When choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the Gigabyte Aero 17, consider that the MacBook Pro typically has a higher price but offers longer battery life, a brighter and more color-accurate screen, and is slightly lighter, enhancing its portability. It is powerful for general use and engineered tasks, but for intense 3D rendering and machine learning, the Aero 17—with its dedicated Nvidia graphics—is the superior choice. The Aero 17 also has a larger screen and a built-in number pad, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less suitable for frequent travelers. Determining your priority between portability, screen quality, and specific performance needs will be key in 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)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
8.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Gigabyte Aero 17 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) offers excellent screen quality with high brightness and color accuracy, a powerful CPU for handling demanding tasks, ample RAM for multitasking, and outstanding battery life, which enhances its portability. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 features a superior main processor and more storage, but its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable, despite its high-quality screen and capable hardware for various tasks.
Content Creation
8.9/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Gigabyte Aero 17 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
7.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 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
9.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 17 for general use, AI, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's display is renowned for its high resolution and exceptional brightness, which, along with its superior panel technology, offers crisp and vibrant visuals, making it ideal for general use and detailed engineering tasks that benefit from its wide color gamut coverage. The Gigabyte Aero 17, on the other hand, also offers a high-resolution, bright display with an extensive color gamut that caters to professionals in engineering and design, providing the accuracy needed for color-sensitive work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, neither of these laptops excel, as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for rendering smooth motion and providing a more immersive experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
17.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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.
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 Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 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
$2,071
$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 Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's GPU is less suited for gaming but handles 3D tasks well, and while its screen is vibrant, many games are incompatible with its MacOS. Conversely, the Gigabyte Aero 17 includes a powerful Nvidia GPU ideal for gaming and 3D endeavors, with high screen quality, and its Windows OS supports a broader range of games.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Gigabyte Aero 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) stands out in engineering and design with its efficient M3 Pro processor, ample RAM, and high-quality integrated GPU alongside a superior Mini LED screen that boasts impressive brightness and color accuracy.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the Gigabyte Aero 17 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."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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