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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is a good fit if you value a lightweight design and silent operation, along with a high-quality display and excellent build quality. It also offers long battery life ideal for work on the go. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 is a suitable option if you need more power for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, thanks to its superior processing and graphics capability. Additionally, the MSI has more RAM and storage out of the box but comes with a tradeoff in portability, weight, and shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. 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 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is suitable for general use due to its high-resolution screen, long battery life, and light weight, which makes it highly portable, while the MSI Pulse GL66 offers a larger capacity storage, more RAM, and a powerful dedicated graphics card, which is ideal for more demanding applications but is heavier and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The MacBook Air has an Apple GPU which is less powerful for gaming and 3D applications than the MSI Pulse GL66's Nvidia RTX 3070, and its screen refresh rate is lower at 60Hz compared to the MSI's 144Hz, making the latter better suited for high frame-rate gaming. Furthermore, many games are incompatible with macOS, limiting the MacBook's gaming potential, whereas the MSI runs Windows, which supports a vast gaming library, and includes features like hardware ray tracing and DLSS that enhance gaming and 3D performance.
Content Creation
8.0
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
8.1
7.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.8
6.8
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air features a high-resolution display with vibrant colors, making it excellent for general use and engineering tasks where color accuracy is crucial. However, its screen lacks a high refresh rate that is necessary for smooth visuals in 3D applications and gaming. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66's screen may not be as bright or color-accurate, which makes it less suitable for professional design work and less appealing for everyday tasks, and its lower refresh rate means it's not ideal for gaming where quick screen updates are essential.
Battery
15.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with its high-resolution screen and efficient M2 CPU is ideal for design work, offering great portability and silent operation, though with less memory and storage than the MSI Pulse GL66, which is better suited for engineering tasks that demand powerful multi-core processing and high-end graphics performance because of its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, at the expense of heavier weight and louder operation.
Cost
$1,299
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
MSI Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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