The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is a budget-friendly choice with moderate storage and performance, suited for everyday tasks and offers touch support for easy navigation. The Acer is more portable with a lighter build, whereas the MSI has a weightier and bulkier form factor for enhanced capabilities. The choice between these laptops largely depends on your need for either a cost-effective, mobile solution or a high-performance machine for demanding applications. 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 Spin 14
Very good portability
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
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
6.5/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has moderate performance components like an Intel i3 processor and lower screen quality, which is adequate for basic tasks, but its fanless operation means it's silent and offers good portability with lighter weight and a 2-in-1 form factor.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
8.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a modest GPU better suited for casual gaming and basic 3D tasks, with a standard screen refresh rate that won't offer the smooth visuals desired by hardcore gamers. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider packs a high-end GPU that excels in gaming and demanding 3D applications, complemented by a screen with double the refresh rate for more fluid and immersive gameplay.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a modest processor, less RAM, and a lower-tier integrated GPU, making it fair for engineering and design; while the MSI GE66 Raider, with its powerful CPU, substantial RAM, and high-end dedicated GPU, offers premium performance that's rated excellent for such tasks. The Spin 14 benefits from enhanced portability and is designed to be used as a tablet also, but trades off by having a screen quality and performance less suited to intensive engineering tasks compared to the Raider's higher resolution, brighter display which, alongside better keyboard and thermal management, substantiates its excellence but results in reduced portability and increased operating noise.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 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
6.9/10
8.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
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
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a screen's readability and clarity are pivotal, and despite the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offering a decent resolution and brightness, it may not match the richer visual experience provided by the MSI GE66 Raider, which boasts higher resolution and superior brightness. Engineers and designers require precise color representation, and while the Acer provides acceptable performance in DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces, the MSI likely excels with wider color gamuts ensuring more accurate and vibrant colors for professional design work. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D, the refresh rate becomes critical for smooth motion; the Acer's lower refresh rate results in a less optimal gaming experience, while the MSI, despite very good qualities in other aspects, falls short due to a refresh rate that doesn't cater to high-end gaming demands.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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