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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is a good choice for general use with its long battery life and highly portable design, also offering excellent screen quality and an integrated GPU suited for light graphics tasks. The MSI Raider GE78, on the other hand, stands out for high-performance computing like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering work due to its powerful processor and top-tier dedicated graphics card. It's less portable and has shorter battery life but excels in intensive gaming and heavy-duty tasks. The MSI comes at a higher price, while the MacBook Pro is less expensive and runs macOS, suitable for users entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. 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
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.2
8.7
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for general use, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high screen quality, outstanding battery life, and exceptional portability, is well-suited for general use, but it has less RAM and a less powerful CPU than the MSI Raider GE78, which offers very good performance and a good screen quality but is less convenient to carry around and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.7
9.5
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 comes equipped with an M3 processor and an integrated 10-core GPU, suited for a variety of engineering and design tasks, with a high-quality 14.2-inch Mini LED screen that offers vivid colors and brightness, balancing performance with portability at 3.4 pounds and good battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 packs a much more powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, a 17.3-inch IPS display, and significantly more RAM, making it excellent for the most demanding engineering and design applications, but it's less portable at 6.83 pounds and has shorter battery life.
Screen Quality
9.2
8.6
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE78 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's high-resolution Retina display, known for its brightness and color accuracy, provides a crisp and vibrant viewing experience. The MacBook Pro excels in engineering and design tasks due to its wide color gamuts, covering a large spectrum of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, which ensures true-to-life colors for professional-grade graphics work. Meanwhile, the MSI Raider GE78, while offering impressive visuals and color reproduction for general use and design, lacks a high refresh rate screen, making it less ideal for 3D applications and gaming where smooth motion and quick screen updates are crucial.
Battery
17.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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
Poor
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Raider GE78 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
$3,799
$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 GE78 costs $3,799.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
8.4
8.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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 GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,499 | $3,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.2" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 489 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the MSI Raider GE78
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.
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