The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very 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
6.6/10
7.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) to be good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
8.0/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
24.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very 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
8.4/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
24.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very 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
8.5/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
24.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,599
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $1,599 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) costs $1,700.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) 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."
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
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.
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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
48,640
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
93,495
Recommendations made
20,258
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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.
Jason Lew
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.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.