The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is a premium choice ideal for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering work, featuring a powerful processor, advanced GPU for graphic-intensive tasks, and a large, high-resolution, Mini LED display. It's more expensive and heavier, making it less portable but provides exceptional performance and a longer battery life, specially designed for professionals who require top-notch screen quality, processing power, and battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is much more budget-friendly and lighter, making it more portable. However, it has less storage, lower RAM, a standard processor and GPU, and a lower-resolution IPS display, which suits basic tasks and general use but may struggle with intensive applications. Its battery life is shorter, but it's more manageable for everyday use or for those who prioritize cost and portability over high-end performance. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
6.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is exceptional for general use because it has a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, complemented by a sturdy build and good battery life; however, it is less portable due to its size and weight. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is rated fair owing to its adequate CPU, moderate RAM and storage, and decent IPS screen, but it excels in portability and has robust heat management despite its more modest battery life and build quality.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in 3D due to its powerful 18-core GPU and high screen refresh rate, which is beneficial for smooth visuals in rendering and animation tasks, but keep in mind popular games may not be compatible with its MacOS. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers fair gaming performance with its decent integrated GPU and standard refresh rate, making it a suitable option for less intensive games on its Windows platform.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
6.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) boasts a higher-performing CPU, more RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", making it better equipped for demanding engineering and design work; additionally, its Mini LED screen offers excellent quality with higher brightness and color accuracy for professional visuals.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
6.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and demanding engineering or design tasks that require precise colors across wide gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", with its fair resolution and decent brightness, provides an adequate screen for everyday tasks and entry-level design work, but its color coverage may not match professional standards. However, for activities like gaming or 3D modeling that benefit from fast screen updates, the MacBook Pro's screen falls short due to a lower refresh rate, while the IdeaPad also isn't suitable as it lacks both the high refresh rate and the powerful graphics processing typically required for those activities.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$490
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
"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 low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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 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.
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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.
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Laptops Expert
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