Based on the information, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is a more budget-friendly choice with solid performance for general use and creative applications. It has a premium build and a high-resolution display, with MacOS praised for its stability and ease of use; however, its graphical power and processing capabilities are not on par with more modern, high-end systems. The MSI Raider GE78 is significantly more expensive and packs considerably more power with the latest processor and top-tier graphics card, making it ideal for intensive 3D, machine learning, gaming, or engineering tasks. It also has a higher refresh rate display for smoother visuals in gaming. However, its higher cost, bigger size, and likely shorter battery life due to more powerful components make it less portable and convenient for everyday use or simple tasks. Choose the MacBook Pro for a balance of price, build, and performance suitable for average needs, or the Raider GE78 if your work or hobbies demand the highest computational and graphical capabilities at a premium. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.7/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers good portability and long battery life, making it suitable for general use, although it has less RAM and a lower-powered CPU compared to the MSI Raider GE78, which has very high performance that excels in general use but is heavier and has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
9.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
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 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE78's Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics and high refresh rate screen make it particularly suited for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 16's AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and standard refresh rate display offer more modest 3D capabilities; additionally, the MacBook's MacOS does not support many popular games available on Windows-based systems like the MSI Raider GE78.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
9.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a balance of power and portability, with a quality screen and keyboard that make it suited for engineering and design; however, the MSI Raider GE78 stands out with a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a top-tier GPU for uncompromised performance in engineering and design tasks but at the cost of portability and increased weight.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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
7.9/10
8.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
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
7.8/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution Retina display which offers sharp visuals and good brightness, making it ideal for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. For engineering and design applications, this MacBook's display covers a wide range of color gamuts ensuring accurate color reproduction essential for professional graphic work. However, its screen doesn't have the high refresh rate preferred for 3D applications, which can affect the smoothness of rendering 3D models and animations, making it less ideal for users with a focus on 3D work.
Battery
12.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
$540
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 16 (Late 2019) 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.