If performance, especially for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks, is critical and you're willing to spend more, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) outperforms the HP Envy 17. However, the MacBook Pro is less portable due to its weight and larger size. The HP Envy 17, while more affordable and offering a larger screen, lacks the high-performance specs of the MacBook Pro, with lower capabilities in intensive tasks and lower screen resolution, but it has a touchscreen which the MacBook does not. Battery life is significantly better on the MacBook Pro, ensuring longer use between charges. If budget is a major consideration and you need a decent all-rounder with touch capabilities, the HP Envy 17 may be more appropriate. 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 HP Envy 17
The HP Envy 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in general use with a high-resolution Mini LED screen, powerful CPU and GPU combo, and long battery life, making it a top performer despite being less portable due to its weight and size; in contrast, the HP Envy 17 offers a larger but lower resolution screen, capable processing power for everyday tasks, and a good balance of features but falls short with a significantly shorter battery life and reduced portability.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.4/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Envy 17 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a higher refresh rate and a powerful GPU, which makes it better for 3D applications, while the HP Envy 17's hardware is less advanced, making it only fair for gaming and 3D tasks; also, it's important to note that many popular games do not run on macOS, which could limit the MacBook's gaming potential compared to the Windows-based HP.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) surpasses the HP Envy 17 with a more powerful CPU and GPU, higher RAM capacity, and a superior screen that boasts higher resolution and color accuracy, crucial for demanding engineering tasks and design work.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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) is very good for content creation, while the HP Envy 17 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
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 HP Envy 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
6.8/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP Envy 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 typically offers a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, ensuring crisp and vivid visuals for general activities and detailed work in engineering and design, where color accuracy is paramount. However, for 3D tasks which require high refresh rates for smooth rendering, the MacBook Pro's screen may lag behind specialized gaming laptops or those with screens designed for high-frame-rate content. In contrast, the HP Envy 17 provides suitable visual quality for both everyday and professional design use, but lacks the high refresh rate and optimized screen features demanded by gaming and dynamic 3D applications.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The HP Envy 17 has 8 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
Good
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and HP Envy 17 both have good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has somewhat better 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 HP Envy 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,000
$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 HP Envy 17 costs $1,000.
"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."
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the HP Envy 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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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