The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is a more expensive option that offers a high-quality display, better build quality, and silent operation due to its fanless design. It is suitable for general use, engineering tasks, and runs on MacOS, which might be preferable if you're accustomed to the Apple ecosystem. However, it has less storage and lower portability compared to the MSI Modern 14. The MSI Modern 14, on the other hand, provides more storage and RAM at a budget-friendly price, runs on Windows, and is slightly more portable. It's a decent choice for general use and some light engineering tasks, but not ideal for intensive gaming or extensive 3D rendering and machine learning workloads. Choose the MacBook Pro if you need a high-performing machine for a variety of demanding tasks and prefer MacOS, or opt for the MSI Modern 14 if you're looking for a more affordable laptop for everyday use and moderate work tasks on Windows. 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 (2022)
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
The MSI Modern 14 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is somewhat better.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
6.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is often preferred for engineering and design due to its superior screen quality, including higher resolution and color accuracy, and the powerful integrated GPU in its M2 chip which handles such tasks effectively, whereas the MSI Modern 14 has more RAM, which can be beneficial for multitasking, but its lower screen color coverage and less powerful integrated GPU make it less ideal for these particular uses.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is somewhat better.
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
6.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13's screen boasts higher resolution and brightness, ensuring crisp, clear visuals that enhance everyday tasks and detailed design work; its wide color coverage caters well to professional engineering and design applications where color accuracy is critical. The MSI Modern 14, while offering a decent display for general tasks and design work, falls short on the higher color fidelity and max brightness that the MacBook Pro provides, making it less ideal for color-critical tasks. When it comes to 3D work, the MacBook Pro's screen is not optimized for high refresh rates required for smooth renderings, whereas the MSI also falls short on this aspect, making neither optimal for high-frame-rate 3D applications.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022), with its integrated M2 GPU, provides decent 3D performance, but lacks widely-used gaming compatibility due to MacOS restrictions, despite a high-quality screen. The MSI Modern 14 leads with an AMD GPU supporting more games on its Windows platform, yet both the MacBook Pro and Modern 14 have standard screen refresh rates, implying neither are optimized for high-end gaming where higher refresh rates are crucial.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and MSI Modern 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the MSI Modern 14 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."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the MSI Modern 14
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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Laptops evaluated
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22,338
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.