The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is generally more expensive than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 due to its high build quality, powerful performance suitable for professional creative work, and long battery life, making it ideal for users who need a premium, reliable machine for intensive tasks like video editing or software development. However, if gaming is a priority, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers strong gaming performance, a high-refresh-rate screen for a smoother gaming experience, and customizability which may appeal more to dedicated gamers or users on a budget. It is heavier and bulkier, though, which affects portability, and typically has a shorter battery life than the MacBook Pro. Consider your primary use, whether you need the machine for heavy professional tasks, gaming, or general use, and how much you value build quality, battery life, and portability when making your decision. 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
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A15
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) offers a superior general use experience due to its high-quality screen, excellent keyboard and speakers, and longer battery life, making it ideal for day-to-day tasks and multimedia consumption, although it is less portable and more expensive than many alternatives. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15, while still suitable for general use, leans towards gaming with a focus on powerful graphics performance, custom cooling for heat management, and additional ports for peripherals, but has a lower quality display and speaker system, as well as shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
8.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and top speaker and keyboard quality, but it's less portable and heavier than some alternatives.
Content Creation
9.1/10
8.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Gaming A15 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
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Gaming A15 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
7.2/10
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
271.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it excellent for general tasks and professional engineering or design work, as it covers wide color gamuts essential for precision in visuals. However, its typical refresh rate is not suited for 3D applications where fast motion is rendered, as smoother motion is achieved with higher refresh rates. On the other hand, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a decent display for everyday tasks and sufficient color coverage for some engineering or design uses but falls short for gaming and 3D, despite its gaming label, due to a subpar refresh rate which is critical for a fluid visual experience in fast-paced environments.
Battery
17.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 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
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$2,059
$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 Gaming A15 costs $2,059.
"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."
"With the release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the ASUS TUF Gaming A15
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
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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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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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