If you prioritize higher performance and a more premium build, with potentially better display quality and graphics capabilities, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is a strong choice despite its higher cost. It is ideal for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, or software development. However, it is less portable due to its larger size and weight. Alternatively, the HP Pavilion 15 is more budget-friendly and offers adequate performance for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption. It's lighter and easier to carry, but it may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly and could have a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro. Choose the MacBook Pro for demanding professional use and the Pavilion 15 for cost-effective general use. 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 Pavilion 15
The HP Pavilion 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the HP Pavilion 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use due to its powerful CPU, plentiful RAM, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and long battery life, making it suitable for demanding applications, whereas the HP Pavilion 15 provides solid performance for everyday tasks with a sufficient CPU and RAM, but its TN panel with lower resolution affects screen quality and its battery life is shorter, suggesting less suitability for intensive tasks. The MacBook Pro's premium qualities such as build, keyboard, and speakers are reflected in its higher cost and it's heavier, while the Pavilion 15 emphasizes affordability and light weight despite its lower build and peripheral quality, fitting for users with lighter usage requirements and budget considerations.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Pavilion 15 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
6.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) outshines the HP Pavilion 15 in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, superior Mini LED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, and longer battery life, which are pivotal for demanding tasks like 3D modeling and graphics work. Meanwhile, the HP Pavilion 15, with less impressive screen quality and processing power, is more affordable and offers excellent heat management but may not handle intensive engineering applications as effectively.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the HP Pavilion 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
6.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
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
5.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro boasts a high-resolution display, superior brightness, and a panel type delivering vivid colors and sharp details, essential for enjoying media and productivity tasks in everyday use. For professionals in engineering and design, the MacBook Pro offers a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color representation and precision for tasks like photo editing or CAD work. Conversely, the HP Pavilion 15's display falls short in these areas, offering lower brightness, resolution, and color accuracy, which might affect the user experience across all mentioned scenarios, and its standard refresh rate is less suitable for 3D applications where smoother motion is key.
Battery
17.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The HP Pavilion 15 has 3 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
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the HP Pavilion 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the HP Pavilion 15 costs $600.
"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 HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the HP Pavilion 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 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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