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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop primarily for simple tasks like web browsing, word processing, and watching videos, the Acer Aspire 1 is a wallet-friendly option that's also light and has fanless operation for silence. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 offers top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, and gaming due to its powerful processor and graphics card. However, it's significantly more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Acer. Decide based on whether performance or budget and portability are your priority. 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 Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a modest CPU and RAM, a lower-quality TN screen, and displays colors poorly, which limits its performance for general use, while the MSI Stealth 17 offers a high-end CPU and substantial RAM, an IPS screen with better color accuracy, and superior overall performance which makes it very good for a wide range of tasks.
Gaming and AI
5.6
9.1
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has minimal gaming performance with an entry-level Intel Celeron graphics chip and a 60Hz screen refresh rate. Additionally, the MSI sports a more powerful CPU and higher quality display, enhancing the gaming and 3D experience even further.
Engineering and Design
5.5
9.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a basic CPU and graphics, low RAM, and a lower-quality TN screen, which limit its ability for engineering work; whereas the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a high-end CPU, top-tier GPU, generous RAM, and a high-quality IPS display, making it well-suited for demanding engineering tasks. While the Acer Aspire 1 offers better portability and silent operation, it falls short in performance and screen quality compared to the MSI, which, despite being less portable, is equipped with features essential for engineering and design professionals.
Content Creation
5.9
8.8
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.6
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 Stealth 17 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's screen doesn't deliver the clarity, brightness, and resolution needed for a vivid, easy-on-the-eyes viewing experience, which is why it falls short for general use, engineering tasks, and gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a high-quality display that offers clear and precise imaging with better brightness and resolution, making it ideal for general use and professional engineering and design work that require accurate color representation. However, despite its superior resolution and panel, it falls behind for gaming and 3D applications as it lacks the high refresh rate necessary for smooth motion rendering.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.8
The MSI Stealth 17 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
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $243 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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 Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$243 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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