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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is more affordable and has decent performance for general use and gaming, with a good balance of features for its price. It's also somewhat lighter, making it a bit more portable. However, the MSI Raider GE78, although notably more expensive, offers top-tier performance suitable for the most intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. Its larger storage, more RAM, and stronger processor and graphics unit make it a powerhouse for demanding applications. Additionally, it has a bigger screen with higher resolution and refresh rate, better color coverage, and a significantly larger battery capacity, but it is heavier and comes with a weightier power brick, which affects 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 Nitro 5 15
- The Acer Nitro 5 15 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class 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 battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.5
9.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 stands out for gaming and 3D tasks because it has a more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4090, and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz compared to the Acer Nitro 5 15's Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and 144Hz screen refresh rate. While both feature quality IPS displays, the better GPU and refresh rate of the MSI contribute significantly to smoother visuals and enhanced gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
7.9
9.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 outshines the Acer Nitro 5 15 for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, superior GPU, and a display with higher resolution and color accuracy. While the Acer Nitro 5 15 is lighter and thus slightly more portable, the MSI weighs more and has a larger screen, sacrificing portability for enhanced performance and visual clarity which are crucial for demanding engineering tasks and detailed design work.
Content Creation
7.5
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
7.4
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
6.9
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 15 provides a crisp, bright display with good resolution which makes reading text and viewing media pleasant; however, the MSI Raider GE78 steps it up further with even higher brightness and sharper detail. In fields like engineering and design, color accuracy is crucial; the MSI Raider's coverage of color gamuts ensures a more true-to-life representation, giving professionals the precision they need, compared to the Acer's fair performance. On the other hand, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-moving visuals are common, the Acer falls short as its lower refresh rate leads to less fluid motion, unlike the MSI which also doesn't excel but has moderately better capabilities in this regard due to its panel type and resolution.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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