Head to head
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) vs MacBook Pro 14" (M4)
MacBook Pro 14" (M4) leads 6 to 4 on the 10 rankable specs and costs $700 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
Compare a different laptop
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299Dell XPS 13 (2024)$1,299Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699Dell XPS 14 (2024)$1,699Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849Framework Laptop 16$1,999MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,999Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499Swap
Compare a different laptop
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299Dell XPS 13 (2024)$1,299Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699Dell XPS 14 (2024)$1,699Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849Framework Laptop 16$1,999MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,999Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 4 to 6
Buy the MacBook Pro 14" (M4).
- Leads 6 of 10 rankable overall specs; ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 takes 4.
- Claimed battery life: Up to 24 hours video streaming / 16 hours… vs ~8–10 hours productivity
- Resolution: 3024 × 1964 vs 2560 × 1600
- It is also $700 cheaper.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · NoTrips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4) · No
- Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · No (soldered)Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4) · No (soldered unified memory)
- Clear:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · Windows 11 HomeTrips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4) · macOS Sequoia
- Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · 4.30 lbClear:MacBook Pro 14" (M4) · 3.4 lb
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Panel≠
ASUS
ROG Nebula OLED
Apple
Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (nano-texture optional)
Processor≠
ASUS
Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
Apple
Apple M4 (10-core CPU: 4 performance + 6 efficiency, 16-core Neural Engine)
Memory
ASUS
32GB LPDDR5x
Apple
16 GB unified memory
Claimed battery life
ASUS
~8–10 hours productivity
Apple
Up to 24 hours video streaming / 16 hours wireless web
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
ASUS: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Apple: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Display
6 differences| Size | 16.0 inches (wins this row: higher) | 14.2 inches |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | ROG Nebula OLED | Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (nano-texture optional) |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1600 (2.5K) | 3024 × 1964 (254 ppi) (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz (wins this row: higher) | 120 Hz (ProMotion) |
| BrightnessNot on the official sheet | 500 nits peak HDR | 1000 nits SDR, 1600 nits peak HDR (wins this row: higher) |
| Color | 100% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated | P3 wide color |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
Performance
leads 2-0| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | Apple M4 (10-core CPU: 4 performance + 6 efficiency, 16-core Neural Engine) |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (12GB GDDR6) | Integrated 10-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
| Memory | 32GB LPDDR5x (wins this row: higher) | 16 GB unified memory |
| RAM upgradable | No (soldered) | No (soldered unified memory) |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | 512 GB SSD |
| Storage upgradable | Yes (2× M.2 slots) (wins this row: has it) | No (soldered SSD) |
Build & input
leads 2-0| Weight | 4.30 lb (1.95 kg) | 3.4 lb (1.55 kg) (wins this row: lower) |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 16.4 mm | 15.5 mm (0.61 inches) (wins this row: lower) |
| Materials | CNC Aluminum unibody | 100% recycled aluminum unibody |
| Keyboard | RGB backlit stealth keyboard with 1.7mm travel | Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and full-height function row |
| Trackpad | Extra-large glass touchpad | Force Touch trackpad |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD IR with Windows Hello | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View |
| Speakers | 6-speaker system with dual force-canceling woofers | High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers and Spatial Audio |
Ports
leads 1-0| Thunderbolt / USB-C | 1× Thunderbolt 4 + 1× USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 | 3× Thunderbolt 4 ports (up to 40 Gb/s) |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1 FRL | 1× HDMI (up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz) |
| SD card | SD Express 7.0 | 1× SDXC card slot |
| MagSafe | No (Slim Power Jack) | Yes (MagSafe 3) (wins this row: has it) |
| Headphone jack | Yes (3.5 mm combo) | Yes (3.5 mm with high-impedance support) |
| Charger | 240W AC + 100W USB-C PD support | 70W USB-C Power Adapter |
Battery
leads 1-0| Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet | ~8–10 hours productivity | Up to 24 hours video streaming / 16 hours wireless web (wins this row: higher) |
|---|
Software
2 differences| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS Sequoia |
|---|---|---|
| Repairability | Medium (swappable SSDs and Wi-Fi card) | Low (integrated SoC design) |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)
Sleek aluminum gaming laptop with 2.5K 240Hz OLED ROG Nebula display and RTX 4080 GPU.
- Gorgeous 2.5K 240Hz OLED G-Sync screen
- Thin and rigid CNC aluminum chassis
- Exceptional gaming and creator GPU horsepower
What you give up
- Soldered memory cannot be upgraded
- High fan noise under maximum synthetic loads
Pick this one if
MacBook Pro 14" (M4)
14.2-inch MacBook Pro powered by Apple M4 chip, Liquid Retina XDR display, 16GB unified memory standard, and 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports.
- 16GB RAM standard base configuration at $1,599
- Class-leading battery life (up to 24 hours)
- Liquid Retina XDR 120Hz ProMotion display with 1,000 nits SDR brightness
What you give up
- Base M4 limited to 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports (Thunderbolt 5 requires M4 Pro/Max)
- No touchscreen support
Best for each use
Travel
For travel, buy the MacBook Pro 14" (M4).
Heavy work
For heavy work, buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16.
Longevity
Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets. Only storage upgradable is rankable here.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) ↗ · MacBook Pro 14" (M4) ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or the MacBook Pro 14" (M4)?
MacBook Pro 14" (M4) costs $700 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or MacBook Pro 14" (M4)?
Both has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Which is better for travel, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or the MacBook Pro 14" (M4)?
For travel, buy the MacBook Pro 14" (M4). Leads 4 of 4 rankable travel specs. Claimed battery life: Up to 24 hours video streaming / 16 hours… vs ~8–10 hours productivity
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 29 specs tracked here, 19 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.