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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop with premium performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Stealth GS66 is the stronger choice. However, it is heavier and has a significantly shorter battery life, making it less suitable for on-the-go use compared to the Apple MacBook Air. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, is more portable, offers longer battery life, and is generally less expensive. It is great for everyday tasks and can handle some mild engineering usage. Additionally, the MacBook Air operates silently with a fanless design, whereas the MSI will have more audible fan noise when under heavy load. 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 Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The MacBook Air (2020) has a less powerful integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it fair for 3D tasks and less ideal for gaming, especially since many popular games aren't available for MacOS. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66 features a high-end dedicated GPU with substantial gaming performance and a high screen refresh rate, which aligns with its good reputation for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.2
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 CPU and integrated M1 GPU offers solid performance for design with great portability and exceptional build quality, yet may fall short in handling more demanding engineering 3D simulations and rendering tasks compared to the MSI Stealth GS66 which houses a high-performance Intel i7 CPU and powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, making it very good for engineering applications, although it is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Screen Quality
7.5
8.1
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for software development, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a sharp, high-resolution display that offers vibrant colors and brightness suitable for general tasks and detailed engineering work, benefiting from its high coverage of color gamuts, which ensures accurate color reproduction for professional design applications. The MSI Stealth GS66 also provides a great visual experience for general use and engineering tasks, with an emphasis on color accuracy and resolution that appeals to designers and engineers looking for precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-moving visuals are common, neither laptop is ideal due to lower refresh rates, despite their satisfactory resolution and panel types for less demanding visual tasks.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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 Stealth GS66 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
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is praised for general use due to its efficient M1 CPU, sufficient RAM, high-quality IPS screen with excellent colors and brightness, and outstanding portability with its lightweight design and long battery life. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66 is also suitable for general use, offering a powerful Intel CPU, double the RAM of the MacBook, a quality IPS screen, excellent speakers, and a solid build, but it is less portable due to its heavier weight and significantly shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Stealth GS66 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
7.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Stealth GS66 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 Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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