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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is often chosen for its robust build quality, long battery life, and excellent display, making it ideal for professionals in fields like video editing, music production, and graphics design. However, it's less portable due to its size and weight, and you'll be paying a premium for the Apple ecosystem. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is more budget-friendly and offers a high level of performance suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, but it might have a shorter battery life and a less color-accurate screen compared to the MacBook Pro. If you frequently travel or need a lighter laptop, the MSI could be more appealing, despite having to compromise on display quality and battery duration. 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 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 keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
- The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.8
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use as it offers superior screen quality, longer battery life, and better build quality, which are all very important aspects for daily tasks and multimedia consumption, while its greater portability due to lighter weight adds to its appeal. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio, although good for general use, leans towards gaming with its dedicated graphics card and higher storage, but it falls behind in battery life and screen quality compared to the MacBook Pro, which can impact the experience during prolonged use without access to power or when working with visual content.
Content Creation
8.9
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 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.
Software Development
8.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
7.6
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a vibrant, high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which is ideal for engineering and design tasks, but its lower refresh rate isn't optimal for 3D applications. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio provides a quality display that balances resolution and brightness for general use, and sufficient color accuracy for engineering and design, but similar to the MacBook, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a less suitable refresh rate. For those focused on 3D work or gaming, a laptop with a higher refresh rate display will provide a smoother visual experience.
Battery
17.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
7.6
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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
$3,099
$1,520
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $3,099 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,520.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.8
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
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 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is equipped with an Apple GPU, which, along with a high-resolution Mini LED display and a longer battery life, is suitable for 3D tasks, but it has a lower screen refresh rate which is not optimal for gaming and certain popular games are not compatible with MacOS.
Engineering and Design
8.9
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
18.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M3 Pro processor, extensive RAM, advanced GPU, and high-quality Mini LED screen, suitable for tasks that demand excellent color accuracy and processing power; however, its weight and size prioritize performance over portability. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio, while also strong in CPU and RAM for engineering and design, features an Nvidia RTX GPU which supports ray tracing and DLSS, offering benefits to 3D visualization tasks, and it's more portable and quieter under load, but has a lower resolution IPS display.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) | MSI Stealth 14 Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,099 | $1,520 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 12.4'' x 9.7'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 12.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 18 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 487 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 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 14 Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | June 2023
"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 2023) 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.
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