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Updated January 16, 2024·
For better performance, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is the way to go, with a more powerful processor. If you're interested in a laptop with a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals in gaming or other fast-paced tasks, the Acer also has an advantage. However, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers a more powerful graphics card, which is crucial for gaming and 3D applications. The Acer has a larger battery, likely translating to longer life before needing a charge, but it's also heavier, making it less portable. The screen aspect ratio and overall display characteristics differ; the Acer's 16:10 ratio and higher resolution may be better for productivity and multitasking. They both offer solid build quality and are aimed at gaming and demanding tasks, but the Acer's extra features come with a higher price tag. Both have customizable lighting, adding to the aesthetic appeal for gamers. 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 Neo 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is superior for engineering and design due to its higher RAM, superior CPU, and more capable GPU, which altogether provide better performance for intensive tasks, along with a higher quality screen that better represents colors, making it ideal for design work. The MSI Cyborg 15, while also suitable for engineering, offers less RAM which might limit performance with complex projects, and its screen has a lower color accuracy, but it is lighter and thus more portable, making it a better option for those who need to frequently move their workspace..
Screen Quality
7.8
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a bright, high-resolution display with accurate colors, making it excellent for general tasks and engineering work where detail and color representation are crucial. However, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for 3D gaming, where smoother motion is preferred. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for some design work, but like the Acer, it falls short for gaming due to a subpar refresh rate.
Battery
5.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.7
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is suitable for general use as it offers a larger screen with higher resolution and more RAM, which is beneficial for multitasking and viewing content, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MSI Cyborg 15. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 is also good for general purposes due to its lighter weight making it more portable and longer battery life, but it has less RAM which may limit performance during intensive multitasking.
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.2
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
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 Neo 16 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 boasts a high screen refresh rate and a robust Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, making it ideal for immersive gaming and effective at handling 3D tasks. In comparison, the MSI Cyborg 15 features a slightly less powerful GPU with the Nvidia RTX 4060 but compensates with a lighter build, contributing to its portability and making it also suitable for gaming and 3D applications, although with a lower maximum screen refresh rate.
Content Creation
7.7
7.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.5
7.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and MSI Cyborg 15 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.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
MSI Cyborg 15
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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 Neo 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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