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Aspire 3 Spin 14
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Katana 17
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·

The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 could be appealing if you are looking for a budget-friendly laptop with a touchscreen and a convertible design for typical everyday use, light office work, and media consumption. It offers quiet operation due to its fanless design. However, it may not be suitable for tasks that demand high performance, such as intensive gaming or professional graphic design, due to its modest processor and integrated graphics. On the other hand, if you prioritize performance and plan to run resource-intensive applications like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Katana 17 boasts a more powerful processor and a dedicated graphics card, which would be more capable for those tasks. It also has a larger display, which can be better for multitasking but may compromise portability due to its size and weight. The tradeoff here is a higher price point compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14. Keep in mind, the MSI's larger screen and higher processing power may lead to a shorter battery life compared to less demanding laptops. Consider these factors in relation to your specific needs and budget when making your decision. 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
  • Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
  • Good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Good for gaming and AI
  • Good for software development
  • Good overall build quality
  • Good speakers
  • Good keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

6.5
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.

Gaming and AI

5.8
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
7.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.

Engineering and Design

5.9
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
8.4
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.

Content Creation

7.0
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.

Software Development

6.9
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
7.5
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.

Screen Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 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.

Battery

8.0 Hours
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
3.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 hours of battery life.

Portability

Very Good
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
7.2
The MSI Katana 17 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$418
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Katana 17
$1,367
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14MSI Katana 17
Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14MSI Katana 17

GENERAL

Price
$418
$1,367
Release Date
April 1, 2023May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74''15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99''
Weight
3.31 lbs5.73 lbs
Width
12.6"15.67"
Depth
9"10.75"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i3-N305Intel i7-13620H
RAM
8 GB32 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
128 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours3 Hours
Battery Capacity
40 Wh53.5 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
14"17.3"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 12001920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
250 nits256 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.3/107.2/10
Portability Score
8.2/106.2/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.3/107.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/107.5/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
23
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
22
Thunderbolt Ports
00

Shopping

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Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14

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Rtings

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."

MSI Katana 17

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NotebookCheck

Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."

Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the MSI Katana 17

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

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.

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