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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the MSI Raider GE76 depends on your priorities. For an often significantly less expensive option, the Acer Nitro 5 17 offers good general performance and is equipped with a powerful GPU suitable for gaming. However, if you need more powerful performance for 3D modeling, machine learning, or engineering tasks, the MSI Raider GE76, while often significantly more expensive, provides more RAM and a higher-end GPU, leading to better results in these areas. Both laptops have similar size and weight, with portability being a compromise due to their large screens and powerful components; neither is ideal if you prioritize a lightweight, easily transportable laptop. The MSI's higher resolution screen benefits visual-intensive tasks, but it also contributes to its higher price. If budget is a constraint and you're looking for solid performance with a focus on gaming, the Acer might suit you well, but if you're willing to invest more for top-tier performance and a better screen, the MSI is a strong choice. 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 Raider GE76.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE76
- 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
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is considered good for general use due to its capable CPU and ample RAM, but its lower screen resolution and brightness compared to the MSI Raider GE76 leave room for improvement. The MSI Raider GE76, on the other hand, is rated very good for general use largely because of its superior CPU performance, higher screen quality with better resolution and brightness, and a more substantial battery capacity, though it is slightly less portable due to increased weight.
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.9
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE76 is considered excellent for gaming and 3D because it comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a higher screen resolution compared to the also capable but less powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU in the Acer Nitro 5 17; furthermore, the MSI has a superior screen quality offering a higher pixel density. However, the Acer's higher screen refresh rate could be favorable for fast-paced gaming even with its lower resolution and less robust GPU.
Engineering and Design
8.0
9.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a solid AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, and while it has a decent RAM capacity for engineering tasks, its screen resolution and color coverage are less optimal when compared to the MSI Raider GE76 which comes with a more powerful Intel CPU, higher tier Nvidia GPU, twice the RAM for more demanding work, and a higher resolution screen with superior color accuracy, enhancing visual clarity and detail for complex design work. However, both are bulky with significant weight, meaning portability is compromised, and although the MSI has a slightly better build, it's also likely to be less quiet in operation.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 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
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 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
8.6
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a vivid, clear display for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, both the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the MSI Raider GE76 offer excellent visuals with their high resolution and bright panels. For engineering and design work, where accurate color representation is key, the MSI stands out with its wider color gamuts, ensuring your designs look true to life. However, for gaming or working with 3D applications, neither laptop is optimal due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness during fast-paced scenes.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The MSI Raider GE76 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
$3,552
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
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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 Raider GE76 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.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 5 17 to have only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the MSI Raider GE76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | MSI Raider GE76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $3,552 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 99.9 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 | 360Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
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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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 Raider GE76
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2022
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the MSI Raider GE76
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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