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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17, being less expensive, offers solid general use performance suitable for everyday tasks with a larger screen. However, its capabilities in handling more intensive 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks are limited. The MSI Cyborg 15, while slightly more expensive, boasts a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better for gaming and demanding tasks. It's also more portable due to its smaller size and comes with hardware features like ray tracing for better gaming performance. Between the two, the MSI provides a better battery life, although both are suitable for intensive gaming. Consider the Acer if you prioritize screen size and affordability or the MSI for better performance in specialized tasks and portability. 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 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the MSI Cyborg 15.
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
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 Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 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
6.7
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with a less powerful i5 CPU and integrated graphics, suitable for basic engineering and design tasks, whereas the MSI Cyborg 15 boasts a higher performance i7 CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics, making it capable of handling more intensive engineering and design work. Additionally, the Acer offers a larger screen which might be preferable for design work, but the MSI provides better overall performance, which is crucial for complex engineering applications, at the cost of slightly reduced screen size.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5 17 and MSI Cyborg 15 have fair screen quality because they offer adequate resolution and brightness, but might not stand out with particularly sharp or vibrant displays. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops provide sufficient color accuracy with their displays but fall short of the higher standards for professional color work that depends on wider color gamuts. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, both models are limited by lower refresh rates which can result in less smooth visuals, making them less ideal for fast-paced or graphically intensive activities.
Cost
$700
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger screen and good battery life, which suits general use for those who prioritize a spacious display and longer use without charging, but it's less portable due to its size. The MSI Cyborg 15, while also providing a long battery lifespan and a solid build suitable for everyday tasks, offers a more powerful CPU and GPU making it versatile for more demanding applications but is a bit more compact and thus more portable.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 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
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and MSI Cyborg 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
6.7
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have 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 17 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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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