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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is a budget-friendly option with basic performance suitable for everyday tasks and has a larger screen but lower build quality and performance compared to the MSI. The MSI Prestige 14 costs more but provides significantly better performance for demanding applications like 3D rendering and engineering, with higher-quality display and build, plus it's more portable and has a longer battery life. If top-notch performance and quality aren't vital and cost is a major factor, the Acer may be sufficient. However, if you're looking for a machine that can handle intensive tasks and desire higher portability and longer battery use, consider investing in the MSI. 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 Prestige 14.
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 14
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- 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
313.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The MSI Prestige 14 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its smaller storage, less RAM, and a lower-end CPU, may struggle with multitasking and demanding applications compared to the MSI Prestige 14, which offers more RAM, a more powerful CPU for efficient performance, and better overall screen quality. Moreover, the MSI Prestige 14 boasts a higher battery life and superior portability, making it more suited for extended use and mobility.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 comes with a less powerful Intel Celeron N4500 UHD Graphics GPU and a standard 60Hz TN screen, making it poorly suited for gaming and 3D tasks that require better graphical performance and display quality. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 14 is equipped with a superior Intel Iris Xe GPU and has a brighter, more color-accurate IPS screen, offering fair capability for more demanding visual tasks like gaming and 3D modeling.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 14 is good 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
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 14 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
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 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
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 14 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 may have a screen that lacks the sharpness, brightness and vibrant colors you'd want for everyday tasks, and its limitations become more pronounced when detail and color accuracy matter for engineering and design work, while its low refresh rate is a drawback for fluidity in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Prestige 14 offers a crisp and bright display suitable for general use and the color accuracy needed for professional creative work, but it doesn't have the high refresh rate desired for the smooth visuals critical in high-end gaming and 3D rendering. Essentially, the Acer Aspire 1 falls short across the board due to basic display features, whereas the MSI Prestige 14's shortcomings are specific to gaming and 3D contexts that demand ultra-smooth motion.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 has 8.5 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.4
The MSI Prestige 14 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
$243
$1,040
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $243 and the MSI Prestige 14 costs $1,040.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI Prestige 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI Prestige 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$243 | $1,040 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12.6'' x 8.6'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.84 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.56" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.62" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 53.8 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 | 2 | |
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 Prestige 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Tech Radar
Collin Probst | September 2022
"The MSI Prestige 14” is excellent for productivity and business use cases, but it is not ideal for creators or visual content editors. The Prestige was able to power through days of email, spreadsheets, and text documents without breaking a sweat and was a joy to use. The additional ports were a breath of fresh air, as most laptops seem to be moving towards just Thunderbolt ports. The security options made signing in effortless, with two quick, more secure, and faster options than even the most complex alphanumeric passcode."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Prestige 14
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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