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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Build Quality
    3. Hinge
    4. Portability
    5. Serviceability
    6. In The Box
  5. Display
    1. Screen Specs
    2. Refresh Rate
    3. Contrast
    4. Brightness
    5. Reflections
    6. Black Uniformity
    7. Horizontal Viewing Angle
    8. Vertical Viewing Angle
    9. Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
    10. Color Gamut
    11. Flicker
  6. Interface
    1. Keyboard
    2. Touchpad
    3. Speakers
    4. Webcam & Microphone
  7. Connectivity
    1. Ports
    2. Wireless Communication
  8. Configuration
    1. CPU
    2. GPU
    3. RAM
    4. Storage
  9. Performance
    1. Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
    2. Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
    3. Blender (3D Rendering)
    4. Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
    5. Storage Drive Performance
    6. Battery
    7. Borderlands 3
    8. Civilization VI
    9. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
    10. Counter-Strike 2
    11. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
    12. Thermals And Noise
    13. Performance Over Time
  10. Additional Features And Software
    1. Software
    2. Extra Features
  11. Comments

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) vs HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021)

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Dec 14, 2023 12:24 PM

SEE PRICE
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Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Dec 12, 2023 08:52 PM

SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Picture

Variants

  • MacBook Pro 16 (MK1H3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Max/10‑core CPU/32‑core GPU/32GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 16 (MK1F3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro chip/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 16 (MK1E3LL/A) (Silver - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
  • MacBook Pro 16 (MK1A3LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Max/10‑core CPU/32‑core GPU/32GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 16 (MK193LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/1TB)
  • MacBook Pro 16 (‎MK183LL/A) (Space Gray - M1 Pro/10‑core CPU/16‑core GPU/16GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (38K64UT) (Gray - ‎FHD/250 nits/i7-1185G7/Quadro T500/16GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (‎38G42UT) (Gray - ‎FHD/250 nits/i7-1185G7/Quadro T500/32GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (38K69UT) (Gray - ‎FHD/250 nits/i7-1185G7/Quadro T500/32GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (38K70UT) (Gray - 4K/i7-1185G7/Quadro T500/32GB/1TB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (38B50UT) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1165G7/16GB/512GB)
  • ‎ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (63Q80UT) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1165G7/16GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (63Q89UT) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1165G7/Quadro T500/16GB/512GB)
  • ‎ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (346W0UT) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1165G7/Quadro T500/16GB/512GB)
  • ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (63Q93UT ) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1185G7/Quadro T500/32GB/512GB)
  • ‎ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (63Q91UT) (Gray - FHD/250 nits/i7-1185G7/‎Quadro T500/16GB/512GB)

Our Verdict

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)

HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021)

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is much better than the HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021). The MacBook Pro is a more premium-feeling device with a sturdier build, and it provides a better user experience overall, with a larger and more responsive haptic touchpad, a better webcam, and longer battery life. The MacBook Pro's Mini LED display has better contrast and full DCI P3 coverage, making it more suitable for color work, while the HP laptop only has full sRGB coverage. If performance is the most important aspect, the MacBook Pro also comes out ahead as its M1 Pro and Max SoCs are significantly faster than the HP model's Intel 11th Gen CPU and NVIDIA Quadro T500 GPU.

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Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

8.6
7.7

Battery 
 

9.4
7.3

Touchpad 
 

9.7
8.2

Portability 
 

7.2
7.9

Webcam & Microphone 
 

9.1
6.6

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Style Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

9.5
8.5

Build Quality Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Build Quality Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

9.1
9.4

Hinge Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Hinge Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

135°
165°

Stability 
 

Good
Good

One Finger Lift 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Portability 
 

7.2
7.9

Dimensions Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Dimensions Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

16"
15.6"

Thickness 
 

0.7" (1.7 cm)
0.9" (2.2 cm)

Width 
 

14.0" (35.6 cm)
14.2" (36.1 cm)

Depth 
 

9.8" (24.8 cm)
9.2" (23.4 cm)

Volume 
 

91.6 in³ (1,500.9 cm³)
113.4 in³ (1,858.4 cm³)

Weight 
 

4.7 lbs (2.2 kg)
4.0 lbs (1.8 kg)

Charger Size 
 

13.3 in³ (218.3 cm³)
5.6 in³ (91.5 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

1.1 lbs (0.5 kg)
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

3.5
8.9

Internals Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Internals Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

6.0
8.5

RAM Slots 
 

0
2

Storage Slots 
 

0
2

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) In The Box Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Display Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

3456 x 2234
1920 x 1080

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:10
16:9

Pixel Density 
 

254 PPI
141 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

No
No

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

91%
85%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

8.7
5.9

Motion Blur  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Motion Blur
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

120 Hz
60 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

Apple ProMotion
No
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

10
7.4

Contrast Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Contrast Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

50,250 : 1
1,376 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness  
 

8.5
6.9

Maximum Brightness 
 

469 cd/m²
291 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

4 cd/m²
18 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

8.8
7.7

Reflections Photo Off  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Reflections Photo Off
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Reflections Photo Max
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Matte

Total Reflections 
 

1.91%
4.26%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.18%
2.26%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

1.73%
2%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

10
8.3

Black Uniformity Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

0.355%
0.793%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

6.9
6.4

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Left 
 

25°
24°

Color Washout From Right 
 

29°
23°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture

Color Shift From Left 
 

39°
39°

Color Shift From Right 
 

47°
41°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

28°
26°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

32°
26°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°
60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°
60°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

33°
21°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

38°
21°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

7.0
6.3

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Below 
 

26°
25°

Color Washout From Above 
 

31°
24°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture

Color Shift From Below 
 

38°
28°

Color Shift From Above 
 

45°
40°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

29°
25°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

34°
26°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°
45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

45°
45°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

28°
23°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

33°
24°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

9.9
6.5

White Balance Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) White Balance Screencap
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Color Screencap
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

1.46
2.65

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.22
2.34

Avg. Color dE 
 

1
4.91

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,709.7 K
6,594 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

9.5
4.2

Gamut SDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Gamut SDR
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

99.94%
66.06%

sRGB uv 
 

99.76%
55.06%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

88.91%
49.35%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

94.33%
47.45%

Gamut HDR  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Gamut HDR
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

99.73%
49.08%

DCI P3 uv 
 

99.09%
44.1%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

72.6%
35.21%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

73.59%
32.13%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Flicker Graph
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

No
Yes

Flicker Frequency 
 

> 1000Hz
No Flicker

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
0%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

8.0
8.2

Keyboard Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Keyboard Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

8.0
8.0

Numpad 
 

No
Yes

Backlighting 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Operating Force 
 

59 gf
74 gf

Actuation Force 
 

41 gf
36 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

0.78 mm
1.01 mm

Total Travel 
 

0.86 mm
1.62 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

9.7
8.2

Touchpad Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Touchpad Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

9.5
8.5

Size 
 

24.8 in² (160.0 cm²)
12.3 in² (79.2 cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Glass

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
2
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

8.4
9.1

Frequency Response Plot  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Max Volume 
 

76 dB SPL
83 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

4.9 dB
3.8 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

0.7
0.3

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

116 Hz
329 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

20 kHz
19 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

1.5 dB
0.4 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

9.1
6.6

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

9.5
6.0

Resolution 
 

1080p
720p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
Yes

Face Unlock 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

8.5
8.0

Ports Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Ports Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

0
2

USB-C Ports 
 

3
2

Thunderbolt 
 

Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 4

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

2.0
2.0

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

SD UHS 2
No

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Proprietary Port 
 

Apple MagSafe 3
No

Security Lock 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.0
5.2
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Apple
Intel

Model 
 

M1 Max
Core i7-1185G7

Core Count 
 

10
4

Thread Count 
 

10
8
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

Apple
NVIDIA

Model 
 

M1 Max
Quadro T500

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Dedicated

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
4 GB
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

32 GB
32 GB

Modules 
 

Unknown
1

Type 
 

LP-DDR5
DDR4

Speed 
 

6,400 MHz
3,200 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

512 GB
512 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

463 GB
381 GB

Drive 1 
 

Apple SSD AP512R
SK Hynix HFS512GDE9X073N

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.7
8.3

Geekbench Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Geekbench Image
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

1,784 points
1,501 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

12,733 points
4,757 points

GPU Compute 
 

68,226 points
32,213 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

9.6
7.9

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

1,535 points
1,259 points

Multi-Thread 
 

12,390 points
4,231 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

7.9
6.8

Blender Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Blender Image
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

4.1 min
10.1 min

GPU Render Time 
 

N/A
2.1 min

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
113 s
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

9.0
5.8

Basemark Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Basemark Image
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

80,945
22,652
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.5
9.3

Storage Performance Image  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Storage Performance Image
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

4,506.1 MB/s
1,281.3 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

4,846.1 MB/s
2,509.0 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

54.2 MB/s
77.5 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

57.5 MB/s
56.8 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

9.4
7.3

Capacity 
 

100 Wh
56 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

15.0 hrs
9.4 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

8.4 hrs
6.2 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

2.1 hrs
1.2 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.1 hrs
2.3 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

6.0
2.7

Borderlands 3 Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

48 fps
16 fps

1% Low 
 

30 fps
10 fps

0.1% Low 
 

16 fps
7 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

12 ms
36 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

43 ms
89 ms

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

58 fps
44 fps
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

6.8
5.2

Civilization VI Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

52 fps
34 fps

1% Low 
 

37 fps
20 fps

0.1% Low 
 

33 fps
18 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

8 ms
20 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

11 ms
27 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

97 fps
114 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

9.69 s
8.5 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

9.1
7.7

CS:GO graph  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) CS:GO graph
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

129 fps
89 fps

1% Low 
 

N/A
56 fps

0.1% Low 
 

N/A
36 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
7 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
17 ms

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

162 fps
139 fps
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

CS2 Graph  

Avg. FPS 
 

1% Low 
 

0.1% Low 
 

1% Low Delta 
 

0.1% Low Delta 
 

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

6.0
4.5

SOTTR Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. FPS 
 

93 fps
26 fps

1% Low 
 

25 fps
18 fps

0.1% Low 
 

11 fps
14 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

29 ms
16 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

77 ms
31 ms

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

134 fps
54 fps
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

7.7
7.3

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

25 °C (77 °F)
34 °C (93 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

45 °C (112 °F)
45 °C (114 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

43.4 dBA
45.0 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

9.8
4.8

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details on graph tool

Performance Over Time Image  

HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021) Performance Over Time Image

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

93 °C
65 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

1% loss
16% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

88 °C
70 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

0% loss
19% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

macOS
Windows 10

Additional Software 
 

None
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

RGB Illumination 
 

No
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
No

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Biometrics 
 

Fingerprint Sensor
Face Recognition and Fingerprint Sensor
Show Text 

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)

HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021)

Comments

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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) vs HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8 (2021): Main Discussion

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