If you require high performance, especially for engineering tasks, the Apple MacBook Pro 16's more powerful processor and graphic capabilities make it a superior option, but it is significantly more expensive and heavier, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 offers a high-quality touchscreen, is lighter, and comes at a lower cost, making it excellent for general use and portability, but it may not handle intensive 3D, machine learning, or gaming as effectively. The MacBook also has a higher battery life, which might be important if you often work away from power outlets. Both laptops have no available RAM or storage slots, indicating future upgrades aren't an option. 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 engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
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 Slim Pro 7 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
8.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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 a powerful CPU, substantial RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, making it a strong choice for general use, and its long battery life coupled with a solid build enhances its appeal despite being less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14, while slightly less performant, boasts good portability, a touch-enabled, quality IPS display, and robust speakers, providing a well-rounded package for everyday tasks with the added benefit of a discrete GPU for occasional graphics-intensive applications.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.7/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
8.9/10
7.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in engineering and design use due to its superior CPU, GPU, larger RAM, and higher-quality Mini LED screen, which results in best-in-class performance and visual clarity that is especially beneficial for demanding tasks. On the other hand, although the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 also offers a commendable combination of CPU, GPU, and screen quality for engineering and design use, it has less RAM and an IPS screen, making it slightly less capable for the most intensive workloads, yet more portable and budget-friendly compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
8.9/10
8.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 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
7.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.5in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's display stands out for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, exceptional brightness, and wide color coverage, offering vivid and accurate colors crucial for detailed design work. Conversely, its screen lacks a high refresh rate, making it less ideal for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 excels with a quality display for everyday tasks and accurate color reproduction for professional design, yet falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-specific laptops.
Battery
17.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
14.5in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 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
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,200
$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 Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 costs $1,200.
"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 Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat for the price."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 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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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.
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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
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.