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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is slightly more expensive than the MSI Cyborg 15 and offers a balance of portability and performance with a high-resolution display and a lightweight design. It excels in quiet operation and performance for general use with solid build quality. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 comes at a slightly lower cost and offers double the storage and a high-refresh-rate screen optimized for fast-motion activities like gaming, along with dedicated graphics and more ports for connectivity. However, it's heavier, which affects portability, and has a standard resolution display. 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 Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of efficient performance with its CPU, ample RAM for multitasking, high screen quality, and exceptional portability with its lightweight design and long battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go users who need reliable performance for everyday tasks. The MSI Cyborg 15, while also suitable for general use, leans towards users who require more robust performance due to its capable CPU and RAM, and while heavier, it still maintains reasonable battery life and a quality screen, making it a solid choice for those who can manage a bit less portability.
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.2
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
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 Cyborg 15 is 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.
Software Development
8.0
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.6
6.8
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, making text sharp and colors vivid for everyday tasks and ensuring precision for design work that demands wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. The MSI Cyborg 15's display, though fair for day-to-day activities and capable of handling some engineering and design requirements, lacks the color precision of the MacBook, making it less suitable for color-critical work. For 3D applications where smooth motion is key, neither laptop excels as they both lack high refresh rate screens, which can hinder the fluidity of fast-moving 3D visuals, making them suboptimal for gaming or intensive 3D modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good 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 Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$769
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $769 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-quality screen, which has a higher resolution and better color accuracy, along with the Apple M2 chip performance and its lightweight, fanless design being advantageous for portability and operating noise. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15 has a high-performance Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU good for demanding engineering tasks and better storage, but it's heavier and therefore less portable, with a lower screen resolution and color accuracy that may not be ideal for precise design work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 Cyborg 15 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$769 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-12650H | |
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 | 7.5 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 | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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 Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Cyborg 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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