If you prioritize a high-quality display, slim form factor, and longer battery life for general use and creative work, and are willing to pay a premium, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is an excellent choice. It's also more portable than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17, but less suitable for intensive gaming despite its powerful processing capabilities. On the other hand, if your focus is on gaming or require a powerful machine for 3D or machine learning tasks at a more affordable price, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17, with its dedicated gaming graphics and larger screen, will serve you better, though you'll compromise on display quality, battery life, and portability. 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 software development
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 ASUS TUF Gaming A17
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
8.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
253.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in general use with its high-quality CPU and RAM, excellent screen quality, portability, and long battery life, making it a top choice for those who prioritize screen fidelity and on-the-go usage. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, while also good for general use, combines a strong CPU and ample RAM with a larger screen and dedicated gaming graphics card, offering a balance between performance and entertainment, albeit with a shorter battery life and less portability.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
8.1/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its high-resolution Mini LED screen and an integrated GPU performs well for 3D applications but less so for gaming due to limited compatibility with popular games. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, on the other hand, boasts a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which are key for superior gaming performance, especially on titles that demand fast and fluid visuals.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
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 TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its Apple M3 Pro processor, advanced GPU, and Mini LED display offering high resolution and superior color accuracy, excels in tasks like video editing and 3D rendering, which are critical in engineering and design. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 pairs a robust AMD Ryzen CPU with an Nvidia RTX GPU, and while its larger screen and expansive storage cater well to design software and simulations, its lower screen resolution and color accuracy make it less optimal for color-critical work but more suitable for performance-intensive engineering software.
Content Creation
8.9/10
8.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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
6.8/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
253.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-resolution display that delivers crisp images and vibrant colors, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks that require precision and a wide color spectrum. However, for 3D applications, it may come up short since it lacks the high refresh rates preferred for smooth rendering. Conversely, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17, while offering a decent all-around display, may not excel in color accuracy for professional design work and may also underperform in gaming and 3D due to lower refresh rates.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,552
$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 TUF Gaming A17 costs $1,552.
"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."
"There is one big question that needs an answer. Is the TUF Gaming A17 FA707 a better purchase than the ROG Strix G17 G713R (2022)? Well, it depends. Undoubtedly, the Strix is the more premium product. Arguably the biggest advantage it has over its TUF fellow is in regards to the display. ASUS TUF Gaming A17 A707’s IPS panel has a Full HD resolution, comfortable viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the ASUS TUF Gaming A17
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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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
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