for engineering and design tasks that benefit from wide color gamuts. The ASUS TUF Dash 15 offers a balance between quality and cost, with a decent display that is good enough for everyday tasks and creative work but may lack the superior color range and brightness of the MacBook. However, if you're into 3D work or gaming, you might find both lacking due to their lower refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of fast-paced visuals.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has 9 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
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Dash 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
$1,150
$500
$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 TUF Dash 15 costs $1,150.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and ASUS TUF Dash 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and ASUS TUF Dash 15 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 (2023) and the ASUS TUF Dash 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."
"The Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR is a laptop with mobile RTX 3070 and acceptable battery life. The Asus TUF Dash F15 was made for high-performance applications like video editing, rendering, and gaming. The laptop can manage the latter in QHD resolution and at high to maximum settings. However, the focus isn't on maximum performance, but instead, it's about a compromise between performance and portability."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the ASUS TUF Dash 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.
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.