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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is a budget-friendly choice that offers basic functionality, longer battery life, and is lightweight, making it suitable for general use and portability. However, its performance for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or heavy multitasking will be limited due to its entry-level processor and graphics. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15, while being more expensive, comes with a significantly more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, larger storage, and more RAM, ideal for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D modeling, and engineering work. It's also well-suited for entertainment with a better display but slightly heavier, and it may offer you a bit more battery life than the Acer but is less portable. 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 Cyborg 15.
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 falls behind due to a less powerful CPU and less RAM, which can lead to slower performance in daily tasks, and it uses a lower-quality screen that might not be as clear or vibrant as other options. In comparison, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers a more powerful CPU and more RAM, leading to smoother performance, and has a higher-quality IPS display, providing better viewing angles and color reproduction, along with a longer battery life for extended use.
Gaming and AI
5.6
7.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is equipped with an Intel Celeron UHD Graphics card and a screen that refreshes at 60 times per second, which are not ideal for the high demands of gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15 features a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a screen with a 144 times per second refresh rate, providing a superior experience for gaming and 3D-rendering tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its basic Intel Celeron processor, integrated graphics, and a screen with lower color accuracy and brightness, will struggle with demanding engineering and design tasks, while the MSI Cyborg 15 offers a powerful Intel i7 processor, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and a higher-quality IPS display, making it well-suited for such intensive workflows. Despite the Acer's advantage in silent, fanless operation, which could benefit users sensitive to noise, the MSI's superior hardware specifications provide a more robust platform for demanding professional applications.
Content Creation
5.9
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good 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
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is 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
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 1 likely has a lower resolution and dimmer display, which makes it less ideal for tasks that require crisp detail and clear visibility, affecting general use, engineering, and gaming needs. The MSI Cyborg 15 provides a better balance with respectable clarity and brightness for tasks such as document editing and web browsing, but still falls short for engineering with likely limited color accuracy that affects the precision needed for design work. For gaming and 3D applications, while MSI Cyborg 15 may offer fair image quality, the lower refresh rate could hinder fast-paced visuals, reducing immersion and responsiveness.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
5.5
6.7
The MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 1 and MSI Cyborg 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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.
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