Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 depends on your needs. If you prioritize sleek design, a user-friendly operating system, longer battery life, and professional software compatibility, the MacBook Pro is likely more suitable. Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Strix shines in gaming and high-performance tasks due to superior graphics and cooling systems, making it ideal if you need intense processing power, but it will be heavier and may have a shorter battery life, making it less convenient for constant travel. Consider what you'll use the laptop for most to guide your decision. 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 (Late 2023)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
8.7/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-quality screen and a capable GPU, making it suitable for 3D tasks, but its lower screen refresh rate and the fact that many popular games aren't compatible with macOS can limit its appeal to gamers. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers an excellent GPU and a high refresh rate screen which makes for a smoother gaming experience and superior performance in 3D applications, though its screen quality and CPU are less exceptional than the MacBook's, this trade-off is often acceptable for dedicated gaming machines.
Screen Quality
9.3/10
8.7/10
16.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G18 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its emphasis on high resolution and brightness, offers a crisp, clear display that benefits everyday tasks and detailed engineering work by making text and graphics sharp and vibrant. Its screen quality excels in engineering and design due to wide color gamuts, providing accuracy needed for color-critical tasks. However, for 3D applications, where the smoothness of motion is critical, its typically lower refresh rates make it less suitable compared to laptops designed with high refresh rate displays.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 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
Poor
16.2in
SIZE
18.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,099
$2,300
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $3,099 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) costs $2,300.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers high-quality CPU performance, abundant RAM, and impressive screen quality, making it ideal for a variety of tasks, with the added benefits of a lightweight design and long battery life for those who need to work on the go. Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 also provides strong CPU and RAM capabilities with a focus on screen quality for vivid visuals, but it is heavier and typically has shorter battery life, suited for users who prioritize gaming or intensive applications and don't mind less mobility.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
9.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is well-suited for engineering and design with its high-quality screen and efficient CPU, but the ASUS ROG Strix G18 excels in these areas due to its more powerful GPU and larger RAM, enhancing performance for resource-intensive tasks. While the MacBook offers better portability and a quieter operation, the ASUS provides superior hardware for demanding engineering software, albeit at the cost of being bulkier and potentially louder during heavy use.
Content Creation
8.9/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) are both very good for content creation.
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
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) are both very good for software development.
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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) 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."
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
Consumer hours saved
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.