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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop for gaming or resource-intensive tasks and don't mind less portability and shorter battery life, the Acer Nitro 5 17 is a strong option for less money. However, if portability, battery life, and a more professional design are important, and you're willing to invest more, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is a premium machine suitable for power users and creative professionals who need a balance of performance and mobility. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its larger size and weight, less vivid IPS display, and lower battery capacity, may not offer the same portability and visual experience for general use as the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, which boasts a higher-resolution OLED screen with better color coverage, more RAM for multitasking, and a much longer battery life despite being lighter and more compact.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.7
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and an impressive 360Hz screen refresh rate, making it a strong choice for gaming and 3D requirements. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo also offers a capable GPU with Intel Arc 8-Cores and an OLED screen known for its high quality, but it has a lower refresh rate of 60Hz, which may limit its appeal to gamers who prioritize fast-paced visuals.
Content Creation
7.8
8.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo 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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo 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
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro 5 17 and MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offer displays with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them pleasant to use for everyday tasks like browsing or watching videos. The MSI Prestige outshines in engineering and design due to its superior ability to accurately represent colors within professional color gamuts, essential for tasks requiring color precision. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, neither laptop's display is ideal as they lack the high refresh rates that offer smoother visuals and a more immersive experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$1,349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,349.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Acer Nitro 5 17 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 5 17 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,349 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | December 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10.02" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 Prestige 16 AI Evo
See more
Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMag
Mark Anthony Ramirez | December 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
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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