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Predator Helios 16
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Cyborg 15
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What we think

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Updated January 10, 2024·

The Acer Predator Helios 16 is more expensive but provides more storage, better performance for intensive tasks with a higher-end processor and graphics card, a larger battery, and a higher resolution and refresh rate display than the MSI Cyborg 15; it's also heavier, which may affect portability. Conversely, the MSI Cyborg 15 is more affordable, lighter, making it more portable, and has a longer battery life, but it offers less storage and is suited for less demanding tasks due to its lower-spec processor and graphics card. 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 Predator Helios 16
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for gaming and AI
  • Very good for content creation
  • Very good overall display quality
  • Good overall build quality
  • Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
  • Good portability

Key differences

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General Use

8.0
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for general use, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.

Gaming and AI

8.5
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.

Engineering and Design

8.7
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.

Content Creation

8.2
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.

Software Development

7.9
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for software development, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

8.8
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Portability

Fair
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.4
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
6.7
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$1,236
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
$1,100
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities

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Battery

6.5 Hours
Predator Helios 16
Cyborg 15
7.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 hours of battery life.

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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Predator Helios 16MSI Cyborg 15
Acer Predator Helios 16MSI Cyborg 15

GENERAL

Price
$1,236
$1,100
Release Date
March 1, 2023May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1''14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9''
Weight
5.73 lbs4.37 lbs
Width
14.15"14.15"
Depth
10.88"9.86"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-13700HXIntel i7-12650H
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
22
Storage
1024 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6.5 Hours7.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
90 Wh53.5 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"15.6"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2560 x 16001920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
240Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
498 nits234 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/106.8/10
Portability Score
6.4/107.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/106.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/106.8/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
32
USB-C ports
21
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
32
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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Acer Predator Helios 16

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Dig into reviews and images

IGN

Samuel Horti | June 2023
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."

MSI Cyborg 15

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."

Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the MSI Cyborg 15

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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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