The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is a high-end laptop with robust performance for 3D, machine learning and engineering tasks, a brighter and more color-accurate Mini LED screen, and a longer battery life. However, it is heavier and less portable, and costs significantly more. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 is priced in the midrange category, it's lighter and more portable. It has an adequate IPS screen, a quality build, and it's suitable for general use and some lighter engineering tasks. If budget is not a constraint and you need top performance and display quality, go for the MacBook; if you prioritize cost-effectiveness, portability, and primarily perform standard computing tasks, the HP EliteBook may be more appropriate. 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 HP EliteBook 845 G9
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use due to its superior processing capabilities, larger and higher-quality Mini LED screen, and longer battery life, alongside top-notch keyboard and speaker quality; however, it is less portable and heavier than the HP EliteBook 845 G9. The HP EliteBook, while offering a smaller IPS screen and less storage, is lighter and scores high on portability, making it a suitable choice for those who prioritize ease of carrying and still performs admirably for general use with a high-quality keyboard and good speaker quality.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 is only fair.
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
7.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
7.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
7.1/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP EliteBook 845 G9 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers exceptional clarity and color accuracy due to its high-resolution display and wide color gamut, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks where precision is crucial. However, its screen may not refresh as quickly as dedicated gaming laptops, which is why it falls short for 3D applications where fast refresh rates are key. In contrast, the HP EliteBook’s good screen quality provides a balance suitable for general use and design work, but it may not offer the high refresh rates preferred by gamers or the optimal experience for 3D rendering that more specialized screens provide.
Battery
17.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good 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
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$740
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 costs $740.
"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 high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the HP EliteBook 845 G9
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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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
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