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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, the MSI Pulse GL66 with its RTX 3070 is a superior choice, albeit at a typically higher price tag than the Acer Nitro 17, which offers a decent balance between cost and performance with an RTX 4050. If you prioritize battery life for longer use away from power outlets, the Acer Nitro 17 will last longer on a single charge. In terms of portability, the MSI Pulse GL66 is lighter and more compact, making it easier to carry around. Consider the Acer Nitro 17 for gaming needs, as it is specifically geared towards that purpose with a larger screen and a high refresh rate which could enhance your gaming experience, although it is not as portable as the MSI Pulse GL66. 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 overall display quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good portability
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Content Creation
7.8
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
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.
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
245.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a high resolution and bright display, which is great for general tasks and detail-oriented work in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for the fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Pulse GL66 provides a balance with fair screen quality across the board, but it may not stand out in any particular area, with its color accuracy and range being adequate for engineering but not top-notch, and its refresh rate not being high enough for the smoothest gaming or 3D rendering experience. In both cases, for those involved in gaming and 3D work that rely on fast frame changes, neither laptop would be the best fit due to their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 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
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen, higher RAM capacity, and better screen quality, making it suitable for general use including media consumption and multi-tasking, but its larger size and weight reduce portability and it has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.2
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and 3D applications because it has a high refresh rate display making gameplay smoother, and it's equipped with a capable graphics processor. The MSI Pulse GL66 is also suitable for these tasks, thanks to its powerful graphics processor but has a slightly lower screen refresh rate which may affect fast-paced gaming experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Software Development
7.4
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 53 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 | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 | 1 | |
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 Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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