Gaming Laptop Vs Macbook Pro – Which One to Choose?
Are you confused between the battle of two – gaming laptop vs MacBook?
And not sure about which one you should go for, don’t worry! Together we will sort this out.
Well, there’s a lot of confusion between users about a gaming laptop and MacBook. Their minds remain unclear because they lack technical knowledge about laptops. No Offense! But yes, there are still sorts of people who exist that don’t know many technicalities of a computer and believe in what ads and reviews are promoting to sell.
Yes, it is true!
Leaving that part, people with good knowledge of laptops are still stuck in the middle of – “Whether MacBook will perform well or a gaming laptop?”
They have developed a state of mind that tends them to think again, and again, “gaming laptops are powerful enough, but Apple never lags in performance.” Another thought – “Gaming laptops are good for multitasking and high-end work, but MacBook makes most of the work easier.”
Right?
Well, those thoughts are nothing just the state of mind which a user develops by listening to others. Both gaming laptops and MacBooks are for different purposes. They are used by various users and according to their needs.
In simple words, if you have limited requirements, why will you waste your money on an expensive laptop. That works similarly in this case. Users with MacBooks might be businessmen or a video editor or any other professional who have specific requirements that Apple can fulfill, why would they go for a gaming laptop, point to note.
They don’t have to play games. Instead, those users are more focused on their professional work. People buy gadgets to simplify their daily life. And you have to understand the same.
So without juggling around the thoughts, let’s come to the fact and figures.
Contents
Gaming Laptop Vs MacBook Pro
‘Gaming Laptop,’ the name itself clarifies that it is solely designed for gaming purposes. A gaming laptop is more focused on GPU, CPU, and RAM side. The better GPU, CPU, and RAM are the best gaming experience it delivers.
Also See: Best Gaming Laptops under Rs 1 Lakh
On the other hand, Apple’s ‘MacBook’ is a performance laptop designed to offer top-notch performance to software engineers, programmers, and other users. A performance laptop is more focused on CPU and other components, but not on GPU.
The foremost difference!
“A gaming laptop can be considered as a performance laptop because of its high-end processor, but a performance laptop can never be seen as a gaming laptop.”
So, now you have understand the difference between the two, let’s start comparing them with their performance, GPU, battery life, display, and various other factors. It will help you to understand which one is best for your needs.
#1 Reason – Performance
Note: It depends upon the type of gaming laptop we use. As MacBook Pro is a high-end device of MacBook series, here we are considering a high-end gaming laptop with the same CPU power.
CPU
Both the laptops run on the high-end Intel Core i9 processor with lots of storage capacity and DDR4 RAM. Because of such high storage capacity and huge RAM, the performance of both laptops are top-notch and decent. There’s no difference between the CPU of both gaming laptops and MacBook.
Instead, there are some other factors such as clock speed and cooling system which affect the performance of any laptop.
Winner: Tie
GPU
Undoubtedly, the winner here is a gaming laptop because they are more focused on the GPU part. A high-end gaming laptop comprises of the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU with Intel UHD Graphics 630. Besides, with the GPU processor, the minimum graphic card memory of this high-end laptop is 6 GB, which delivers unmatched gaming experience.
But a performance laptop is less focused on GPU as they are not meant for gaming purposes. The MacBook pro holds the power of AMD Radeon Pro 560X GPU, which is good for gaming but not when compared to a gaming laptop.
Winner: Gaming Laptop
SSD
When it comes to SSD storage and its performance, no laptop can beat MacBook for its SSD storage capacity and performance. They tend to possess more SSD storage than gaming laptops.
Well, that’s not a matter of cause, as in gaming laptops also you can add extra SSD storage if compatible (based on different laptops), which will enable the computer to perform far better. But in terms of performance, Apple is still ahead of the league.
Winner: MacBook
#2 Reason – Number of Ports
MacBook Pro’s minimalistic design doesn’t wrap a plethora of ports. It seems like it is incredibly future-forward and contains only four Thunderbolt 3 ports and one headphone jack port. If you are looking to use an external mouse or hard disk drive, you have to spend in the dongles. MacBook doesn’t comprise of a high number of ports.
While a gaming laptop, on the other hand, packs several ports for different purposes. So, it makes easier for users to connect external devices without any amount to spend. Generally, a gaming laptop comprises of three USB 3.0 ports, one Thunderbolt 3 port, one headphone jack, HDMI 2.0, mini DisplayPort, and one graphics port.
So, if you are more dependable or convenient with the number of different ports, a gaming laptop is much preferred in this case.
Winner: Gaming Laptop
#3 Reason – Battery Life
You cannot expect a long-lasting battery life in gaming laptops as they consist of power-consuming hardware. On average, a standard gaming laptop lasts for up to 3-4 hours under consistent use. While the newer models are now expected to deliver more battery capacity with up to 5-7 hours constant use.
Besides, the MacBook offers long-lasting battery life by ensuring that power is consumed efficiently. Although macOS also has power craving hardware built up still the battery life of MacBook lasts longer than a gaming laptop.
Winner: MacBook
#4 Reason – Display
Apple has always been ahead in the field of Display to its competitors. MacBook Pro is highly recommendable for video editing, Adobe Photoshop, and other editing tools as its display gives brighter colors, contrast, and effects that will let you capture each small detail. Everything about the screen of MacBook is excellent, and it offers an immersive view and natural colors that will blow your mind.
While there are only particular gaming laptops that keep up to the MacBook’s level, for example, Dell XPS 15, Alienware Area m15, Lenovo Legion, Asus ROG Strix, Gigabyte Aero, MSI Optix, and few others that have the display which performs quite well. Further, these laptops are suitable for video editing, graphic designing, and content creation.
Winner: MacBook
#5 Reason – Gaming
This is a win-win situation for gaming laptops as what they are specially made for. There’s a reason why these laptops are called gaming laptops because they have been developed to meet all the requirements of actual gaming experience.
A gaming laptop will have a high screen refresh rate that MacBook doesn’t. Screen refresh rate means the number of times screen refreshes itself to avoid any distortion, tearing, or lag.
But a MacBook doesn’t have a high refreshing rate. Though MacBook comprises of a dedicated graphics card, it doesn’t mean that it delivers high gaming performance. Another reason is the cooling system of a laptop, which MacBook also lacks because of its sleek and minimalistic design.
If the cooling system is not right, the laptop will generate more heat, causing them to go through the thermal throttle, reducing the speed of the system. Besides, a gaming laptop is more optimized by its cooling system, which enable the computer to perform well and deliver outstanding gaming experience.
Remember, MacBook pro is good for performance but not gaming as its not built that way, but a gaming laptop will always deliver robust gaming performance. Gaming laptops possess those features which make them more potent toward the gaming domain.
Winner: Gaming Laptop
Also, check out this video that compares a gaming laptop (Razer Blade Stealth) and MacBook Pro, which will clear your mind on most aspects.
Comparison Table of Gaming Laptop Vs MacBook Pro
| Basis | Gaming Laptop | MacBook Pro |
| Performance | Great | Great |
| Ports | Number of Ports availability | Less number of ports |
| Battery Life | Not good when compared to MacBook Pro | long-lasting than a gaming laptop |
| Display | Good | Excellent |
| Gaming | Pro | Not for gaming |
| Durability (Life Capacity) | Less | More |
| Price | High | High |
| Best For | Gaming and high-end tasks | Video editing, content creation, and robust performance |
Top 5 Gaming Laptops in India
| Name | Processor | RAM | Graphic Card | Hard Disk | Buy Now |
|
9th Gen Core i9-9980HK | 16GB | 8GB NVIDIA 2080 | 1TB SSD | Check Price |
|
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB DDR4 | GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | 1TB PCIe Nvme SSD | Check Price |
|
Core i7-9750H | 16GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 [Max-Q] 4G GDDR5 | 512GB NVMe SSD | Check Price |
|
Intel Core i7-9750H | 16GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q | 512GB SSD | Check Price |
|
i7-8750H | 16GB DDR4 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Check Price |
The Final Takeaway
It’s hard to decide for people whether to buy a high-end gaming laptop or MacBook Pro. But in my opinion, it was never. Simply think about the requirements that you need from a computer.
Suppose you are indulged in a job and want to buy a laptop according to work profile and need. You will not go for a gaming laptop because your prime focus is on your job and not gaming.
On the other hand, MacBook Pro doesn’t allow many apps to run on macOS, limiting the scope for users. In that case, it’s a sure thing that MacBook is not suitable for you. However, MacBook wins the competition in many areas but still cannot be considered as an ideal laptop for every kind of user.
Each user has different needs and working styles, so according to your requirements, you should go for a particular laptop.
