Since price is a significant factor, the Apple MacBook Pro is a premium option offering high processing power and a robust build, making it well-suited for professional creative work, intensive engineering tasks, and general use. The tradeoff is the higher cost and a slightly less emphasis on gaming. In contrast, the MSI Bravo 15 offers good performance at a lower price point, with a focus on gaming due to its dedicated graphics card. However, it may not match the MacBook's build quality or battery life, and it's typically bulkier, which affects portability. Consider the primary use—whether for demanding professional applications or gaming—and how much you value build quality and battery life against cost savings. 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 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent 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 Bravo 15
The MSI Bravo 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI Bravo 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) surpasses the MSI Bravo 15 in general use due to its significantly better screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, longer battery life, and greater portability, alongside a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, which translate to smoother multitasking and overall performance.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Bravo 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is better for engineering and design due to its stronger CPU and GPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality, offering a Mini LED display with higher resolution and color accuracy, critical for tasks demanding precision and visual clarity. In contrast, the MSI Bravo 15, while capable, is limited by its lower RAM, less powerful processor, standard IPS screen, and lower color coverage, translating to less proficiency in resource-intensive engineering and design applications. However, MSI's model is slightly more customizable with available RAM and storage slots, and the added option of a number pad could benefit users frequently engaged in numerical inputs.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Bravo 15 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
8.4/10
6.8/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI Bravo 15 is only fair.
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
9.2/10
6.9/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the MSI Bravo 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 shines in general use and engineering applications due to its high-resolution display, which offers vibrant colors and excellent brightness, enhancing detail and readability, while also covering a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction for design work. However, for 3D applications, its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops means it doesn't display fast-moving images as smoothly, which can be a drawback for gaming or animation. The MSI Bravo 15, on the other hand, has a decent screen for general tasks and enough color accuracy for some design work, but its refresh rate and screen quality aren't optimal for gaming or high-end 3D purposes.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Bravo 15 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
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$862
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Bravo 15 costs $862.
The MSI Bravo 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 features a high-quality Mini LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals good for 3D work, but its proprietary GPU, while powerful, limits gaming options due to software compatibility with fewer games compared to Windows. On the other hand, the MSI Bravo 15 boasts a higher refresh rate of 144Hz and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU that supports a wider range of games and is better optimized for gaming performance on Windows, while also being suitable for 3D tasks.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the MSI Bravo 15 compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"Overall, the MSI Bravo 15 C7U is a great gaming device for the masses that isn’t too pricey. The capable hardware (for the price range), the 144Hz display, and the comfortable keyboard are one of the things that should attract buyers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a new gaming laptop."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the MSI Bravo 15
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,095
Recommendations made
22,338
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.