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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 generally costs less and has a larger 17.3-inch screen, which is great for multitasking and enjoying media, but it's heavier and larger, making it less portable. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 14 is more portable due to its smaller 14-inch screen and lighter weight, offers better general performance, and the battery lasts longer, suitable for on-the-go use. If you do heavy-duty work like 3D modeling, machine learning, or other engineering tasks, the MSI’s better performance may be important. For general use, the Acer might suffice, especially if you prefer a larger display and don’t mind a slightly bulkier laptop. 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 Prestige 14.
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 14
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its fair screen attributes, provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for casual engineering and design work, yet its lower refresh rate doesn't suit the fast-paced visuals required for immersive gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Prestige 14 offers a high-quality display that includes better resolution and brightness for sharp and vibrant viewing in general use, as well as more accurate color representation critical for professional engineering and design tasks, but like the Acer, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a less-than-ideal refresh rate. For gaming and 3D visuals where fluid motion is key, neither laptop's screen refresh rate meets the high standard needed, though they can handle less demanding visual tasks quite well.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 has 8.5 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Prestige 14 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,040
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the MSI Prestige 14 costs $1,040.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger 17.3-inch display for comfortable viewing and a full keyboard with a number pad which is ideal for general use tasks, but it's less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight compared to the MSI Prestige 14, which has a 14-inch screen and weighs less, making it more travel-friendly. The MSI Prestige 14 also outmatches the Acer in terms of RAM, contributing to better multitasking capabilities, and boasts higher screen quality and battery life, enhancing its suitability for both work and leisure activities on the go.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and the MSI Prestige 14 are both equipped with integrated Iris Xe graphics which provide modest performance for gaming and 3D applications, sufficient for less demanding games but limiting for more intensive titles. Moreover, their screens have a standard refresh rate which is adequate for general use and some gaming but won't deliver the smooth visuals that high-end gaming laptops with faster screens offer.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 14 to be good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is fair for engineering and design use due to its moderate CPU, RAM, GPU capability, and screen quality, making it well-suited for basic to moderate tasks. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 14 is rated good for such use because it has a higher quality screen, a stronger CPU, more RAM, and similar GPU, which together offer improved performance and better handling of demanding applications typically used in engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 14 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
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the MSI Prestige 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | MSI Prestige 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,040 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.6'' x 8.6'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.84 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 12.56" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.62" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 53.8 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Prestige 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Tech Radar
Collin Probst | September 2022
"The MSI Prestige 14” is excellent for productivity and business use cases, but it is not ideal for creators or visual content editors. The Prestige was able to power through days of email, spreadsheets, and text documents without breaking a sweat and was a joy to use. The additional ports were a breath of fresh air, as most laptops seem to be moving towards just Thunderbolt ports. The security options made signing in effortless, with two quick, more secure, and faster options than even the most complex alphanumeric passcode."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the MSI Prestige 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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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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