The Apple MacBook Air is more portable and has a lower price, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go tasks, with the added benefit of a silent, fanless design. However, the MSI Prestige offers significantly more storage and memory, which might be crucial for more demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. The Prestige also features a higher-resolution OLED display that could be better for creative work where color accuracy is key. Choose the MacBook Air for everyday use and portability, or the Prestige if you need more power and a better screen for intensive engineering and creative tasks. 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is appreciated for general use due to its solid performance with an Apple M2 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, excellent screen quality from its IPS display, and unmatched portability with exceptional battery life and a lightweight design.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is considered very good for engineering and design use because it offers a powerful Intel Core Ultra processor, a substantial amount of RAM and a dedicated graphics unit with Intel Arc technology, coupled with a high-resolution OLED screen, which provides exceptional screen quality and color accuracy. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air is considered good in this segment due to its efficient M2 chip that integrates CPU and GPU for performance, a sharp IPS display, but it falls slightly behind in graphical performance when compared to the MSI and has less RAM, making it less optimal for the most demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is 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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.4/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air's screen, with its high resolution and brightness, excels for general activities like browsing and video streaming, but its standard refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. The MSI Prestige has a high-resolution display that's bright enough for general use and boasts a wide color gamut, making it excellent for precision tasks required in engineering and design. However, its refresh rate, while sufficient for everyday tasks and professional design work, falls short for gaming and 3D applications where higher refresh rates can greatly enhance the visual experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 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 16 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
$1,349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,349.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Air, with its integrated Apple GPU, is less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs and offers a standard screen refresh rate, which limits its 3D performance; moreover, its MacOS restricts compatibility with many popular games. In contrast, the MSI Prestige features a dedicated Intel Arc GPU and similar screen refresh rate, leading to better gaming and 3D capabilities, enhanced by its compatibility with a larger array of games on Windows.
Software Development
8.0/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Prestige 16 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."
"The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Prestige 16 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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