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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 offers a budget-friendly option ideal for everyday tasks like browsing, office applications, and video streaming, but its performance may not be suitable for intensive tasks. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard is much more powerful, supporting demanding activities including 3D work, machine learning, and gaming; however, it comes at a higher cost, and its portability may be compromised due to size and weight. Battery life typically favors less powerful laptops like the Acer Aspire 1, so if you prioritize longevity and ease of carrying, the Aspire may be the better option. If your work or hobbies require high performance and you're less concerned with cost and portability, the MSI GP66 Leopard is the recommended 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
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a lower-end CPU, less RAM, poorer screen quality, and a TN panel which offers limited viewing angles, all of which may hinder performance and user experience during general use. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a high-end CPU, more RAM, better screen quality with an IPS panel for wider viewing angles, and more robust heat management, offering a significantly enhanced general use experience despite being less portable and having slightly shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.6
7.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is 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
7.9
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is less suited for engineering and design because it has a lower-end CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality TN screen, which are crucial for demanding applications and visual tasks. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard offers a high-performance CPU, top-tier GPU, ample RAM, and a superior IPS display, ensuring smooth operation and better image quality for engineering software and design work.
Content Creation
5.9
7.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI GP66 Leopard's higher resolution and brighter display offer a clearer, more vibrant viewing experience compared to the Acer Aspire 1's basic screen, which may appear dull and less crisp. When considering engineering and design, the MSI's higher quality display supports broader color coverage essential for accurate color work, something the Aspire 1 lacks, thus making the MSI more suitable for professional creative work. However, while the MSI is good for general and design tasks, its lower refresh rate compared to top gaming laptops means it won't be as smooth for fast-paced 3D games where higher refresh rates can greatly enhance gameplay.
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 GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
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 i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 65 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 | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 0 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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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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