Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air and the MSI Prestige 14 comes down to your preferences and needs. The MacBook Air is known for its lightweight design and long battery life, making it ideal for people who prioritize portability and use their laptop for general tasks, like web browsing, writing, and media consumption. However, the MSI Prestige 14, while still portable, is built with more powerful components that are better suited for demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D design, and light gaming, but this can come at the cost of reduced battery life and a slight increase in weight. If you're predominantly using creative software or need extra performance, the MSI might be the better choice, but if you prefer something that's easier to carry around with a longer-lasting battery, the MacBook Air would suit you well. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo
Very good for general use
Very good for content creation
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.8/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
415.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Air's screen, with its high resolution and brightness paired with a wide color gamut, offers vivid images and sharp details, making it ideal for general use and engineering or design work, where accurate color representation matters. The MSI Prestige's screen, also with decent resolution and color accuracy, performs well for everyday tasks and professional design. However, for 3D work or gaming, both laptops lack the high refresh rates necessary for smooth motion rendering, which is a drawback for those specific activities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo has 8 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
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo costs $1,300.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of portability and performance with its lightweight design, efficient battery life, and high-quality screen, making it ideal for day-to-day tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo, with more powerful CPU and RAM, excels in multitasking and more demanding applications, also offering good screen quality and battery life, but its added performance comes with slightly less emphasis on portability.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its efficient integrated graphics, can handle some 3D workloads but may struggle with more complex tasks and isn't ideal for popular games that aren't compatible with macOS. The MSI Prestige 14, while not a dedicated gaming laptop, offers a discrete GPU that outperforms the MacBook Air's graphics, providing better gaming and 3D performance on a Windows platform where more game titles are available.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air is lauded for its high-quality CPU and screen, making it suitable for design tasks that require accurate color representation, and it has a reputation for a quiet operating noise and a comfortable keyboard. The MSI Prestige 14, with its dedicated GPU and substantial RAM, provides the necessary power for engineering software, and although slightly heavier, it still maintains a degree of portability beneficial for users on the go.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.0/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Prestige 14 AI 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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Prestige 14 AI 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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