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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
For a budget-friendly option with adequate performance for general tasks like web browsing and office applications, the Acer Aspire 1 is a suitable choice, though its lower storage capacity and RAM may limit its ability to handle more demanding tasks. The MSI Stealth GS66, being higher in price, offers significantly better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering, and gaming due to its more powerful processor, GPU, and higher RAM. It also has a better-quality screen and longer battery life, but it's heavier, which may affect portability compared to the lighter 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 battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is considered poor for general use primarily due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, minimal RAM, and lower-quality TN screen, which together result in lackluster performance and a less vibrant display. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66 offers strong general-use capabilities with its higher-end Intel i7 processor, ample RAM, and superior IPS screen, ensuring smooth performance and better viewing quality, although it is slightly heavier and has a shorter battery life than the Aspire 1.
Gaming and AI
5.6
7.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has lower-quality components like an Intel Celeron processor and UHD Graphics which can't handle demanding engineering and design tasks, whereas the MSI Stealth GS66 is equipped with a powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, making it well-suited for such intensive uses. Additionally, the MSI has a better screen with high refresh rates and color coverage, crucial for detailed design work, compared to the Acer's basic display, but with the tradeoff of being slightly heavier and having shorter battery life.
Content Creation
5.9
7.7
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 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 lower resolution and dimmer screen, making it less suitable for tasks requiring crisp and bright visuals, which general users often appreciate. For engineering and design, where precise color representation matters, its limited color range could hinder the accurate preview of projects. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth GS66's superior resolution and colors benefit general and professional tasks, but its lower refresh rate might not be ideal for the smooth visuals demanded by immersive gaming and fast-paced 3D applications.
Build Quality
5.5
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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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 GS66 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 1 and MSI Stealth GS66 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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