The Acer Aspire 1 is a budget-friendly choice that's less expensive with basic specs good for general use, light tasks, and long battery life, but it has lower storage, memory, and a less powerful processor than the MSI Raider GE76. The MSI Raider GE76, on the other hand, is a high-end laptop with more storage, more memory, a high-performance processor, and a superior graphics card suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, but it is more expensive, heavier, and may have a shorter battery life. 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 Raider GE76
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
5.8/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality screen, which make it less suitable for demanding tasks, whereas the MSI Raider GE76 is equipped with a high-end CPU, ample RAM, and a superior quality screen that enhances its performance for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.6/10
8.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a less powerful integrated GPU with a standard screen refresh rate, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Raider GE76 is equipped with a high-end dedicated GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, which provides a smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
9.0/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1's basic Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, and integrated GPU do not meet the demands of engineering and design software, whereas the MSI Raider GE76's powerful i7 processor, expansive RAM, and high-end Nvidia RTX GPU make it ideal for intensive tasks. Additionally, the MSI's superior screen quality with a higher resolution, refresh rate, and color coverage ensures precise visuals required for design work, though it is less portable and noisier under load compared to the more travel-friendly and silent Acer Aspire 1.
Content Creation
5.9/10
8.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 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
6.1/10
8.2/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 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
5.2/10
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 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 need a laptop for day-to-day tasks like web browsing or office work, the Acer Aspire 1, despite its limited screen quality, could still suffice if you're on a tight budget. However, for professionals involved in engineering and design, the MSI Raider GE76 offers superior screen quality with better color accuracy crucial for these fields, although it may come at a higher cost and possibly compromise portability. If gaming or working with 3D applications is your primary concern, keep in mind that the MSI, while providing a clear and vibrant display, has a screen refresh rate that may not be optimal for the smoothest gaming or 3D rendering experience.
Portability
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 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
$3,552
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
"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."
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Raider GE76
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.
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.