The Acer Aspire 3 14 is a budget-friendly option with modest performance suitable for general tasks. It has an AMD Ryzen processor, integrated Radeon graphics, and a battery that supports light usage. It's lightweight and portable, making it ideal for everyday activities and basic computing needs.
In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS77 is priced at a premium but offers significantly better performance with its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. Consider the Acer for value and everyday use or the MSI for high-end performance and specialized tasks, with cost and portability being the main tradeoffs. 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 Stealth GS77
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with its modest CPU and RAM, is fair for general use, as it offers basic performance adequate for everyday tasks, long battery life, and is quite portable due to its smaller screen and lower weight, while being limited by lower screen quality and less storage.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The MSI Stealth GS77 outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 14 in gaming and 3D because it features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, compared to the Acer's AMD Radeon 610M and 60Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the MSI has a stronger processor and superior screen quality, which also contribute to a better gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
8.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with less RAM and a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 and Radeon GPU, is adequate for engineering and design, but is outperformed by the MSI Stealth GS77, which offers a substantial increase in RAM and a much stronger Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU suitable for demanding tasks. Moreover, the MSI's superior screen quality enhances work on visual projects, though it sacrifices portability due to its larger size and heavier weight compared to the Acer.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.3/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
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
7.1/10
8.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
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
6.1/10
8.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 3 14's modest resolution and brightness make for an adequate display, whereas the MSI Stealth GS77's higher resolution and brightness offer a sharper and more vibrant experience. Engineering and design professionals prefer the MSI Stealth GS77 as it covers wider color gamuts, presenting more accurate colors for detailed work, while the Acer's limited gamut coverage is less suited for such tasks. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications, as their refresh rates are lower than ideal, meaning they don't provide the smooth visuals that are crucial for fast-paced or immersive environments, even though the MSI has a better resolution and panel type.
Battery
9.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 has 6 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
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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.
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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