The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is a budget-friendly option with a lower price point, while the MSI Prestige 16 is more expensive. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is likely sufficient for everyday tasks and light use with moderate battery life and performance. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 is more suitable for intensive tasks such as engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, offering better performance and a higher-quality display. It is also slimmer and lighter, making it more portable, but you'll pay more for these advantages. Consider your primary use: general activities and saving money with the Acer or paying extra for portability and high performance with the MSI. 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 Prestige 16
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 speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The MSI Prestige 16 outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use with its higher-end CPU and significantly more RAM, which result in faster and smoother operation, as well as a larger, higher resolution screen with better color coverage, enhancing viewing experience. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, however, offers greater portability due to its lighter weight and smaller form factor, along with better battery life, making it more suitable for users who prioritize mobility and longer unplugged usage.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The MSI Prestige 16, with a high-end CPU, substantially more RAM, and a better GPU, offers much stronger performance for engineering and design tasks compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, which has a basic CPU and less RAM, making it less suitable for such demanding work. Additionally, the MSI's superior screen quality, with higher resolution and color coverage, provides a more precise and vibrant visual experience than the Acer, which is crucial for design precision.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 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
8.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 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
8.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 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.
When considering screen quality for general use, the MSI Prestige 16 stands out with its higher resolution and brightness, offering crisp and vivid visuals compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14. For engineering and design, the MSI Prestige 16 again has the advantage due to its wider color gamut coverage, which ensures more accurate color reproduction necessary for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short because of their lower refresh rates, making them less suitable for the fast-paced visuals those activities demand.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The MSI Prestige 16 has 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
$1,611
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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 Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the MSI Prestige 16
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.