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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers higher performance for gaming or intensive engineering tasks with a more powerful graphics card compared to the MSI Thin GF63, which may suit general use and provide better portability due to its lighter weight. The higher cost of the Acer Predator is justified by its better gaming capabilities and overall power, but if you are looking for something more budget-friendly and value portability and enough performance for everyday tasks, the MSI Thin GF63 could be a suitable choice. Consider what you value more: high performance for more demanding applications or portability and cost savings for general usage. 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 300
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
- Good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering general use, the Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a superior experience with its higher resolution and brighter display, making things like reading text and viewing images more pleasant and easier on the eyes, while the MSI Thin GF63's display, though adequate, might not be as crisp or vibrant. For engineering and design tasks, where color accuracy is crucial, the Acer holds an advantage with better coverage of color gamuts, ensuring that the colors you see on-screen match industry standards, which is less pronounced on the MSI. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer's lower refresh rate may lead to less smooth visuals compared to higher refresh rate displays, which can hinder the gaming experience despite having better screen resolution and panel technology than the MSI.
Battery
3.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
7.4
6.5
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a well-rounded experience for general use with good screen quality, ample RAM and CPU performance for day-to-day tasks, and a robust battery life, but it is heavier which could affect portability. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 also delivers suitable performance for general tasks with comparable RAM and a slightly more recent CPU, and while it has a less vibrant screen, it is significantly lighter, making it more portable with a slightly better battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.9
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 300 to be good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
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
7.6
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with an Intel i7-11800H CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which, combined with its 16GB of RAM and high-quality IPS screen with a high refresh rate, provide robust performance for engineering and design tasks that may involve 3D modeling or other graphics-intensive software.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Thin GF63 and Acer Predator Helios 300 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
7.1
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Acer Predator Helios 300 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Thin GF63 to have good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,204
$1,150
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,204 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,204 | $1,150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 300
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | November 2022
"The Acer Predator Helios 300 review is an overclocked gaming laptop with a good display. The Predator is large, heavy, and loud, but also offers plenty of performance according to gamers. An overclocked gaming laptop - or its user - also has to struggle with the usual disadvantages we mentioned above. On the other hand, overclocking is optional, and those who like it quieter and can live with a few less frames per second can also switch to the significantly more moderate Standard mode. Then the Helios 300 won't be any louder than the competitors."
MSI Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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