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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is a premium option with longer battery life and high build quality, suited for professional creative work due to its powerful CPU and integrated GPU, excellent display with higher color accuracy, and MacOS ecosystem. The cost is higher, but it's also less gaming-friendly. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, more affordable with a focus on gaming, includes a dedicated high-end GPU, Windows 11, and a higher refresh rate screen which is great for fast-paced games. It offers more storage but has a lower battery life. The Zephyrus is better for gaming and intensive performance tasks, while the MacBook excels in creatives tasks and battery endurance. Choose based on your primary use case and budget. 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
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.9
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels for general use because of its high-resolution mini LED screen, long battery life, and excellent keyboard, making it a top choice for those valuing screen quality and endurance, albeit with less portability due to its slightly heavier build and larger size. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, while also offering solid performance with its powerful CPU and high-end GPU for more demanding tasks, has a shorter battery life and a standard IPS screen but compensates with better gaming capabilities and a thinner and slightly lighter design, which might appeal to users who prioritize gaming and portability over extended battery use.
Gaming and AI
7.5
8.5
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
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 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
8.9
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 M16 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
9.0
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's screen stands out in general use and engineering design because it offers a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, ensuring crisp, vibrant images that cover a broad range of colors essential for detailed work. For 3D applications, however, its refresh rate isn't as high as specialized gaming laptops, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-moving scenes. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, while providing a very good resolution and color representation for general and engineering use, does not offer a high enough refresh rate for optimal gaming and 3D tasks, which may disappoint users looking for fluid motion and responsiveness in fast-paced games.
Battery
17.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,099
$1,842
$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 $3,099 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $1,842.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.9
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 outshines the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for engineering and design tasks with its more robust dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a higher RAM capacity, contributing to superior performance in demanding applications. Although the MacBook Pro offers a slightly better battery life and a higher resolution Mini LED display which is excellent for design work, the Zephyrus M16's combination of a high-refresh-rate IPS display and extensive connectivity options, including RAM and storage expandability, provides a more versatile solution for varied engineering scenarios.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,099 | $1,842 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 18 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 487 nits | 627 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"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."
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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