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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 typically comes at a midrange price and might be less expensive than the MSI Stealth GS77, which carries a premium price tag. If budget is a concern and you prefer a balance between price and performance, the Helios 16 could be a sensible choice. However, the Stealth GS77 offers more memory, which may be advantageous for tasks that require a lot of system memory. Both laptops have similar high-quality displays, but the Helios 16 uses a newer GPU model, which may provide better gaming or graphic performance. If you prioritize a larger screen, the Stealth GS77 has a bigger display. Keep in mind, the MSI's additional memory and screen size contribute to a higher cost and slightly more weight, reducing portability compared to the Helios 16. 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 gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
7.9
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth GS77 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 excels in gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and high screen refresh rate, which ensures smooth visuals, whereas the MSI Stealth GS77, while also excellent for gaming with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and identical refresh rate, offers a larger but slightly less dense display, which might be less crisp but provides more screen real estate for gaming and productivity tasks.
Screen Quality
8.8
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS77 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen for content creation.
When considering a laptop for general use, the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the MSI Stealth GS77 both offer clear and vibrant displays due to their high resolution and brightness levels, making them attractive for browsing, streaming, and productivity tasks. For engineering and design, these laptops excel as their screens cover a broad spectrum of colors within the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts, ensuring accurate color reproduction for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short, as their lower refresh rates can't deliver the smooth visuals demanded by fast-paced, graphic-intensive tasks.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS77 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,236
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for general use.
The MSI Stealth GS77 offers double the RAM of the Acer Predator Helios 16, which can be crucial for multitasking and demanding tasks in general use, also featuring a larger screen which enhances the viewing experience but at a cost of being slightly heavier and less portable. While the Acer Predator Helios 16 holds a slight edge in portability and has a higher battery capacity contributing to longer typical usage time, the MSI's higher overall screen quality due to a better contrast ratio and a more-premium build quality may offer a more satisfying general use experience despite its marginally lower battery lifespan.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.7
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers a robust CPU, ample RAM, and a high-end GPU, which excel in handling engineering and design tasks, while its screen quality is enhanced with a high brightness level and color accuracy. The MSI Stealth GS77, though slightly less portable due to its larger size, boasts a similarly powerful CPU and RAM, with a superior GPU and larger screen, making it equally adept at demanding engineering and design applications, while offering a very good keyboard, which is crucial for extensive typing and programming tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
8.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very 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
7.9
8.1
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 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.
Battery
6.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Predator Helios 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the MSI Stealth GS77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | MSI Stealth GS77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,236 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 16
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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 Stealth GS77
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | April 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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