The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is less expensive and offers great value if your needs include everyday use, with good performance for tasks like browsing, office applications, and media consumption. It's lightweight and has a fanless design, which means it operates silently but might not handle heat as well during heavy tasks. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, while more costly, provides superior performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D applications, machine learning, and gaming with its more powerful processor and graphics. It also has a larger, higher-resolution OLED screen suitable for creatives needing color accuracy, but it's heavier and therefore less portable. The MacBook Air has longer battery life, is more portable, and runs MacOS, while the MSI has more storage, more memory, better connectivity options, runs Windows 11, and is newer. Consider your budget, the performance needs for your specific applications, the importance of screen quality, and the operating system preference when making your choice. 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 Prestige 16 AI Evo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is rated very good for general use largely because it is equipped with a powerful Intel processor, has a substantial amount of RAM for multitasking, and an OLED screen which delivers high resolution and color accuracy. While the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is also good for general use with its efficient M1 chip and high screen color accuracy, it offers less RAM, a lower resolution IPS screen, and although lighter in weight for better portability, it has marginally less battery life compared to the MSI. Both laptops have high-quality keyboards, but the MSI has better speaker quality and more storage out of the box, though both manage heat and operating noise very well.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, more powerful CPU, and dedicated GPU, which handle complex tasks and graphics-intensive workloads better than the Apple MacBook Air (2020). While the MacBook Air is appreciated for its silent operation and portability, the Prestige compensates for its slightly heavier build with a superior screen quality and overall better performance for demanding engineering software.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
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
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Air, with its high-resolution display and strong brightness, delivers a clear and vibrant visual experience suited for everyday tasks, while the IPS panel ensures wide viewing angles. For engineering and design, its color accuracy and coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 make it a reliable choice for color-critical work, even if it doesn't match dedicated professional monitors. However, for 3D applications and gaming, the MacBook's standard refresh rate limits the smoothness and responsiveness, a drawback compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates that cater to these demands.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo 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 16 AI Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,349.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo 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 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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
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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Laptops Expert
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.