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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option that can handle everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption, the Acer Aspire 5 15 offers a lower price with decent performance. However, if your work involves more demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, or if you want faster overall performance and a higher quality display, the MSI Prestige 16 could be the better choice despite its higher cost. The MSI Prestige 16 also comes with a sharper screen, better graphics performance, more storage, and a more powerful processor. It's slightly heavier, which may impact portability. Meanwhile, the Acer Aspire 5 15 is lighter and thus easier to carry around. 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 Prestige 16.
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
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 stands out for general use due to its higher performing CPU, double the RAM for multitasking, and a superior screen with greater resolution, brightness, and color coverage, which benefits both productivity and media consumption. However, the Acer Aspire 5 15 is lighter and potentially more convenient to carry around, with decent performance and screen quality for everyday tasks, albeit with shorter battery life and less robust build quality compared to the MSI Prestige 16.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.7
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 16 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Prestige 16 is somewhat better.
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
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.3
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 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
7.3
8.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
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
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5's fair screen quality for general use is due to its panel type, which is adequate for everyday tasks, and its resolution and brightness are suitable for typical usage like browsing and productivity but may lack the vividness professionals need. The MSI Prestige 16's very good screen quality for both general use and engineering and design stems from its high resolution and brightness, which enhances visibility and clarity, along with a color gamut that accurately represents a wide spectrum, crucial for detailed design work. However, both the Acer Aspire 5 and MSI Prestige 16 have poor screen quality for gaming and 3D due to their lower refresh rates, which can't match the smoothness demanded by high-speed visuals in gaming and animation.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Prestige 16 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
$1,611
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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
16.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and MSI Prestige 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Prestige 16
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Dig into reviews and images
Make Use Of
Paul Antill | June 2023
"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 5 15 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.
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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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