If you prioritize affordability and portability, choose the Apple MacBook Air; it's lighter, typically less costly, and offers strong performance for general use and everyday tasks. For those needing to handle more demanding activities like 3D work, machine learning, gaming, or engineering software, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, while pricier and heavier, delivers higher performance suited to these intensive tasks, along with a larger screen but shorter battery life. Your choice should align with your most frequent activities and whether you value mobility or high-end performance for specialized applications. 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers solid performance for everyday tasks with a high-quality screen and exceptional battery life, making it ideal for users who value portability and longevity on a single charge. The MSI Stealth, while also providing a premium screen and excellent day-to-day performance due to higher RAM and CPU capabilities, leans towards users who prioritize raw power and enhanced features for high-end tasks, albeit with increased weight and typically shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth and detailed visuals. On the other hand, the MacBook Air, with its less powerful GPU and standard refresh rate screen, isn't as equipped for demanding games, many of which aren't even compatible with macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
9.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of portability and performance with high-quality screen and keyboard, but for demanding engineering and design tasks, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its superior CPU, RAM, and GPU, handles heavier workloads more efficiently, even if it sacrifices some portability and operates with more noise. The MSI also provides a better screen for detailed work, though both laptops have quality speakers and keyboards for a comfortable user experience.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
18.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Air excels in general use and design due to its high-resolution Retina display that offers excellent brightness and color accuracy, covering a wide range of the color spectrum which is crucial for precision work in design and engineering. The MSI Stealth provides great visuals for similar reasons, with a display that also covers ample color gamuts essential for professional design tasks. However, for 3D uses where a high refresh rate is pivotal to an optimal experience, both the MacBook Air and MSI Stealth may fall short, as they prioritize resolution and color quality over the faster refresh rates preferred in gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
18.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.