If your priority is a laptop with higher performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, and you don't mind the added weight and cost, the MSI Summit E16 Flip is a strong choice with its dedicated graphics card and powerful processor. However, it has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air. On the other hand, the MacBook Air (2022) is more portable, fanless for silent operation, and less expensive, making it an excellent option for general use with good performance and a high-quality display. It excels for day-to-day tasks and lighter workloads while offering longer usage between charges. 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
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the MSI Summit E16 Flip for software development, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air offers excellent resolution and brightness with a high-quality panel that ensures sharp images and vibrant colors, ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work due to its wide color gamut coverage. The MSI Summit E16 Flip matches in screen resolution and panel quality, providing a similar experience for general and design purposes with accurate color representation. However, for 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial, both the MacBook Air and MSI Summit E16 Flip fall short, as their displays are not designed with gaming or high-frame-rate 3D rendering in mind.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
Good
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,413
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,413.
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-regarded for general use due to its efficient Apple M2 CPU, sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, high-quality display, and superior portability with long battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip, also good for general use, offers a more powerful Intel CPU, double the RAM for multitasking, a high-quality touchscreen display that's larger and can be used as a tablet, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. Both laptops have excellent screen quality, keyboards, and speakers, with the MacBook Air standing out for its silent operation and the Summit E16 Flip for its additional storage and advanced heat management features.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is restricted by its M2 integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, leading to fair 3D performance. In contrast, the MSI Summit E16 Flip boasts a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate, enhancing its capabilities for gaming and 3D tasks, not to mention the wider availability of games on Windows compared to macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its Apple M2 processor and integrated GPU is suitable for engineering and design, offering a balance of performance and portability with its lightweight design and high-quality screen. The MSI Summit E16 Flip, on the other hand, packs more power with an Intel i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, features a larger and high-refresh-rate screen suitable for more demanding tasks, and includes a touchscreen for versatile design work, albeit with a tradeoff on portability due to increased weight.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and MSI Summit E16 Flip 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.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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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