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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MacBook Air is more portable, has better build quality, and its screen displays more colors accurately, making it suitable for general use and those who value a lightweight design with a high-quality display. It also operates silently without a fan. Alternatively, the MSI Bravo 15 offers a more powerful graphics card, higher storage capacity, and better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It is also compatible with gaming due to hardware ray tracing and higher screen refresh rates, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which reduces its portability. 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 (2022)
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Bravo 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.1
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Bravo 15 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air is preferred for general use due to its excellent portability and battery life, superior screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, and silent, fanless operation; whereas the MSI Bravo 15, although it has a larger screen and more storage, tends to be less portable due to its weight, has a shorter battery life, and offers lower screen color accuracy and quality, but it does have a more gaming-oriented GPU and a higher refresh-rate screen which are not as crucial for general use purposes.
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.2
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Bravo 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The MSI Bravo 15, with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card capable of hardware ray tracing and higher screen refresh rate, offers better performance for gaming and 3D tasks; whereas, the Apple MacBook Air, despite having a higher screen resolution and color accuracy, falls short for gaming due to its less powerful integrated GPU and many popular games not running on its MacOS operating system.
Content Creation
7.9
7.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Bravo 15 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
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
8.0
6.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the MSI Bravo 15 is only fair.
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
7.6
6.9
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Bravo 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air features a high-resolution display with impressive brightness and panel technology that delivers sharp visuals and vibrant colors, making it ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work due to its coverage of wide color gamuts. The MSI Bravo 15's display, while decent for general use, may lack some of the color accuracy and vibrancy needed for precise engineering and design tasks. However, both laptops have displays with lower refresh rates, which means they are less suited for 3D applications where smoother motion and quicker screen updates are critical.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Bravo 15 has 6 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
Excellent
Fair
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
6.7
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Bravo 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution screen and powerful integrated Apple M2 GPU that supports complex visual tasks, plus its lightweight design and silent operation enhance portability and comfort.
Cost
$839
$862
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the MSI Bravo 15 costs $862.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Bravo 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | MSI Bravo 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$839 | $862 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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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 Bravo 15
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Nikolay Palaozov | July 2023
"Overall, the MSI Bravo 15 C7U is a great gaming device for the masses that isn’t too pricey. The capable hardware (for the price range), the 144Hz display, and the comfortable keyboard are one of the things that should attract buyers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a new gaming laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Bravo 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.
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