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MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
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Stealth 17
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If you're seeking exceptional performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the MSI Stealth 17 with its powerful processor and high-end graphics card stands out as the better option. However, it is heavier and has significantly shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers strong performance, a longer battery life, and is known for its premium build quality and display. For general use, the MacBook Pro is also excellent and may be more practical if portability and battery life are priorities over the highest computing power. 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 (2023)
  • Excellent for general use
  • Excellent for content creation
  • Excellent overall display quality
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Good portability
  • Best in class battery life
  • Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
  • Excellent for engineering and design
  • Excellent for gaming and AI

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

7.4
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
9.1
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good.

Engineering and Design

8.8
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
9.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good.

Screen Quality

9.3
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
8.6
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 17 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.

Battery

17.5 Hours
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
Fair
16.2in
SIZE
17.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

10.0
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
7.8
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Stealth 17 has good build quality.

Cost

$2,423
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
$3,899
Product image
Product image

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities

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General Use

9.1
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
8.7
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) to be excellent for general use, while the MSI Stealth 17 is very good.

Content Creation

9.1
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) to be excellent for content creation, while the MSI Stealth 17 is very good.

Software Development

8.9
MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Stealth 17
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and MSI Stealth 17 are both very good for software development.

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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)MSI Stealth 17
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)MSI Stealth 17

GENERAL

Price
$2,423
$3,899
Release Date
January 1, 2023May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66''15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79''
Weight
4.7 lbs6.17 lbs
Width
14.01"15.65"
Depth
9.77"11.16"

INTERNAL

Processor
Apple M2 Pro (12C)Intel i9-13900H
RAM
16 GB64 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
1024 GB2048 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
17.5 Hours5.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
99.6 Wh99.9 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16.2"17.3"
Display Technology
Mini LEDIPS
Resolution
3456 x 22342560 x 1440
Refresh Rate
120Hz240Hz
Display Brightness
487 nits384 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
10/107.8/10
Portability Score
7.6/106.5/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
YesNo
Fan Noise Score
8.8/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
9.5/109/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/109.5/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
YesYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
02
USB-C ports
32
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
23
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"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."

MSI Stealth 17

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."

Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the MSI Stealth 17

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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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.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.

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