If your priority is portability and longer battery life for everyday tasks, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its lightweight design and longer battery life is recommended. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider delivers greater performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D/machine learning tasks, and gaming, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is praised for its balance of performance with the efficient M1 chip and high screen quality, coupled with exceptional battery life and portability, making it a strong option for general use. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider, while offering higher RAM and a more powerful CPU and GPU for potentially better performance, is less portable due to its larger size and weight and has a shorter battery life, although it excels in screen resolution and refresh rate and has superior heat management, which may suit users with more intensive computing needs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
8.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior graphics performance with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti card and higher refresh rates, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 13's integrated Apple M1 GPU and standard refresh rates render it fair for 3D tasks and somewhat limited for popular games that aren't compatible with MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
9.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) in engineering and design due to its significantly more powerful Intel processor, higher RAM capacity, and superior Nvidia RTX GPU, which are crucial for demanding software often used in these fields; additionally, it offers a higher resolution and bigger screen for detailed work. However, the MacBook Pro offers greater portability and longer battery life, but sacrifices performance that may be required for the most intensive engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
7.8/10
8.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
7.6/10
8.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) delivers excellent screen clarity and color fidelity for general use and design work due to its high resolution, bright display, and strong coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, but it falls short for 3D applications as it has a standard refresh rate. On the other hand, while the MSI GE66 Raider also offers a clear, color-accurate display suitable for general tasks and professional design, its gaming and 3D performance are limited by a screen that, despite high resolution and good panel technology, doesn't provide the high refresh rates needed for smooth rendering in fast-paced scenes. Therefore, when it comes to screen quality, the MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is preferable for general use and creative work, while the GE66 Raider, without a high refresh rate, isn't ideal for gaming despite its favorable attributes for other tasks.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
Very Good
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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