If you prioritize a lower price and primarily require a laptop for basic tasks, the Acer Aspire 3 15 is a budget-friendly option with a standard screen size and fair general use performance. However, if you need increased storage, a higher quality display, and substantially better performance for demanding applications like 3D rendering, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, with its superior screen and stronger processing power, would be well-suited for engineering, creative workflows, or intensive gaming. The MSI also offers better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, though it comes at a higher cost. 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 15
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo.
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
8.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers modest CPU and RAM, which is sufficient for basic tasks, and it is praised for its silent operation but comes up short with lower storage capacity and screen quality. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo packs a more powerful CPU and greater RAM, has an exceptional OLED screen, and boasts a markedly better battery life, making it well-suited for demanding applications and multitasking.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15's AMD Radeon 610M GPU is less powerful and its standard IPS display refreshes at a typical 60Hz rate, making it suitable for less demanding games and 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo features a more robust Intel Arc GPU and a high-contrast OLED screen, although also refreshing at 60Hz, offering crisper visuals and smoother performance in gaming and 3D content.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
7.0/10
8.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
6.2/10
8.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a laptop with a bright, high-resolution display and a good panel type offers clear and vivid images, which the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo provides, making it superior to the Acer Aspire 3 15. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo excels in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction, a feature that's essential for professional creative work and less prominent on the Acer Aspire 3. However, both the Acer Aspire 3 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo have lower refresh rates which aren't ideal for 3D applications and gaming where smoother motion representation is critical.
Battery
9.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$1,349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,349.
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and it's easy to carry around. The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Its Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and integrated graphics can only handle simple tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, so it isn't ideal for students in more technical fields like 3D graphics. Unfortunately, the battery lasts only around six to seven hours of light use."
"The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,395
Recommendations made
23,703
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.