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Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (2024)
High-end Windows 2-in-1 laptop
The Yoga Pro 9i is a high-end machine with a powerful 13-gen Intel Core Ultra CPU, a 165Hz miniLED display, and an Nvidia RTX 40-series GPU. Its 2-in-1 convertible flexibility allows it to function equally well for creative work and top-tier gaming performance.
Pros- Powerful 13th-gen Intel Core Ultra CPU
- High refresh rate miniLED display
- Convertible 2-in-1 form factor
Cons- Limited port selection
- Soldered memory
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Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3, 2023)
Premium iOS notebook
$2299 $2500 Save $201
The M3 MacBook Pro 16 is one of the best laptops on the market thanks to its high-end Apple silicon, fantastic Liquid Retina XDR display, and massive battery life. It is the laptop to beat for any manufacturer trying to stake a claim in the creator space.
Pros- High-performance M3 CPU
- Bright Liquid Retina XDR display
- Incredible battery life
Cons- Limited port selection
- High price tag
- Soldered memory
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i and the M3 MacBook Pro 16 are two of the best premium creator notebooks for their respective OSes. As such, fans have instigated a bit of a running rivalry between these two brands. And in this case, the winner cannot simply be decided based on market share.
Instead, we’re keeping score by comparing Lenovo’s latest release with the standing champion of the laptop creator space: the M3 MacBook Pro 16. In this article, we will break down which of these radically different laptops stands above the other in terms of design, display, performance, and battery life before declaring a final winner — if there even is one. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Best creator laptops in 2024
These are some of the best creator laptops that you should buy if you want a notebook that is capable of handling heavy workloads.
Price, availability, and specs
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Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (2024) Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3, 2023) Operating System Windows 11 macOS Sonoma CPU Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 (H series) Up to M3 Max chip GPU Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Up to 40-core GPU RAM Up to 64GB LPDDR5X Up to128GB unified memory Storage Up to 1TB PCIe M.2 Up to 8TB SSD Battery 84WHr 100WHr Display (Size, Resolution) 16-inch (3.2K IPS LCD, 165Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision HDR, 400 nits; 3.2K Mini LED, 165Hz, 1200 nits, Dolby Vision HDR) 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3456×2234, 120Hz refresh rate, 1600 nits XDR, 600 nits SDR, Wide color (P3), True Tone technology) Camera 5MP (IR camera + ToF camera) 1080p FaceTime HD camera Speakers Six speakers, Dolby Atmos Six-speaker system Colors Tidal teal, Luna grey Space Black, Space Gray Ports 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A (3.2 Gen1), 1x headphone, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DC-in, 1x SD card reader USB-C (X4), HDMI, micro-SD, headphone jack, MagSafe Dimensions 14.3×9.98x 0.7 inches (362x253x17.9 mm) 14.01 x9.77×0.66 inches Weight 4.82 pounds (2.18 kg) 4.8 pounds (2.2kg)
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (2024): Everything you need to know
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is one of Lenovo’s best laptops for creativity, featuring Intel Core Ultra CPUs and plenty of AI features
MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) review: Apple’s just flexing
The 10-month old M2 Max MacBook Pro is still more powerful than 99% of laptops out there, then Apple released an upgrade with more graphical prowess
As you can see from the specs of these two laptops, there are many key differences to cover in this laptop comparison. However, for the sake of context, it is important to first go over the price and availability of these two laptops.
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is the newer of these two laptops by a few months. In fact, it’s not even out yet. This laptop is slated for an April release with a starting MSRP of $1699. This laptop will have two GPU options and three display options, but it has not yet been revealed what difference these customization options will have to the final price.
As for the MacBook Pro 16, the latest release at the time of the Yoga Pro 9i is the version that uses Apple’s M3 SoC. This line of laptops was released on November 7, 2023, and comes with four different base configurations, with the base model starting at $2,499. Because this laptop has been out a bit longer, it is slightly easier to find at a discounted price (but it won’t be discounted by much).
Design
2-in-1 convenience trumps aerospace-grade elegance
While neither the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i nor the MacBook Pro 16 are the most portable laptops from their respective manufacturers, they are both surprisingly compact and lightweight given the performance they offer. But, while we recognize the top-tier design of both laptops, the Yoga Pro 9i takes the cake in this category because of its touchscreen display and 2-in-1 form factor.
The Yoga Pro 9i’s ability to convert into a tablet form factor makes it equally useful for productivity and creativity. Its flexibility is its namesake and one of the main reasons so many people love this line of laptops. Regarding esthetics, this laptop recycles the same comfort-edged design and elegant Lunar Grey or Cosmic Blue colorways from the last generation of notebooks. The one new addition in this category is the new Copilot button on the keyboard, which helps you quickly access Bing chat, summarize webpages, ask questions, and change PC settings. The Yoga Pro 9i has a slightly smaller and lighter chassis than the M3 MacBook Pro 16 too. But these differences are minor, so the M3 MacBook Pro 16 is still a sleek and portable laptop in its own respect.
Despite being slightly bulkier than the Yoga Pro 9i and lacking 2-in-1 flexibility, the M3 MacBook Pro 16 is still a brilliantly well-designed notebook. After all, design is kind of Apple’s whole schtick. Apple laptops consistently deliver some of the industry’s best trackpads, keyboards, and speakers, and the M3 MacBook Pro 16 is no exception. Its aluminum frame feels durable and looks great in Apple’s classic Space Black or Space Gray colorways. If you’ve owned a MacBook before, then you already know what to expect in terms of material quality.
Display
Gamers will favor Lenovo while media enthusiasts will favor Apple
MacBook Pro M3 16’s display is similar to that in the 14-inch model
This category is challenging to declare a winner for since the M3 MacBook Pro and the Yoga Pro 9i both offer above-average resolution, contrast, and color accuracy. Ultimately, the better choice for you will likely come down to whether you value the higher max brightness of Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR display or the higher refresh rate of Lenovo’s PureSight Pro display.
The 16.2-inch display on the M3 MacBook Pro is absolutely beautiful with its high 3456×2234 resolution, Wide color (P3) support, and True Tone technology. This IPS panel is almost perfectly color-accurate right out of the box, making it ideal for creative work. And its high maximum brightness of 1600 nits in XDR mode and 600 nits in SDR mode makes watching media all the more fun. But the max 120Hz adaptive refresh rate isn’t as impressive as the Yoga Pro 9i’s max 165Hz refresh rate.
A little difference goes a long way in the refresh rate department, which is why the Yoga Pro 9i’s display is marginally better for gaming. At the same time, HDR and SDR media won’t look as bright and lively on the PureSight Pro display since it only has a maximum brightness of 400 nits. This said, we’re ultimately splitting hairs here. This miniLED panel is still downright gorgeous with its 3.2K (3200×2000) resolution. And with 100% P3 support, it is just as accurate in color recreation. You really can’t go wrong with either device.
Performance
Both notebooks can do it all
MacBook Pro M3 16
Because the Yoga Pro 9i and the MacBook Pro 16 (M3) each have different tiers of performance, it is a bit complicated to declare one outright winner in this category. So here’s the skinny of it: Apple’s M3 chip family outperforms Intel’s Core Ultra H Series chips pound-for-pound, but the Yoga Pro 9i offers better 3D rendering capabilities with its inclusion of an Nvidia RTX 40-series GPU. In other words, both are great options.
Apple’s M3 line has proven to be one of the most advanced SoCs in the industry with its 3nm architecture and powerful integrated GPUs and NPUs. The top-of-the-line 16-core M3 Max had some fairly impressive benchmarks in our hands-on review. We were able to play AAA game titles like Shadows of the Tomb Raider and NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition with remarkable results. The baseline 12-core M3 Pro chip can still run older and less demanding game titles like Resident Evil Village, Lies of P, and Death Stranding. With impressive single-core and multi-core results, the M3 MacBook Pro 16 delivers high-performance computing for any needs.
The Yoga Pro 9i is no slouch in the performance department either. It ships with an Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 H Series, which means it should perform very comparably to the M3 MacBook Pros in most tasks. These Core Ultra chips may not deliver quite the same outrageous benchmarks as the M3 chips, but they crush common productivity tasks without problems and stand up against even the heaviest multitasking. The addition of up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 Laptop GPU also means that you’ll be able to play some pretty fresh AAA game titles while maintaining a great FPS. The RTX 4070 Laptop GPU holds its own running games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Cyberpunk 2077. The more budget-friendly RTX 4050 Laptop GPU version can run these titles, too, even though it might not run them at 60 FPS. Considering the price difference between these two laptop lines, we’re still more than happy with the Yoga Pro 9i’s performance.
Battery
The MacBook Pro 16’s battery remains unmatched
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i laptop at CES 2024
This category needs to be prefaced with a disclaimer. Since we haven’t had the chance to go hands-on with the Yoga Pro 9i yet, this section is entirely based on speculation. However, based on the numbers alone, it is highly unlikely that the Yoga Pro 9i could outperform the M3 MacBook Pro 16’s massive battery.
According to tests performed by Apple, the M3 MacBook Pro 16 has a massive 100WHr battery life. In our hands-on testing, we got around 17 hours of runtime performing basic productivity tasks like browsing the web and using a word processor. We also determined that this laptop could run Final Cut Pro for at least four hours.
Given that the Yoga Pro 9i only has an 84WHr battery, there are very few scenarios where it could outperform the M3 MacBook Pro 16. We will update this comparison once we’ve had a chance to confirm the difference for ourselves, but in the meantime, Apple wins by the numbers.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (2024) vs MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023): Which is right for you?
Given that neither the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i nor the M3 Apple MacBook Pro 16 cleanly swept all four categories, it’s hard to declare an outright winner in this laptop comparison. Rather, the best option for you largely depends on your personal preference. But because the M3 MacBook Pro 16 offers the best feature set for creators, we’re calling it our Editor’s Choice.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3, 2023)
Editor’s choice
$2299 $2500 Save $201
The M3 MacBook Pro 16 is hands down one of the most powerful creator laptops on the market. Its insanely powerful SoC line can handle anything you throw at it, and its battery life is unmatched. We love how the ultrabright Liquid Retina XDR display brings a picture to life, especially if it is in HDR. This notebook should be the de facto choice for those already integrated into the Apple ecosystem.
Although it’s not the most powerful creator laptop on the block, there are plenty of reasons to go with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i over the M3 MacBook Pro 16. This laptop offers a much better price value than its Apple counterpart, and its OS, Windows 11, has much better software compatibility than macOS Sonoma.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (2024)
Runner-up
The Yoga Pro 9i is a powerful creative machine that is equal parts laptop and tablet thanks to its 2-in-1 form factor. Its PureSight Pro display looks great whether you’re using it to draw up schematics in FluidMath or running some games with this laptop’s Nvidia RTX 40-series GPU.
