The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is a premium option with a high-resolution Mini LED display, powerful M2 Pro processor suitable for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and other professional applications. It also offers longer battery life and a lightweight design, making it ideal for those who need portability along with performance. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is typically less expensive, offering a good balance between cost and capability. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen processor and RTX graphics, it's more geared towards gaming and creatives who might also require dedicated graphics performance. However, you'll compromise on battery life and a higher weight compared to the MacBook Pro. If you prioritize gaming or intensive graphic work and prefer Windows, the Lenovo might be suitable; if you're looking for overall performance, battery efficiency, and use professional creative software frequently, the MacBook Pro could be a better choice. 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
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use due to its higher screen quality, superior battery life, and enhanced portability, offering a better experience in tasks that benefit from a vivid display and on-the-go usage. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, while also good for general tasks, trades some display quality and battery life for a more robust gaming performance, indicated by its dedicated Nvidia graphics, which may suit users interested in occasional gaming as well as productivity.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design use with its high-resolution Mini LED screen, powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, and extensive battery life, making it suitable for demanding tasks and rich visual work, albeit at the expense of portability due to a higher price and weight. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, while also fit for engineering and design with a competent AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, offers a lower screen quality but gains an edge in gaming capabilities and comes with added portability benefits due to its lighter weight and more favorable pricing.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's display excels for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, brightness, and wide color gamuts ensuring sharp, vivid, and accurate colors essential for detailed design work, but its standard refresh rate is less suitable for 3D applications which benefit from higher refresh rates. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers a good resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color representation for engineering tasks, but for gaming and 3D use, its screen doesn't provide the high refresh rate needed for the smoothest visuals. Overall, the MacBook Pro is tailored more towards professionals needing top-notch color accuracy and display quality, while the Legion Slim 5 is more balanced for everyday users who don't specifically focus on high-end gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$1,000
$500
$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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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.
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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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