If you prioritize a long-lasting battery, prefer MacOS, and want a lightweight machine for general use, go for the Apple MacBook Pro 14, but it has less storage and memory than the alternative. The MSI Raider GE66, on the other hand, offers a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering work, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. Choose the MacBook Pro for its portability and battery life or the MSI Raider if you need higher performance and don't mind the extra weight and shorter battery time. 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 (Late 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
6.7/10
8.5/10
4.5/10
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 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high-resolution Mini LED display and integrated GPU, is well-suited for 3D tasks but has a lower refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is less ideal for fast-paced gaming. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE66 offers a significantly higher refresh rate of 240 Hz with its powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, making it excellent for both gaming and 3D applications, plus it runs on Windows, which supports a broader range of popular games not available on Macs.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Raider GE66 is somewhat better.
The MSI Raider GE66 is preferred for engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, stronger dedicated graphics card, and more extensive screen refresh options, which are crucial for demanding software used in these fields. Although the Apple MacBook Pro 14 boasts a high-quality Mini LED display and is more portable, it falls behind in raw performance specifications, like CPU and GPU strength, that the MSI model provides, both of which are vital for rigorous engineering and design workloads.
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, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's display provides sharp images and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and brightness, which along with its wide color gamut, makes it ideal for tasks like photo editing and graphic design. However, its lower refresh rate is less suited for 3D applications where smoother motion is key for an optimal experience. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE66, while offering good resolution and color quality, may not keep up with fast-paced 3D content as effectively as laptops with higher refresh rates.
Battery
17.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 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 (Late 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
$1,499
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
The MSI Raider GE66 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high-resolution Mini LED display, remarkable screen quality, and efficient Apple M3 processor ensures lengthy battery life and portability, making it a solid choice for general use. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE66, despite being less portable due to its size and weight, offers a larger and faster screen, a more powerful Intel i7 processor coupled with a superior Nvidia graphics card, and ample RAM and storage, making it very good for general use as well as demanding tasks.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 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
8.2/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 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 (Late 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 (Late 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 (Late 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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