The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is known for its vivid Mini LED display, long battery life, and high performance, all packed into a sleek design that's better suited for creative professionals who prioritize display quality and MacOS ecosystem. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider is a top-tier gaming laptop with a powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics card, making it ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering software. It's heavier and has a shorter battery life, so it's less portable than the MacBook. If you need Windows and prioritize gaming or high-performance tasks, the MSI might suit you best. However, for everyday use with exceptional battery life and a premium build, the MacBook Pro is a compelling 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 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
8.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the MSI GE66 Raider is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with an Apple M1 Pro processor and a high-quality Mini LED display, providing a balance of performance and screen excellence that's ideal for general use, coupled with a lightweight design and long battery life for improved portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.6/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 features an M1 Pro GPU which is good for 3D tasks, and its 120Hz refresh rate display benefits smoother visuals, but gaming is limited due to less compatibility with many popular games. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider's Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU excels in gaming and 3D performance, with a similar screen refresh rate, providing an excellent experience for both gamers and professionals working in 3D-intensive applications.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and MSI GE66 Raider are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
9.4/10
8.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is highly regarded for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution Retina display that offers brilliant brightness and exceptional color accuracy, covering expansive color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, for 3D applications, it falls short because its screen refresh rate is lower compared to gaming-oriented laptops. Meanwhile, the MSI GE66 Raider's display, while offering great resolution and decent color coverage, does not match the MacBook on color precision but provides a higher refresh rate, benefiting gaming and 3D tasks, although it is still not optimal for the highest-end gaming or demanding 3D purposes.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GE66 Raider to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good.
The MacBook Pro 16 (2021) with its Apple M1 Pro CPU and high screen brightness offers solid performance and excellent visual quality, making it suitable for engineering and design, but the MSI GE66 Raider goes a step further with a more powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, delivering top-tier performance for the most demanding tasks, although it's less portable and has lower battery life. Additionally, the Raider's screen, while high quality, does not reach the peak brightness or color coverage of the MacBook's Mini LED display which may matter in color-critical design work.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and MSI GE66 Raider 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the MSI GE66 Raider 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 Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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