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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is significantly less expensive and more portable due to its lightweight design and longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and tasks that don't require heavy computing power. In contrast, the MSI Creator Z16P costs more but offers superior performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and even gaming thanks to its high-powered processor and advanced graphics card; additionally, it has a touchscreen and a larger screen size for enhanced productivity and creativity. 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 Air (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.6
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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
7.3
8.3
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The MSI Creator Z16P is deemed very good for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM, and high-end Nvidia RTX GPU, all of which are crucial for such demanding tasks. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air (2020), while offering good screen quality and silent operation, is equipped with less capable Apple M1 CPU and integrated GPU, limiting its performance for intensive engineering and design work.
Screen Quality
7.5
8.3
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MacBook Air's screen, with its high resolution and brightness, offers a sharp and vibrant display that meets general use demands adequately; however, for engineering and design tasks, it shines with its wide color gamut coverage, though it falls short for 3D work due to a lower refresh rate. The MSI Creator Z16P, with its superior screen resolution and brightness, provides excellent clarity and viewing experience for both general use and detailed engineering tasks with its comprehensive color gamut, making it well-suited for professional design work; yet, it underperforms for gaming and 3D purposes because it also lacks a high refresh rate that's crucial for smooth motion. These characteristics define their suitability for different activities – the MacBook Air is balanced for general use and design, while the MSI Creator Z16P excels in the same areas but isn't ideal for high-refresh-rate-dependent activities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 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
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for content creation.
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
7.7
7.6
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
MSI Creator Z16P
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the MSI Creator Z16P
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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About the laptop team
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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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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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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.
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