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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is slightly less expensive and more portable with longer battery life, making it great for on-the-go usage and general tasks. Its high-resolution screen and color accuracy benefit creative work. By contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 has more storage, a larger screen, and a dedicated GPU that improves performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. It's also better for gaming due to enhanced graphics capabilities, but it is heavier and less convenient to carry around. 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 Prestige 15
- The MSI Prestige 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
Software Development
8.0
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the MSI Prestige 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
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air has a high-resolution display with vivid colors and excellent brightness, making it suitable for general use and engineering tasks where color accuracy is important, but its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications which benefit from higher refresh rates. The MSI Prestige 15, on the other hand, provides good resolution and satisfactory brightness for everyday tasks and design work, while its color reproduction is typically less accurate than the MacBook Air. However, like the MacBook Air, it lacks a high refresh rate display, making it less ideal for 3D environments where smooth motion is crucial.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 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
3.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$1,044
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is favored for general use due to its excellent portability, best-in-class keyboard, and a highly capable Apple M2 processor combined with good screen quality and long battery life in a silent, fanless design. Meanwhile, the MSI Prestige 15 offers a larger screen and better performance with more RAM and a dedicated Nvidia GPU at the cost of reduced portability and shorter battery life, which is suitable for more demanding general use tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.3
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Prestige 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air with its integrated Apple M2 GPU is efficient for 3D tasks but may underperform compared to dedicated gaming GPUs and lacks compatibility with many popular games due to MacOS. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 sports a dedicated Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU and runs on Windows, effectively supporting a broader range of games and providing better gaming performance, albeit still mid-tier compared to high-end gaming laptops. Both laptops have comparable screen refresh rates which are not ideally suited for high-frame-rate gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is preferred for its higher screen quality and silent operation, which are critical for design work, and it has a decent CPU and integrated GPU suitable for some engineering applications; however, it has less RAM than the MSI Prestige 15, which, with its dedicated GPU and more RAM, offers better performance for engineering tasks that require more computing power, though at the cost of higher operating noise and less portability.
Content Creation
7.9
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Prestige 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 Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 82 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
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 Prestige 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Prestige 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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