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Updated March 21, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 is more budget-friendly and offers solid performance for everyday tasks and moderate gaming, along with easier portability due to its smaller size. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX is a much more powerful machine designed for demanding tasks like high-end gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and heavy engineering software; however, it is heavier, which makes it less portable, and it generally comes at a higher price point. Additionally, the larger screen on the MSI can be beneficial for multitasking and immersive experiences but will likely reduce battery life compared to the Acer. 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 Nitro 16
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16's balance of CPU, RAM, and screen quality ensures it adequately meets the needs for general use, although it offers greater portability and better battery life than the MSI Titan 18 HX. However, the MSI Titan 18 HX provides superior performance and a larger, higher-quality display, which might make it more appealing for demanding tasks, at the cost of being less portable and having shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.0
9.4
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
The Acer Nitro 16, with a competent GPU, offers solid gaming and 3D performance, and its decent screen refresh rate ensures smoother visuals, making it a strong choice for most gamers. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its superior GPU, excels in handling even the most demanding games and 3D applications, complemented by a high screen refresh rate for exceptionally fluid graphics, though it may come at a higher cost and reduced portability due to its larger size.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers a balance of performance with a capable CPU, ample RAM, and quality GPU ideal for engineering tasks, while having a screen that provides clarity for design work; it's relatively easier to carry around compared to larger laptops. The MSI Titan 18 HX, on the other hand, excels in engineering and design due to its superior CPU, more RAM, and top-tier GPU, with a larger, high-quality screen for detailed visuals, although it sacrifices portability and may have louder operating noise due to more powerful components.
Content Creation
7.8
9.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 16 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
7.7
8.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 16 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
8.3
9.2
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a vibrant display with sharp details and good brightness for everyday tasks or professional engineering and design work, the MSI Titan 18 HX offers exceptional quality because it likely boasts superior panel technology, higher resolution, and wider color coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications where motion clarity is crucial, both the Acer Nitro 16 and MSI Titan 18 HX may fall short due to lower refresh rates, which means you won't get as smooth of an experience compared to models with faster screens. It's important to weigh these aspects and decide which screen attributes align with your primary activities on the laptop.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,050
$4,800
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $4,800 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
MSI Titan 18 HX
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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