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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is more budget-friendly than the MSI GE66 Raider, which comes with a higher price tag. With the Acer, expect a larger screen size but lower resolution, making it less ideal for high-definition content creation, but potentially more appealing for gamers who prioritize screen real estate over pixel density. On the other hand, the MSI offers superior performance with a more powerful main processor and double the RAM, enhancing its capabilities for engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning workloads. The Raider's smaller screen has a much higher resolution, which is advantageous for activities requiring sharp, detailed visuals, like photo editing. The MSI also boasts a higher battery capacity, which may translate to longer use away from an outlet, and it has a better portability score, making it easier to carry around. However, the Acer comes with a slightly higher score for heat management, suggesting it might handle prolonged intensive tasks with better cooling efficiency. Both laptops have gaming-focused features, but the MSI's more robust specs make it more suitable for the most demanding gaming experiences. If your focus is on general usage without particularly intensive tasks, the Acer can save you money while still providing a good experience. However, for the most demanding applications like high-end gaming, engineering, or content creation, investing more in the MSI could give you a considerable edge in performance and display quality. 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 17
- The Acer Nitro 5 17 has no clear advantages over the MSI GE66 Raider.
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a larger screen and strong performance with ample RAM for general use, but is less portable and has a lower resolution display compared to the MSI GE66 Raider, which showcases a higher resolution and brighter screen, superior CPU performance, and a lighter design, making it exceptionally suitable for general use despite a slightly lower portability due to its battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.6
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.0
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good.
The MSI GE66 Raider outperforms the Acer Nitro 5 17 in engineering and design use due primarily to its superior CPU (Intel i9 versus AMD Ryzen 7) and double the RAM, which are critical for intense computational tasks, along with a better GPU (RTX 3080 Ti versus RTX 3080) and higher screen resolution for finer detail.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 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.
Software Development
7.4
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 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
8.2
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 17's screen provides crisp images and bright visuals due to its panel type and resolution, ensuring a pleasant viewing experience for daily tasks. For engineering and design, the MSI GE66 Raider's display excels in color accuracy and range, making it ideal for professionals requiring precision in color-sensitive work. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications because their screens don't offer the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider and Acer Nitro 5 17 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GE66 Raider has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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