When choosing between the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo, consider the following: If you prefer a laptop with higher storage capacity, more RAM for multitasking, and a slightly larger touchscreen that can be beneficial for creative tasks or presentations, the MSI is a good fit. However, the MacBook Air is notably lighter, offers longer battery life, and its operating system is optimized to work efficiently with its Apple M1 hardware, which generally translates to smooth performance in everyday tasks. The MacBook Air is quieter too, as it's fanless. Keep in mind that the MSI runs Windows and has more physical ports, which could be essential if connectivity to various peripherals is important for you. It also has a higher-resolution display, which is better for detailed work. If budget is a concern, the MacBook Air may save you some money, while still delivering reliable performance for general use. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
468.0 nits
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, and engineering and design.
The MacBook Air's display offers high resolution and bright, vibrant colors, making it excellent for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing but falls short for 3D due to its standard refresh rate. The MSI Summit's display, similar in resolution and brightness, also provides wide color gamuts, which ensure precise color representation crucial for engineering and design work; however, its refresh rate is not high enough to satisfy the demands of smooth 3D rendering or gaming. Refresh rate is critical for 3D applications as it determines how fluidly motion is displayed, hence why both laptops aren't ideal for 3D content despite their strengths in other areas.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo has 7 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has somewhat better 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 Summit E14 Flip 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
$1,563
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo costs $1,563.
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo 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.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), with its integrated graphics, can handle some 3D tasks but is limited by its lower screen refresh rate and the fact that many popular games are incompatible with macOS, making it less ideal for gaming compared to Windows-based laptops. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo is equipped with a discrete GPU which provides better performance for gaming and 3D applications, yet its refresh rate may still not match the higher standards desired by gamers for smooth visuals.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) stands out for design and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution IPS screen, efficient Apple M1 CPU and GPU, and top-tier keyboard and speaker quality, yet it lags behind in RAM and screen size compared to the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo, which offers a larger, higher resolution touchscreen display, more RAM, and a powerful Intel CPU and Iris Xe graphics, enhancing multitasking and visual tasks, but its portability and silent operation don't match the MacBook Air. While the MSI has better connectivity options and a 2-in-1 form factor for varied use, the MacBook Air offers a quieter, fanless experience and longer battery life, which might be more suitable for extended work sessions without needing power access.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo 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
7.7/10
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo 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 Summit E14 Flip 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 Summit E14 Flip convertible review: a legit alternative to HP, Dell or Lenovo. Instead of taking the 13-inch Summit E13 Flip and simply enlarging it for a 14-inch form factor, the Summit E14 Flip is the full chassis redesign we've been looking for. It loses some of the golden trims of its smaller sibling, but the gains in rigidity and build quality are arguably worth it especially from a professional standpoint where reliability takes priority. It doesn't quite feel as strong as the HP Spectre just yet, but it's certainly getting close."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the MSI Summit E14 Flip 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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