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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers a lower price and longer battery life—which is ideal for general use and productivity on the go—though it has less power and lower build quality. The MSI Prestige 15, while more expensive, packs more performance power making it more suitable for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks but it's slightly less portable due to its larger size and slightly lower battery life. Consider the Acer if you prioritize longer usage times and affordability, or the MSI if you need more performance for specialized tasks and are okay with a higher price. 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
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with its mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated graphics, offers sufficient power and screen quality for moderate engineering and design tasks, but the MSI Prestige 15 steps up with a more robust Intel i5 CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, plus a brighter, more color-accurate display which is critical for detailed design work. While both laptops are fairly portable, the Prestige 15 provides a better balance of performance and screen quality necessary for more demanding engineering and design applications, though it may come at a higher cost.
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
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, a good screen on a laptop like the MSI Prestige 15 usually means it has a higher resolution and brightness, making text, images, and videos sharper and easier to see in various lighting conditions. In engineering and design, the MSI Prestige 15's display likely covers a wider color gamut, offering more accurate color reproduction which is crucial for detailed and color-sensitive work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short because of their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
9.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 15 has 7.5 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.4
The MSI Prestige 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
$1,044
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
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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
298.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 14's lighter weight and longer battery life offer an advantage in portability and convenience for on-the-go use, but it has less RAM, a less powerful CPU and GPU, and a lower-quality screen compared to the MSI Prestige 15, which offers stronger performance for demanding tasks, more RAM for smoother multitasking and better screen for visual work but with a compromise on the weight and potential battery duration.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.3
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 15 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is fair for gaming and 3D tasks because it includes an AMD Radeon 610M GPU, which supports moderate gaming capabilities but may not handle intensive gaming at high settings, and it has a standard screen refresh rate suitable for casual gaming.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 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
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 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 Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 82 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
MSI Prestige 15
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the MSI Prestige 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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