The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers a mix of premium features suitable for intensive tasks, including a high-resolution Mini LED display and efficient in-house processors, ideal for engineering, 3D work, and general use, although it is more expensive and less suited for gaming due to the lack of hardware features commonly associated with gaming laptops. Conversely, the Gigabyte G5, at a more affordable price point, includes gaming-oriented hardware such as a higher refresh-rate screen and dedicated NVIDIA graphics, which excel in gaming, machine learning, and 3D rendering, but offers less battery life and lower display quality compared to the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is less portable, but it has a better build quality and longer battery life, making it suitable for long periods of use away from power sources. If budget and gaming are not primary concerns, the MacBook Pro is a solid choice; otherwise, consider the Gigabyte G5 for a budget-friendlier, gaming-capable alternative. 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
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 Gigabyte G5
The Gigabyte G5 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte G5 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte G5 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is superior for engineering and design due to its higher RAM, advanced CPU and GPU, and a superior high-resolution Mini LED screen that excels in color accuracy and brightness, which is crucial for detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte G5 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
8.9/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte G5 is only fair.
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
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16" typically features high-resolution displays, with bright and color-accurate screens that cover a wide range of color gamuts, making it ideal for engineering and design where precise color representation is key. However, it usually lacks the high refresh rate favored in 3D environments and gaming, which can limit the smoothness and responsiveness required in those applications. The Gigabyte G5, being a more budget-friendly option, has a more modest display that still offers decent resolution and brightness for general use but doesn't match the color fidelity and gamut necessary for professional engineering and design tasks; likewise, its screen refresh rate may not satisfy the demand for high-end 3D applications.
Battery
17.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte G5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$868
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the Gigabyte G5 costs $868.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Gigabyte G5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is equipped with an Apple M3 Pro GPU tailored for professional creative applications, including 3D modeling, and features a high screen refresh rate ideal for smooth visuals in creative work, but it's less suited for popular gaming titles that are incompatible with macOS.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Gigabyte G5 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 Gigabyte G5 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."
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Gigabyte G5
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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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.