For general use, the Apple MacBook Pro offers a superior balance of performance, high-quality display, and impressive battery life, making it well-suited for daily tasks and media consumption. However, if your focus is on gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the MSI Raider GE66 is equipped with a powerful dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate screen that excel in these areas, but it does come with added bulk and a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro. Keep in mind, the MacBook Pro runs MacOS, while the MSI Raider has Windows 11, which can affect your software choices and user experience. 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)
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 Raider GE66
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.5/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is well-suited for 3D tasks due to its dedicated 16-core GPU and high-quality Mini LED screen, but many popular games do not run on its MacOS operating system. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE66, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high 240Hz screen refresh rate, is tailored for gaming and 3D, offering smooth visuals and compatibility with a wide range of games on Windows 11 Home.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.4/10
14.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with its high-resolution display and exceptional color accuracy offers a vibrant and sharp viewing experience for general use and is highly suitable for engineering and design tasks that require precise color representation, like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion is key. The MSI Raider GE66, while also having a high-quality display for general use and adequate color accuracy for engineering and design, may not be the best for gaming or 3D due to its poor screen quality in these areas, potentially linked to lower refresh rates or other factors affecting visual fluidity and detail.
Battery
13.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 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
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Raider GE66 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) excels in portability and battery life, with a streamlined design and a battery that supports significant hours of typical usage, making it ideal for on-the-go productivity and general use. In contrast, while the MSI Raider GE66 offers a larger screen and double the storage, its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less convenient for frequent travel, although its ample RAM and powerful processor position it strongly for demanding tasks and general use as well.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is equipped with an Apple M2 Pro processor and a high-resolution Mini LED display, providing strong CPU and GPU performance along with excellent screen quality for engineering and design tasks, but it comes with less RAM and storage compared to the MSI Raider GE66 which offers a more powerful Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, better suited for demanding engineering software and tasks that require extensive RAM and high GPU performance; however, the MSI is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Raider GE66 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
8.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MSI Raider GE66 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the MSI Raider GE66 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 Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the MSI Raider GE66
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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