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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and potentially higher graphics performance, the Acer Nitro 5 17 with a 17.3-inch display and powerful graphics may be appealing, but it's heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is more portable owing to its smaller 14-inch screen and lighter weight, making it suitable for on-the-go use. It also sports a higher resolution and battery capacity, which can be ideal for productivity and media consumption. However, it's typically more expensive, and it may not offer the same level of gaming performance as the Acer due to its less powerful graphics hardware. 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 overall display quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
7.6
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers sharp images and bright visuals that benefit everyday tasks, but its lower refresh rate hampers the experience in fast-paced gaming environments. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio, with its high resolution and brightness, provides a vivid and detailed view for daily activities and professional design work, although its screen may not support the high refresh rates sought by gamers. Both laptops have color coverage that suits engineering and design well, but might not deliver the fluid motion clarity required for optimal 3D gaming experiences.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$1,520
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,520.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a larger screen and high refresh rate for a visually immersive experience, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less convenient for on-the-go use compared to the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, which is more portable due to its lighter weight and compact size, with a longer battery life that adds to its mobility, though it has a smaller screen.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-performing AMD Ryzen CPU, substantial 16GB of RAM, and powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, combined with a large 17-inch screen that offers good color coverage, brightness, and a high refresh rate. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, while also equipped with a capable Intel i7 CPU, ample 16GB of RAM, and a high-quality Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, features a smaller, more portable 14-inch screen with a higher pixel density and similar color accuracy, though it compromises slightly on speaker quality and operating noise.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Acer Nitro 5 17 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
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Acer Nitro 5 17 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 Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.6
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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 Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | MSI Stealth 14 Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,520 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.4'' x 9.7'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 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 Stealth 14 Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | June 2023
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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