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Updated January 10, 2024·
Given you are looking for advice on choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the MSI Raider GE77Hx, here's what you should consider. The MacBook Air is known for its lightweight design and long battery life, making it ideal for portability and everyday use like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. On the other hand, the MSI Raider is a high-performance laptop designed for gaming and resource-intensive tasks, with a stronger graphics card and higher overall power, but it is heavier and often has shorter battery life. If your primary use is general productivity and you value portability and battery life, the MacBook Air is the better choice. However, if you need a machine for gaming, 3D design, machine learning, or engineering software, and don't mind less portability and battery life, the MSI Raider will serve you better despite being more expensive. 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
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE77Hx
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
8.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is fair for 3D tasks because it uses an integrated GPU that is less powerful than dedicated GPUs found in gaming laptops, and it has a lower refresh rate screen, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and 3D thanks to its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a screen with a much higher refresh rate. Moreover, gaming capabilities are further limited on the MacBook Air as MacOS does not support many popular games that are available on Windows, which the MSI laptop uses.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.4
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE77Hx for software development, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air typically excels in screen resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general tasks and offering clear visuals, but it may not offer the high refresh rate needed for smooth 3D rendering, which is crucial for gaming or 3D applications. Both the MacBook Air and MSI Raider GE77Hx likely feature wide color gamuts, providing the color accuracy and range essential for engineering and design work, ensuring that the colors you see on the screen are close to real-life hues. However, the MSI Raider, while providing similar advantages for general use and design, may fall short for gaming if its refresh rate doesn't meet the standard required for high-end gaming experiences, which demand quick screen updates for fluid motion.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx has 5.5 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
Very Good
Poor
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $1,999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.0
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE77Hx to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a lightweight, highly portable design with strong battery life, good for people on the move; whereas the MSI Raider GE77Hx, while less portable, provides more power with better CPU and RAM, a larger screen, and is more suitable for demanding tasks like gaming, but has a shorter battery life. The MacBook Air's premium build quality and silent operation make it a sleek choice for everyday tasks, while the Raider's superior heat management and high refresh rate display cater to intensive use.
Content Creation
8.0
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1
7.9
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the MSI Raider GE77Hx compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | MSI Raider GE77Hx |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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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 Raider GE77Hx
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"The MSI Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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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