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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For everyday tasks like browsing and office applications, the Acer Aspire 1 provides an affordable option with standard capabilities. However, the MSI GE66 Raider, while considerably more expensive, offers superior performance including top-tier processing power and graphics suited for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. It also has a larger storage capacity and more memory, which could be crucial for demanding applications. On the downside, its weight and size may affect portability, and the high-performance components might result in reduced battery life compared to the Acer Aspire 1. 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
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a basic GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it insufficient for high-end gaming and 3D applications where smooth visuals are crucial. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider boasts a powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, ensuring superior performance and crisp, fluid imagery for demanding games and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
5.5
9.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is poorly suited for engineering and design because it has a basic CPU and GPU, lesser RAM, and a lower quality screen, which hinder performance in demanding tasks. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider excels in these areas with a high-end CPU, top-tier GPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality screen, making it ideal for intensive applications and visual work.
Content Creation
5.9
8.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very 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
8.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a great display for daily tasks like browsing or watching videos, the MSI GE66 Raider offers superior resolution and brightness, leading to crisp, vivid visuals. For those in engineering and design, the MSI's screen covers a wider color spectrum, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, despite its good resolution and panel type, the MSI falls short due to its lower refresh rate, which can mean less smooth gameplay compared to laptops designed specifically for gaming.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very 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
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i9-12900HK | |
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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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