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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is a premium product with top-tier performance, especially suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D modeling, and machine learning, but it comes at a higher price. It offers a larger screen, extended battery life, and better build quality. However, it's heavier and may not be as portable as lighter models. The ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED is more affordable and has an OLED screen, which is great for vibrant colors. It's also more portable due to its lighter weight. Yet, it has less power for demanding tasks and shorter battery life, making it more fitting for general use and less intensive applications. Consider your primary activities, budget, and need for portability when making your choice. 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED
- Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.5
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
376.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in general use due to its powerful CPU, ample RAM, high-quality Mini LED screen, and long battery life, making it very reliable but less portable because of its size and weight. The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED, while also providing a good CPU and an OLED screen with excellent colors for general use, is more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight but falls short in battery life and has less RAM, which might limit its performance in more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.5
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.9
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.9
7.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED is 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
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED 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
8.6
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
376.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, offers a clear and vibrant viewing experience for general use and is excellent for engineering and design due to its wide color gamuts, rendering accurate colors critical for precision work. The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED delivers a similarly sharp and vivid display with good color accuracy for general tasks and creative work, but both laptops have screens with refresh rates that are not ideal for the smoothness required in high-end 3D applications and fast-paced gaming. Those intensely involved in 3D modeling and gaming may notice less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to displays optimized for those specific purposes.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has 6 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$825
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED costs $825.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) | ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $825 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 12.7'' x 8.9'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 3.44 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 12.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 8.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | Intel i5-13500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 18 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 70 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 487 nits | 376 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
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 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Zenbook 14X OLED
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | September 2023
"While one of the more budget-friendly configurations of the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED may make a compelling case as a top value pick, it’s difficult to be disappointed with the more expensive model we reviewed here. At its core, for all models, it’s a luxury-built laptop with extreme portability and a gorgeous OLED display. Our unit rocks with a snappy Core i9 processor for getting real work done, and the discrete GPU—even if it has a clear power ceiling—is a bonus for creative pros."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED
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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