The Apple MacBook Air is more portable, has a higher resolution display, and is generally less expensive, while the MSI Prestige 15 offers more storage, better performance for 3D and engineering tasks due to a dedicated graphics card, and a larger display. If lightweight and cost are priorities, and your tasks are general use, the MacBook Air stands out. However, if you work with more demanding applications and need a larger screen, the extra investment in the MSI Prestige 15 would be justifiable. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
The MSI Prestige 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air features a high-resolution Retina display with vibrant color accuracy, ensuring crisp text and images for general tasks and precise color representation crucial for engineering and design work, but the screen's standard refresh rate limits the fluidity necessary for immersive 3D experiences. The MSI Prestige 15 also offers a high-resolution display with excellent color coverage suitable for detailed design projects, and its brightness and contrast accommodate everyday use comfortably, though similarly to the MacBook, its refresh rate doesn't cater to the smooth visuals gamers and 3D professionals seek. Both laptops, while offering displays that are sharp and color-rich for productivity and creativity, lack the fast refresh rates that are particularly beneficial for gaming and creating or viewing 3D content.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 15 has 7.5 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
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) features the Apple M1 chip and 8 GB of RAM ensuring smooth performance for general tasks, a high-resolution screen with excellent color coverage for a great visual experience, and is incredibly portable with superior battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 steps up performance with an Intel i5 processor and 16 GB of RAM, better suited for more demanding applications, and offers twice the storage alongside a larger screen, but this comes at the cost of reduced battery life and slightly lower portability due to its increased size and weight.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has an integrated GPU that is fair for 3D work but less optimal for popular high-end games, many of which are not compatible with MacOS, while the MSI Prestige 15 has a dedicated Nvidia GPU making it suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, but its 60Hz screen refresh rate limits the smoothness for fast-paced gaming compared to higher refresh rate displays.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Prestige 15 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
7.7/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Prestige 15 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,044
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the MSI Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the MSI Prestige 15
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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