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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Choose the Acer Nitro 5 17 if spending less and having a larger screen are priorities. This laptop also has better general use performance and longer battery life, but it's heavier, impacting portability. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a stronger build and performs slightly better in engineering tasks while being lighter and thus more portable, but it comes at a higher price with a shorter battery life. Neither is ideal if portability is a top concern, as both are geared towards gaming and intensive tasks. Consider your budget and whether you value battery life and screen size over build quality and engineering performance. 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
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
7.5
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
If you prioritize viewing documents and web browsing, the Acer Nitro 5 17's resolution and panel type will offer clear and sharp images, while its adequate brightness ensures a good experience in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design work, both the Acer Nitro 5 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard have decent color coverage, ensuring that colors are reproduced accurately and consistently. However, gamers and professionals working with 3D applications may find the lower refresh rates on both models less smooth compared to laptops designed specifically for those tasks, which could affect the perceived fluidity of motion and responsiveness during gameplay or 3D rendering.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Acer Nitro 5 17 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GP66 Leopard has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a larger screen and longer battery life which is great for general use, yet it is heavier and less portable than the MSI GP66 Leopard; both have sizable RAM and powerful CPUs to handle everyday tasks smoothly. The MSI GP66 Leopard has a smaller, brighter display with better speaker quality, making it also suitable for general use, but with a shorter battery life and smaller storage capacity than the Acer Nitro 5 17.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 stands out for gaming and 3D tasks due to its high screen refresh rate and top-tier Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, though its larger screen size may affect portability. Meanwhile, the MSI GP66 Leopard, also equipped with a strong Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and solid screen quality, offers a more portable choice with a moderate screen refresh rate, suitable for both gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 5 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is favored for engineering and design due to its superior screen size and quality, which enhances the visual workspace with good color coverage, while the MSI GP66 Leopard, although it has a slightly smaller screen and lower color coverage, compensates with a higher contrast ratio that can be ideal for detailed design work; both laptops are well-equipped with powerful CPUs, top-tier GPUs, and ample RAM.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
7.4/10
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 5 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for content creation.
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
7.2
7.4/10
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 5 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
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 i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 65 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 | 360Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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