Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio depends on your priorities. The MacBook Pro is known for its silent, fanless operation and excellent display quality with a higher resolution, making it ideal for general use and multimedia. It also has a longer battery life, which is beneficial for on-the-go usage. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers a gaming-grade graphics card, a faster screen refresh rate, more storage, and additional ports, which could be important for 3D applications, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks. It has customizable keyboard lighting as well but is heavier, which may affect portability. Apple's MacOS may offer a more seamless experience if you're invested in the Apple ecosystem, while the MSI's Windows 11 may be more familiar to general PC users and required for certain 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a less powerful built-in GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, limiting performance in 3D and gaming tasks compared to the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, which sports a high-end Nvidia GPU and a much higher refresh rate suitable for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel Core i7 processor, double the RAM, and a high-performance Nvidia RTX GPU, which deliver superior computing and graphical capabilities required for demanding tasks.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.6/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Pro 13's high-resolution display and bright panel offer sharp text and vivid colors, making it excellent for general use and design tasks where color accuracy, like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, is crucial. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio also has a good display for general tasks and creative work, with decent color coverage, but its emphasis on portability might mean some trade-offs in ultimate screen clarity or color fidelity. However, for 3D work and gaming where high refresh rates are key, both laptops may not be ideal as they're built with a focus on resolution and color accuracy over the faster screen refresh capabilities preferred in this domain.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has 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
Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$1,433
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,433.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
"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."
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the MSI Stealth 14 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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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