The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is often significantly more expensive but offers excellent performance, a high-quality display, and a long battery life, making it suitable for intensive tasks like video editing, graphic design, and 3D work. It's less ideal for gaming. The MSI Prestige 16 is often significantly less expensive, providing a good balance between cost and performance, making it a strong candidate for productivity and everyday tasks. It's also more suited to gaming than the MacBook. If budget is a concern and you need a gaming-capable device, the MSI Prestige 16 is the better option, but if you require superior display and build quality for professional creative work, the MacBook Pro 14 is a more fitting choice. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Good for gaming and AI
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 Prestige 16
The MSI Prestige 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.3/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro 14's screen excels due to its high-resolution Retina display, which offers bright, crisp images, making texts and visuals sharp and clear. Engineering and design professionals favor the MacBook Pro for its wide color gamut coverage, ensuring accurate color representation for detailed work. However, for 3D applications, which require smooth motion, the MacBook Pro falls short as it often lacks the high refresh rates found on some other laptops designed specifically for gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
13.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Prestige 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Prestige 16 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in general use with a high-quality Mini LED screen, a powerful Apple M2 Pro chip, substantial RAM and storage, and a long battery life, making it very portable despite a slightly higher price. In comparison, the MSI Prestige 16 offers a larger screen and more RAM, catering to users needing more multitasking capabilities, but it has a lower battery life and is less portable, suiting users who prioritize screen real estate and performance over movement and longevity.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.7/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) to be good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is well-suited for 3D tasks thanks to its strong GPU and high-quality Mini LED screen with a refresh rate that makes for smooth visuals, but it's limited for gaming as many popular titles don't run on macOS. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 has a high screen refresh rate favorable for gaming and a capable GPU for 3D rendering, plus it runs Windows which supports a wider range of games.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.2/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Prestige 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is well-suited for engineering and design thanks to its powerful CPU, high-quality Mini LED screen, and efficient GPU, which contribute to its excellent performance and screen quality, albeit it has a moderate amount of RAM and storage but a strong portability factor with a longer battery life.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Prestige 16 are both very 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
8.4/10
8.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Prestige 16 are both very 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.
Cost
$1,630
$1,611
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,630 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the MSI Prestige 16 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 Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the MSI Prestige 16
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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