The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a larger screen, more storage, RAM, and a powerful Apple M2 Pro chip suitable for high-performance tasks like engineering and intensive graphic applications. It also has a longer battery life but is heavier and less portable, making it less ideal for frequent travel. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 13 is much lighter, very portable, and has an OLED screen that's great for vibrant colors and sharp contrast. It's better priced for more casual use, though with less power for demanding software and a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro. 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
Good for gaming and AI
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 Zenbook 13
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
378.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use primarily because of its high-resolution Mini LED screen, robust CPU and GPU performance, along with extensive battery life and sound build quality, albeit with less portability due to its larger size and weight. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 13, while still good for general use, offers less power and shorter battery life but gains an advantage in portability with its lighter weight and smaller form factor, coupled with a quality OLED screen that provides excellent color accuracy.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is superior for 3D tasks due to its more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and enhanced performance for 3D applications compared to the ASUS Zenbook 13, which has a less robust GPU and a standard screen refresh rate which is adequate but not ideal for fast-paced gaming and complex 3D rendering tasks. Additionally, while the MacBook Pro's MacOS may limit game availability, its hardware is particularly well-suited for 3D creative work, whereas the Zenbook 13 with Windows has a broader gaming library but less graphical horsepower for demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
7.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design tasks due to its more powerful CPU, higher RAM, and advanced GPU, coupled with a high-resolution Mini LED screen, making it better for demanding software and visual work; however, it's heavier and less portable than the ASUS Zenbook 13. The ASUS Zenbook 13 offers portability and an OLED screen with good color accuracy but has less processing power and memory, making it suitable for lighter tasks and those who prioritize a balance between performance and ease of carrying.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 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
7.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 Zenbook 13 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
7.8/10
16.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
378.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 16's display offers high resolution, brightness, and extensive color coverage, making it excellent for detailed engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial; however, its typical refresh rate limits its performance for 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals. The ASUS Zenbook 13 also boasts a high-quality display with strong resolution and brightness, suited for both general use and accurate color representation, desirable for engineering and design professionals. Nonetheless, gamers and those engaged in 3D rendering may find the refresh rate subpar, hindering the fluidity and responsiveness that high-paced visual tasks demand.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 13 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.2in
SIZE
13.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$890
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the ASUS Zenbook 13 costs $890.
"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 ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 13
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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