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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high performance for gaming or engineering work and a bigger screen, the MSI Raider GE76 is an excellent choice, though it comes at a higher cost and is heavier, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 3 15 is more budget-friendly, offers longer battery life, and is lighter, making it easier to carry around, but it has lower performance capabilities making it better suited for general use rather than intensive tasks. 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
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE76
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very 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
- Good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.8
8.9
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15's performance in gaming and 3D tasks is considered fair because it has an entry-level GPU and a basic screen refresh rate, which are not optimal for demanding graphics and fast-paced games. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE76 is rated excellent for these tasks due to its high-end GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, making it far superior for rendering advanced graphics and providing a smoother visual experience.
Engineering and Design
5.9
9.0
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its mid-range AMD Ryzen CPU, standard RAM, entry-level AMD GPU, and a full HD screen, is fair for engineering and design tasks, which are typically resource-intensive. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE76, with its high-end Intel CPU, substantial RAM, top-tier Nvidia GPU, and superior QHD screen, excels in these areas, providing the power and detail required for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
7.0
8.4
4.1/10
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 Raider GE76 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
8.2
4.1/10
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
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 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, the Acer Aspire 3 15 provides adequate resolution and brightness, but the MSI Raider GE76 has a superior panel offering sharper images and more vivid colors. In engineering and design, the MSI's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color representation, an essential aspect, while the Acer's coverage is modest in comparison. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the MSI's high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion, doesn't compensate for the screen's inferior overall quality, and despite its decent resolution and panel type, the Acer falls short due to its lower refresh rate and screen attributes that don't support intensive graphics tasks.
Battery
9.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE76 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The MSI Raider GE76 has very 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
$3,552
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the MSI Raider GE76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | MSI Raider GE76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $3,552 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
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."
MSI Raider GE76
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2022
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the MSI Raider GE76
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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