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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is a budget-friendly option with a larger screen, making it good for general use and media consumption; however, it has a lower performing processor and graphics, which may not be ideal for demanding tasks. It is not suitable for intensive gaming but can handle basic functions well and is relatively portable. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE66 costs more but offers high performance with a superior processor and graphics card, suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering. It has better screen quality, which is important for detail-oriented work, yet this laptop is heavier and may be less convenient to carry around regularly. Consider the Acer if you prioritize a larger screen and affordability with moderate use, and the MSI if performance for demanding applications and gaming is a priority, despite the higher cost and slightly reduced 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
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with a decent processor and enough RAM for everyday tasks, its larger screen is good for productivity, and it has a longer battery life ideal for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE66 offers a much more powerful CPU and plenty of RAM which can handle more intensive applications smoothly; it also provides superior screen quality but is less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it better suited for users needing higher performance.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very 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
8.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is limited in engineering and design tasks due to its less powerful Intel i5 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics, which are more suited for basic to moderate tasks, while the MSI Raider GE66 excels with its advanced Intel i7 processor and high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics, enabling more complex and graphics-intensive work. Additionally, the MSI Raider's superior RAM capacity significantly enhances multitasking and large project handling compared to the Acer's lower RAM, although the tradeoff is less portability and higher operating noise.
Content Creation
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 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
8.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5 17's screen may be adequate due to acceptable resolution and brightness but may lack the vibrancy and sharpness provided by higher-end panels like those on the MSI Raider GE66, which offers crisp images and bright colors. In engineering and design, the MSI Raider excels with a wider color gamut, ensuring precise color work, while the Acer's more limited gamut could leave professionals seeking more accuracy. For gaming and 3D uses, the Raider's shortcomings in refresh rate could result in less smooth visuals, whereas such details are less critical for the Acer's target audience focused on basic tasks and multimedia.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The MSI Raider GE66 has very 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to have good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the MSI Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | MSI Raider GE66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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 Raider GE66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the MSI Raider GE66
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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Why trust us
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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