The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is typically suited for professionals needing high processing power and excellent build quality, along with a seamless macOS experience — ideal for creative work like video editing or graphic design. The MSI Thin GF63, on the other hand, offers competitive performance in a lightweight and portable form factor, tailored more towards gaming and users who prefer Windows. If you need macOS-specific software or prioritize a larger, higher-resolution display and better speakers, lean towards the MacBook Pro. Conversely, if you prefer gaming, desire a lighter device, and want to spend less, the MSI could be your better choice. Both have sufficient performance for general use and engineering tasks, but the MacBook Pro may have an edge in battery life and a higher-quality build, while the MSI provides better value for money and easier upgradability. 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
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
The MSI Thin GF63 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019).
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Thin GF63 is somewhat better.
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.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Thin GF63 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Thin GF63 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
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's Retina display offers high resolution and brightness, providing crisp and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut coverage. However, its standard refresh rate is not ideal for 3D applications, where smoother motion afforded by higher refresh rates is preferred. The MSI Thin GF63, with fair resolution and brightness, meets the basic requirements for general use and non-color-critical engineering tasks but falls short in gaming and 3D scenarios due to a lower refresh rate that doesn't support fluid motion as well as screens designed specifically for those purposes.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,400
$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 Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is suited for engineering and design because of its high-quality screen and strong GPU, making it great for visual tasks, though it's heavier and has less gaming-oriented hardware compared to the MSI Thin GF63 which offers a newer CPU and a gaming-ready GPU, making it a versatile choice for both engineering software and gaming, but with a lower screen resolution and color accuracy.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 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."
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the MSI Thin GF63
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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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.
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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.
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Laptops Expert
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