When choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, consider that the MacBook Pro offers superior battery life, a higher quality display with better color accuracy, and is a better option for general use and creative professionals due to its build quality and performance. It runs on macOS and comes with high-end components, but it is more expensive and heavier, which makes it less portable. The IdeaPad Pro 5i, on the other hand, offers a competent Windows system with a dedicated graphics card that would handle gaming and machine learning tasks effectively. It's more affordable and slightly lighter, which may appeal to users looking for a balance between performance and cost, but its battery life is shorter and its display is less impressive 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 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is superior for general use due to its high-resolution Mini LED screen, powerful Apple M2 Pro processor, and long battery life, but it is less portable and heavier than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, while good for general use with a capable Intel i7 processor and quality screen, offers shorter battery life and less overall vitality in its build and display when compared to the robust MacBook Pro 16.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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 favored for engineering and design due to its high-performance Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, substantial RAM, and Mini LED screen that offers exceptional quality with high brightness and color accuracy. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i also excels with ample RAM, a potent Intel i7 CPU, and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU that benefits graphics-intensive applications, although its IPS screen, while of high quality, doesn't match the MacBook's display in color coverage and contrast.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display with superior brightness and color accuracy, which makes text sharp and images vivid for general use and ensures designers see true-to-life colors. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i also offers a solid display with ample brightness and resolution, but it might not cover color gamuts as extensively, which can be less ideal for professional design work. However, both laptops fall short for 3D applications, as their screens do not prioritize high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth rendering and animation.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$860
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i costs $860.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in 3D tasks due to its powerful GPU, the Apple M2 Pro (19C GPU), which is great for graphics-intensive applications, and has a high-quality Mini LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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."
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.