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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 provides a larger screen and significantly more battery capacity which is ideal for long gaming sessions or intensive tasks without needing to charge often. It also has better performance capabilities for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software due to a newer GPU and more RAM. However, its size and weight make it less portable than the MSI GF65 Thin. The MSI, on the other hand, is more portable, has a higher portability score, and may be more suitable for on-the-go usage or if you frequently travel with your laptop. Both laptops are similarly priced and offer solid performance for general use and gaming, but the MSI's smaller screen and battery capacity, along with an older GPU, may limit performance in demanding applications compared to the Acer. Select the Acer for enhanced performance and longer unplugged use, or the MSI for better portability and everyday tasks. 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 17
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers better performance for general use due to its more powerful CPU and double the RAM compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, resulting in smoother multitasking and handling of demanding applications. It also comes with a larger and higher quality screen, though this makes it less portable and reduces its battery life compared to the more compact, lightweight MSI GF65 Thin, which may still be suitable for less intensive tasks despite its older CPU and half the RAM.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.8
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 is better for gaming and 3D applications because it has a more powerful GPU in the form of the Nvidia RTX 4050 and a higher screen refresh rate at 165 Hz, compared to the MSI GF65 Thin which is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 144 Hz refresh rate. While both laptops have similar screen qualities with IPS panels and 1080p resolution, these key differences in GPU and refresh rate make the Acer Nitro 17 more suitable for demanding graphic tasks and smoother gameplay.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 is highly suitable for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, and RTX 4050 GPU which ensures smooth graphics handling, along with a high-quality IPS display; however, it is less portable due to its larger size and weight. The MSI GF65 Thin, while offering a solid Intel i5 processor and RTX 3060 GPU for engineering tasks, comes with less RAM and storage space, but gains an edge in portability with its lighter frame and smaller screen.
Content Creation
7.8
6.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.4
6.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.4
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17 likely offers a better visual experience for general use and engineering due to its higher resolution and brightness, enhancing clarity and visibility, while its color accuracy benefits professional design work by covering wider color gamuts. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lack of a high refresh rate on the Acer Nitro 17 reduces motion clarity and responsiveness, which are crucial in fast-paced scenarios. The MSI GF65 Thin, while providing acceptable screen quality for everyday tasks and engineering with reasonable resolution and color accuracy, fails to deliver the smooth visuals gamers seek due to its poorer refresh rate.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.7
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 51 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 | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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