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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 is more affordable and offers good performance for general use and gaming, with a longer battery life, making it suitable for those on a budget who need mobility. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE77Hx offers superior performance for intensive tasks and gaming but is significantly more expensive and less portable due to its size and shorter battery life; this makes it ideal for users prioritizing top-tier performance and who usually work from a single location. 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 battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE77Hx
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
8.7
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and 3D tasks largely because it features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, compared to the Acer Nitro 17's Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and 165Hz refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE77Hx outperforms the Acer Nitro 17 for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel CPU and superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, contributing to better graphics rendering and computation speed, alongside a higher resolution screen that offers better clarity and color accuracy for detailed work. While the Acer Nitro 17 is a capable machine with an AMD CPU and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU that can handle many engineering tasks, its lower screen quality and overall performance might not meet the demands of more intensive design work, despite offering better portability and operating noise levels.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for software development, though the MSI Raider GE77Hx is somewhat better.
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
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE77Hx has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 17, with its solid resolution and brightness, provides a comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering, but its slower refresh rate doesn't match the fluid visuals demanded by high-end gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Raider GE77Hx, offering similar benefits in resolution and brightness for general and engineering uses, also falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate, despite its high-quality display. Both laptops may boast impressive color accuracy crucial for design work but lack the smooth motion clarity that gamers and 3D professionals seek.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx has 5.5 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.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE77Hx has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$1,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $1,999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE77Hx to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE77Hx, with its higher-resolution screen and stronger Intel CPU, offers superior screen quality and performance, which are very important for general use, but it has a shorter battery life and is less portable than the Acer Nitro 17. The Acer Nitro 17 may not match the MSI's performance, yet it provides longer usability unplugged, a substantial consideration for those prioritizing battery life over raw power for their general computing needs.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE77Hx to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Acer Nitro 17 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | MSI Raider GE77Hx |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Raider GE77Hx
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"The MSI Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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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