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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 is more budget-friendly with adequate performance for general use, and it is lighter and has longer battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, while more expensive, offers significantly better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. It has a more powerful processor, better graphics, more RAM and storage, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, favoring stationary use or places where you can plug in. If gaming or intensive tasks are not a priority and portability is key, Acer is a solid choice; otherwise, invest in MSI for power-heavy activities. 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 Katana 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The MSI Katana 15 offers a more robust gaming and 3D performance due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a screen with a faster refresh rate of 144 Hz, compared to the Acer Aspire 3 14's AMD Radeon 610M and 60 Hz screen refresh rate. Additionally, the CPU and screen quality of the Katana 15 are likely to contribute somewhat to a better gaming experience than the Aspire 3 14.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The MSI Katana 15 is better suited for engineering and design because it has a stronger CPU, double the RAM, and a more capable GPU with ray tracing and DLSS, which are great for graphics-intensive tasks. Meanwhile, the Acer Aspire 3 14, while lighter and likely more portable, offers more modest performance due to a less powerful CPU, half the RAM, and an entry-level GPU, which may not be as effective for demanding engineering applications.
Screen Quality
6.1
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 and MSI Katana have screens with adequate resolution and panel types that offer a decent viewing experience, but they might lack the brightness to stand out in well-lit conditions. In engineering and design, while these laptops have tolerable screen resolutions and panel types for detailed work, they likely fall short in color accuracy and range, which are essential for precision in color work. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the lower refresh rates on both models may lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness, which can be a drawback for fast-paced activities despite having sufficient resolution and adequate panel types.
Battery
9.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.2
The MSI Katana 15 has 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
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 15 is regarded better for general use because it offers double the RAM and a more powerful CPU and GPU than the Acer Aspire 3 14, enhancing multitasking and overall performance. However, the Aspire 3 14 favors portability with a lighter build and longer battery life; it also operates silently due to its fanless cooling system.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation.
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
7.0
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i5-12450H | |
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 | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the MSI Katana 15
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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