The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is a budget-friendly option that's lightweight and offers decent portability, generally adequate for everyday tasks, with a touchscreen for added convenience. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS77 is a high-end laptop ideal for heavy-duty tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering work, offering a large high-resolution display and superior graphics performance suited for intensive gaming as well. The MSI has a significantly higher price point and is heavier, which might affect portability. If cost and ease of carrying are concerns, the Acer might be a suitable choice, but if performance in demanding applications is a priority, the MSI is the better fit. 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 Stealth GS77
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
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
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14's fair general use performance is due to its modest CPU, lower RAM, and screen quality with fewer nits of brightness and less color coverage compared to MSI Stealth GS77's very good general use performance, which is bolstered by a more powerful CPU, higher RAM, and superior screen quality with higher resolution and greater color accuracy.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has modest capabilities for gaming and 3D due to its entry-level Intel UHD Graphics Xe integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, suitable for casual gaming but not for high-end or competitive gaming needs. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 is highly capable for these activities, equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti dedicated GPU and a high refresh rate of 240Hz, offering a smooth and immersive gaming experience, especially for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is fair for engineering due to its mid-level Intel i3 processor, basic integrated graphics, and lower RAM, which suffice for less demanding tasks but may struggle with intensive engineering software. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering, offering a high-end Intel i7 processor, powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, and ample RAM for handling complex simulations and design work effortlessly.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 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.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers adequate resolution and brightness suited for everyday tasks, but it falls short for gaming and 3D due to its limited refresh rate, which is critical for smooth visuals in fast-paced environments. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth GS77 provides a vibrant and sharp display for both general use and professional tasks like engineering and design, thanks to its higher resolution and comprehensive color coverage that ensure detailed and accurate visuals. However, its gaming and 3D performance is hindered by a refresh rate that might not match the demands of high-frame-rate gaming, despite its better resolution and panel technology.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
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 Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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