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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is more budget-friendly and offers a larger 17.3-inch screen, which is great for multitasking and watching videos, but this makes it less portable. It has lower performance compared to the MSI Prestige 16 but should handle general use comfortably. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, while more expensive, provides superior performance with its higher-end processor and more RAM, making it better suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering and engineering applications. It has a smaller 16-inch display but with higher resolution and color accuracy, better for professional creative work. The MSI also boasts a more premium build and slightly longer battery life but is still relatively lightweight for its power. 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 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
7.3
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 outperforms the Acer Aspire 5 17 due to its more powerful CPU and doubled RAM, which contributes to its very good performance in general use, whereas the Aspire 5 17, while offering good performance, has a less powerful CPU and less RAM. Additionally, the Prestige 16 boasts a higher quality screen with a greater color range and resolution, enhancing visual clarity and detail, although this comes at the cost of being less portable and having a shorter battery life than the Aspire 5 17.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its entry-level CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower-resolution screen, is adequate for lighter engineering and design tasks but may struggle with more intensive workloads. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16 boasts a more powerful CPU and GPU, significantly more RAM, and a high-resolution screen, making it well-suited for demanding engineering and design work despite being less portable due to its superior performance.
Content Creation
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
8.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 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 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's screen provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and productivity software, but its limited color range and lower refresh rates may not suit color-sensitive work in engineering and design, or provide the smooth visuals desired in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Prestige 16 offers a vibrant display with high resolution and superior color accuracy, making it ideal for professionals who need true-to-life color representation, but like the Acer, it lacks a high refresh rate which is crucial for a seamless experience in fast-paced gaming and 3D rendering. Both laptops have displays that cater well to general and professional use, but gamers and 3D artists would find the screen refresh rates limiting.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Prestige 16 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
$1,611
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.7
3.7/10
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 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MSI Prestige 16 offers superior gaming and 3D capabilities mainly because it has a much higher screen refresh rate and enhanced screen quality over the Acer Aspire 5 17, which should translate to smoother visuals and more responsive gameplay. Additionally, the MSI model boasts a higher-end CPU which contributes to better overall performance, although both laptops have similar integrated graphics capabilities.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 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 | 50.3 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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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 16
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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 17 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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