The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers a high-performance computing experience suitable for a range of professional tasks including engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning, with a robust build quality, excellent screen for color accuracy, and above-average battery life, at a premium price. It stands out for creative professionals who need the best screen colors and general use performance. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is significantly less expensive, with strong capabilities for gaming due to its high-refresh-rate screen and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card. It also has more storage capacity but a shorter battery life. It's more appropriate for users interested in gaming and those looking for value without sacrificing too much on performance. Both laptops are not exceptionally portable but offer sufficient power for most high-demand tasks within their niche. Choose the MacBook Pro for top-tier screen quality and longer battery life, or the Zephyrus G15 for gaming and better value. 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)
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers exceptional CPU and RAM performance suitable for even demanding general use, excellent screen quality with high brightness and color coverage, but is less portable due to its weight. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 combines strong CPU and GPU performance, a high-quality screen, and greater portability attributed to its lighter weight, albeit at the cost of reduced battery life compared to the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a robust CPU and GPU suitable for engineering and design, complemented by a high-resolution Mini LED screen, while its tradeoff is less portability due to weight and larger size. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, on the other hand, balances solid performance with good portability, offering a high-end GPU and pleasant keyboard, but trades off on screen brightness and color accuracy compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
8.9/10
8.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
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
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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
7.9/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-resolution display with an impressive brightness level and advanced color gamut, providing crisp visibility and vibrant color accuracy essential for general users and professionals in engineering and design. However, its screen refresh rate isn't suited for 3D applications, where smooth motion is critical. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, while offering great resolution and sufficient brightness for general use and detailed color representation for engineering and design, falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, despite its strong overall performance credentials.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has 9.5 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
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,637
$500
$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 $2,499 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 costs $1,637.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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 (Late 2023) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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."
"As long as you're aware of the fact that the GeForce RTX 3080 laptop version can only unfold its potential to a limited extent due to Asus's low TDP setting and that it can be slower than a fast RTX 3070 laptop, the ROG Zephyrus G15 GA503Q cuts a fine figure. One of the biggest highlights turns out to be the WQHD panel, since it attracts customers with 165 Hz, relatively fast response times, FreeSync, and good color-space coverage. Other selling points are the surprisingly rich sound, the long battery life, and the sleek design. In terms of looks, the white edition stands out nicely from the competition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
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.
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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.