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Updated March 22, 2024·
If you need a laptop that is easy to carry, has long battery life and is suitable for general use including creative work, then the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if your work involves gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering and machine learning tasks, you may want to invest in the MSI Titan 18 HX despite its higher price, as it offers superior performance for these specific use cases, though it is heavier and may have a shorter battery life. 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)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Excellent for content creation
Key differences
General Use
8.2
8.8
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for general use, though the MSI Titan 18 HX is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is favored for its high-resolution screen and excellent CPU performance, which together with its long battery life and lightweight design, make it ideal for individuals needing portability without sacrificing quality. In comparison, the MSI Titan 18 HX offers a larger screen and superior RAM, making it better suited for heavy multitasking or demanding applications, albeit with a bulkier form factor that affects its portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.7
9.4
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, while capable of handling 3D tasks, is limited by its GPU and the fact that many popular games are not compatible with macOS, restricting its use for gaming and high-end 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX boasts a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, making it ideal for gaming and demanding 3D work; however, this often comes at the cost of less portability and reduced battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 balances performance with portability, offering a high-quality CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen, which is essential for engineering and design tasks, while also providing a sleek design and quieter operation. The MSI Titan 18 HX, on the other hand, prioritizes top-tier CPU, RAM, GPU performance, and a larger, high-quality screen, making it ideal for the most demanding engineering tasks, but it's less portable and may have a louder operating noise.
Content Creation
8.4
9.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good.
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
8.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for software development, though the MSI Titan 18 HX is somewhat better.
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
9.2
14.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 14 for content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Pro 14's screen offers high resolution and brightness along with wide color gamuts, making it excellent for general use and color-accurate tasks required in engineering and design, but its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications where smoother motion is preferred. The MSI Titan, while also providing high resolution, brightness, and broad color coverage ideal for general use and professional design work, may fall short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, which affects the fluidity of motion on screen. For your decision, consider that while both laptops excel in display quality for productivity and creative work, neither is optimized for 3D environments where a high refresh rate is crucial.
Battery
17.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
18.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX 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 Titan 18 HX 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
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,499 | $4,800 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.2" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 489 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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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 Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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