Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the MSI Modern 14 depends on your needs and budget. The MacBook Pro 16 offers a larger and better-quality mini LED display, higher performance suitable for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering work, and boasts longer battery life. However, it is heavier and more expensive. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 is lighter and more affordable, making it a good option for general use and portability, but it has a smaller and less impressive IPS screen and is less suited for performance-heavy tasks. Consider the MacBook Pro if you prioritize top-tier performance and screen quality, and the MSI if you seek affordability and greater portability. 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 2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
7.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) shines in general use with a powerful CPU, more RAM, a high-resolution Mini LED screen with better color accuracy, and a longer battery life, providing a very immersive and sustained performance, albeit at a higher weight affecting portability. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14 offers a balance suited for general use with sufficient CPU and RAM, a competent IPS screen, and a lighter form factor for easier portability, though it compromises on screen quality, battery life, and overall performance power.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its advanced GPU, higher screen refresh rate, and high-quality display, is well-suited for 3D applications, but its MacOS may limit gaming options as many popular games aren’t compatible. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14, while also having dedicated GPU capabilities and running on Windows which supports a wider range of games, offers only a standard refresh rate and a lower-quality display, making it less ideal for high-end 3D rendering or competitive gaming.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
6.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) outshines the MSI Modern 14 for engineering and design use mainly due to substantially superior CPU and GPU capabilities, more RAM, and a higher quality Mini LED screen that provides better brightness and color accuracy. While the MacBook Pro is less portable and heavier than the MSI Modern 14, it offsets these disadvantages with significantly better build quality, keyboard, and speakers, along with less operating noise, making it better suited for demanding tasks like engineering simulations and design work.
Content Creation
8.9/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Modern 14 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
8.9/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI Modern 14 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
9.3/10
6.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's screen stands out for general use and engineering/design tasks due to its high resolution, brightness, and coverage of wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which ensure crisp, vivid, and accurate color representation critical for detailed work. However, its refresh rate is not as high as specialized gaming models, making it less ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion portrayal is key. The MSI Modern 14 offers a balanced screen for everyday and professional tasks with adequate resolution and brightness, but falls short for gaming and 3D uses, as it lacks the high refresh rate that makes fast action scenes appear fluid.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$525
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
"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."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the MSI Modern 14
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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