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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is a budget-friendly option, offering good general use with adequate performance for everyday tasks, silent operation due to its fanless design, and longer battery life making it highly portable. It lacks features for intensive engineering or gaming. The MSI Creator Z16P is more expensive and has a significantly higher performance suited for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering, with a powerful CPU and GPU, better screen resolution, and color accuracy. It is less portable due to heavier weight and shorter battery life but provides advanced features like a touchscreen, higher refresh rate, and more ports. 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 3 14
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a modest CPU and RAM; its strengths lie in portability and battery life, with over 9 hours of typical usage, making it fair for general tasks but limited for demanding ones. The MSI Creator Z16P, with its powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior screen quality, excels in performance suited for demanding tasks, but its heaviness and shorter battery life of about 5 hours reflect a tradeoff in portability and battery life for enhanced capability.
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a modest AMD Radeon 610M GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, which provides a fair gaming experience. In contrast, the MSI Creator Z16P boasts a superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, delivering smoother and more visually detailed gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The MSI Creator Z16P surpasses the Acer Aspire 3 14 due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the memory, a higher-end RTX GPU, and a superior screen with a higher resolution and touch capability, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. Conversely, the Acer Aspire 3 14, with its less robust AMD Ryzen 5 processor, lower memory, a basic GPU, and a basic screen, offers fair performance for lighter workloads but excels in portability and silent operation.
Content Creation
7.2
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
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
7.1
7.6
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for software development, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
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
6.1
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 14's screen may be sufficient for tasks like browsing the web and editing documents due to its decent resolution and brightness, but its limited color coverage affects its performance in tasks that require precision in color, which is crucial for engineering and design work. The MSI Creator Z16P, with its high-resolution display and superior brightness, provides crisp and clear visuals that enhance general computing experiences and offers a wide color gamut, making it excellent for color-sensitive tasks in engineering and design. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D work because they do not offer high-refresh-rate screens, which are essential for smooth motion and a more immersive experience in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
9.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$434
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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