Since you are considering the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio with cost as a factor, it's important to evaluate what you're getting for the price. The MacBook Pro 16 is known for its build quality, long battery life, and strong performance in creative tasks like video editing, but it may not be the best for high-end gaming due to its graphics hardware. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is likely more suited for gaming and intensive engineering tasks because of its high-performance graphics, but it may be less portable and have shorter battery life. If you prioritize general use and creative work, prefer macOS, and want to save money, the MacBook Pro is a strong choice. However, if you need top performance for gaming or engineering and are okay with spending more, the MSI may be the better option. 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)
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is less suited for 3D and gaming due to its AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and lower 60Hz screen refresh rate, whereas the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, with its powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and higher 165Hz refresh rate, excels in these areas; plus, compatibility issues with Macs can prevent many popular games from running.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) features a capable CPU and powerful Radeon Pro GPU suitable for engineering and design, with a high-resolution screen offering excellent color accuracy, but it is less portable and has stronger speaker and keyboard quality. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio includes a more powerful CPU and a cutting-edge Nvidia RTX GPU, which provides more computational muscle for demanding engineering tasks and supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS for exceptional performance; however, it has a lower battery life and the screen offers less color accuracy compared to the MacBook.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.8/10
7.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and elevated brightness, making it excellent for general use and suitable for engineering and design due to its wide color gamuts, which ensure accurate color representation. However, its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications, which benefit from higher refresh rates to render smooth motion. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio also offers a quality display for general use and can adequately support engineering tasks, but similar to the MacBook, it falls short for gaming and 3D since its refresh rate isn't optimal for the high frame rates required in those scenarios.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has 5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,432
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,432.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a high-quality IPS screen, ample battery life, and an excellent build, which makes it a solid choice for general use, though it is heavier and less portable. In comparison, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio also has a high-quality IPS screen and powerful CPU, but with better portability and additional storage, albeit at the cost of shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
"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."
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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