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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize better performance, especially for tasks like intensive engineering or 3D work, the Acer Aspire 5 15 with a slightly higher price might be a more suitable option. However, if portability is more important to you and you are looking to save some money, the MSI Modern 14 could serve you well for general use and still offers decent capability for tasks that are not excessively demanding. The Acer Aspire has a larger screen, potentially offering a more comfortable viewing experience, which is beneficial for longer work sessions, and the MSI is lighter and easier to carry around. Keep in mind that battery life will also vary, with the Acer Aspire typically providing longer usage between charges. 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
- The Acer Aspire 5 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Modern 14.
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for software development, while the MSI Modern 14 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the MSI Modern 14 deliver adequate visuals suitable for everyday tasks but might not stand out due to their average panel type, resolution, and brightness which are crucial for crisp text and vibrant displays. In the realm of engineering and design, professionals may find the color accuracy limiting since the coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which ensure precise color representation, are not a strong suit for these models. When it comes to 3D work and gaming, the lack of a high refresh rate, which is key for smooth motion rendering, along with only moderate resolution and panel quality, make these laptops less ideal for those specific demands.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$479
$525
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $479 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 provides solid general use capabilities with a decent balance between performance due to its Intel i5 CPU and substantial battery life, while offering good portability despite its larger screen size. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 excels in portability with its lighter weight and smaller size, coupled with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU that ensures good performance, although it has a shorter battery life compared to the Acer.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.0
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Modern 14 are both fair for gaming and 3D because they feature integrated graphics, with the former leveraging Intel's Iris Xe and the latter using AMD's Vega 7, which can handle casual gaming but may struggle with more demanding games and tasks. Additionally, both have screens with a standard refresh rate, which is less than optimal for the smoother visuals preferred in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.6
6.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Modern 14 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 is better for engineering and design due to its stronger Intel i5-1335U CPU and Iris Xe GPU, which provide more power for demanding software typical in those fields; it also has a larger screen with good color representation, which benefits design work. While the MSI Modern 14 offers commendable performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 7530U CPU and Vega 7 GPU, its smaller screen and slightly lower performance make it less optimal for rigorous engineering tasks, despite being more portable and having better keyboard quality.
Content Creation
7.3
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
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 Modern 14 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
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Modern 14 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Modern 14 to have 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$479 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Modern 14
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Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the MSI Modern 14
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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