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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and longer battery life over high performance, the Acer Aspire 3 is more budget-friendly and offers a good general use experience. Its lower price reflects modest performance for tasks like browsing and productivity software. However, the MSI Stealth GS66, while pricier, delivers more power for things like 3D rendering, gaming, and intensive engineering software due to its superior processor and graphics card. It has less battery life but is well-suited for demanding tasks and gaming. Both are around the same weight and screen size, but the Acer is quieter with a fanless design, while the MSI has a better keyboard and screen for fast motions and color accuracy. 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 battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, while suitable for basic tasks, may lag behind in performance and screen quality compared to the MSI Stealth GS66, which boasts a more powerful CPU and higher RAM, enhancing its suitability for more demanding applications and multitasking. Additionally, the GS66's superior portability and battery life make it a more versatile option for on-the-go use, although it comes at a higher cost than the Aspire 3.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The MSI Stealth GS66 offers a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which are very important for smooth and visually detailed gaming and 3D experiences, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 provides a more basic AMD Radeon 610M GPU, and a standard refresh rate, indicating less capacity for intensive graphical tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.9
8.2
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with a less powerful AMD Ryzen 3 processor and AMD Radeon 610M GPU, offers fair performance for engineering and design tasks, also considering its 8 GB of RAM and standard screen quality. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66 provides very good performance with a high-end Intel i7 processor, Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, double the RAM at 16 GB, and superior screen quality, which are all crucial for such demanding applications, though it's slightly heavier and pricier.
Content Creation
7.0
7.7
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth GS66 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.2
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a screen that provides adequate clarity and color for everyday tasks and engineering work, but its lower resolution and dimmer display might not bring out the vibrant graphics typically desired in gaming or 3D applications. The MSI Stealth GS66 offers a higher-quality display with better resolution and brightness, enhancing the experience for general use and detailed engineering and design projects, but its refresh rate isn't optimal for the smooth visuals critical in high-speed gaming or 3D rendering. The specific color accuracy required for professional design isn't a standout feature on either laptop, with the MSI being better suited for the task, but still not reaching the high standards set by specialized monitors.
Battery
9.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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.
Build Quality
6.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.0
7.5
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Acer Aspire 3 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and MSI Stealth GS66 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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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 Stealth GS66
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NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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.
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