If you prioritize a high-quality display, long battery life, and a lightweight design suitable for professional use, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is a solid choice, although it comes at a higher price. It offers a better screen resolution, color accuracy, and MacOS ecosystem but might fall short in gaming performance. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while more affordable, provides stronger performance for 3D rendering and gaming due to its dedicated graphics card. However, it has a shorter battery life, a heavier build, and may not match the MacBook’s display and build quality. Consider the MacBook Pro if your work revolves around creative tasks and you prefer MacOS, or choose the MSI if you need better gaming performance and value for money in a Windows environment. 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
Good for gaming and AI
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 GF65 Thin
The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
6.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a powerful CPU and more RAM, which provides smoother performance for general tasks, alongside its Mini LED screen which offers better quality display; it also boasts a robust battery life and is lightweight for better portability. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, while offering adequate performance for general use with its CPU and sufficient RAM, falls short in screen quality, battery life, and it's slightly heavier, making it less optimal for portability and all-day use.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.7/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023), designed with a powerful M2 Pro CPU and GPU, ample 16 GB RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, is very good for engineering and design tasks because these components ensure swift performance and precise visuals ideal for complex software and creative work. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, with an Intel i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 3060, and an IPS screen, offers good specifications for engineering and design, but with half the RAM and lower screen quality compared to the MacBook, it may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly or display colors as accurately.
Content Creation
8.5/10
6.8/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin 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
6.8/10
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
262.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a high-resolution display that offers vivid colors and great brightness, making it ideal for general use and detailed engineering tasks, but its typical refresh rate isn't optimized for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. The MSI GF65 Thin provides adequate resolution and good enough brightness for everyday tasks and some engineering work, but it doesn't excel in color accuracy needed for professional design. For 3D and gaming, its lower refresh rate may not deliver the fluid visual experience that more specialized high-refresh-rate screens can provide.
Battery
13.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good 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 GF65 Thin 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
$1,100
$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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) to be good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is well-suited for 3D tasks thanks to its powerful integrated GPU and a high-resolution Mini LED display which offers vibrant color accuracy and sharp image quality, but its operating system limits the availability of popular games. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, sporting a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, is tailored for gaming, providing smoother on-screen action but might have more modest color representation and resolution compared to the MacBook Pro.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the MSI GF65 Thin 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."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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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
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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