A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For everyday tasks, the Acer Aspire 1 offers decent performance at a budget-friendly price, with a battery life that should last through a typical day. It's also lightweight and easy to carry around, making it a solid choice for general use on the go. However, its screen quality and gaming or engineering capabilities are limited due to its basic hardware. On the other hand, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a powerhouse designed for demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its high-end processor and top-tier Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The vibrant Mini LED display with a high refresh rate and resolution is excellent for both work and play, especially for creative professionals. It also boasts a robust build quality and an array of ports for connectivity. However, it comes with a premium price tag, shorter battery life, and is less portable due to its larger size and weight. If you prioritize performance and display quality for intensive tasks and are willing to pay more and sacrifice some portability, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is the way to go. If you're looking for a cost-effective laptop for general use and value portability and battery life, the Acer Aspire 1 is a more suitable choice. 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 Acer Aspire 1
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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.
Gaming and AI
5.6
8.9
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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.
Engineering and Design
5.5
9.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.9
9.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
6.1
8.9
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
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
5.2
9.7
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 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
5.5
7.4
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$244
$2,999
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio costs $2,999.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 1 and MSI Creator 16 AI Studio both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI Creator 16 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $2,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14'' x 10.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.22" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
See more
Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Acer Aspire 1 vs. HP 15" Laptop
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 1 vs. Jumper 14" Laptop
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 1 vs. ASUS Vivobook Go 15
VS
Compare MSI Creator 16 AI Studio vs. Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
VS
Compare MSI Creator 16 AI Studio vs. ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024)
VS
Compare MSI Creator 16 AI Studio vs. Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.
Featured in
