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Updated January 12, 2024·
When deciding between the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the MSI Pulse GL66, consider your primary use case for the laptop. If your focus is on casual computing, such as browsing, office tasks, and media consumption, the Acer Aspire 5 is less expensive and offers solid performance for everyday use. The lower price of the Acer also means you're likely to get sufficient battery life for general use. However, if you need more power for demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software, the MSI Pulse GL66 comes with a higher-performance processor and dedicated graphics card, which can better handle those needs. Bear in mind, though, that this additional power comes at the cost of portability due to the MSI Pulse GL66's heavier weight and typically higher price. 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 5 15
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.2
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
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
6.6
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 suits engineering and design tasks well due to its capable CPU and integrated Iris Xe graphics, adequate RAM, and a high-resolution IPS screen, making it a strong contender for productivity with reliable portability. In comparison, the MSI Pulse GL66 excels with a more powerful CPU, a high-end dedicated GPU, and a similar quality display, offering superior performance for engineering software and design work that demands resource-intensive computations and graphics processing, though at the expense of reduced battery life and increased weight.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
Both the Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 have screen qualities that are adequate for everyday tasks due to their respectable resolution and brightness, but they might not stand out in terms of sharpness or vibrancy compared to higher-end panels. For engineering and design, where accurate color representation is crucial, their screens fall short as they don't cover professional color gamuts comprehensively, which could impact the precision of design work. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the lack of high refresh rates on these laptops means less fluid motion, and while the resolution and panel type are suitable, they are not optimized for the fast-paced visuals that gamers often seek.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the Acer Aspire 5 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$480
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.3
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 53 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
MSI Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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