The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in build quality, display, and ecosystem integration, especially for creative professionals using Apple software, but it is usually more expensive and less customizable than PCs. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, being designed for gaming, likely offers better graphics performance and potentially more ports for peripherals, making it suitable for gaming and intensive tasks as well as more value-oriented. However, it might be heavier, less battery-efficient, and might not have the same premium feel as the MacBook Pro. Consider the MacBook Pro if you prioritize a high-quality display, long battery life, and macOS, and the Legion Slim 5i if you value higher performance for tasks like gaming and 3D work at a potentially lower cost, with the tradeoff of portability and battery life. 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 5i
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
343.0 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 5i is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use due to its higher battery life, superior screen quality, and excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, though it is good for general use with high-quality keyboard and speakers, falls a bit short on battery life and screen color performance, and is slightly less portable. Both laptops share similar CPU and RAM, but the MacBook Pro's longer battery life and portability make it very good for users who prioritize mobility and all-day use, whereas the Legion Slim 5i offers a balance between performance and portability, with additional gaming capabilities.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
8.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good.
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.
Content Creation
9.1/10
8.0/10
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 Legion Slim 5i is very 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
7.8/10
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
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 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
8.0/10
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro 16's Retina display offers stunning visuals with high resolution and brightness, enhancing everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. Engineers and designers will appreciate the MacBook Pro's wide color gamut, providing accurate color representation crucial for their work. Gamers and 3D artists, however, may find the MacBook Pro limiting due to its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-optimized laptops, which can be essential for smooth visuals in fast-paced games and 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 5i 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 5i 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 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
$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 5i costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) stands out in engineering and design use due to its powerful M2 Pro processor paired with integrated graphics that support a high-resolution Mini LED screen, offering excellent screen quality and color accuracy for design work, while also providing a silent operating environment. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, with its Intel i7 processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, excels in engineering tasks that require extensive graphics processing power, and its high refresh IPS screen and good keyboard make it suitable for design and gaming, though it's slightly heavier and might be noisier under load.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion Slim 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."
"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 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
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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
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
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.