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Updated January 12, 2024·
To make an informed decision between the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the MSI Raider GE78, consider the tradeoffs based on the key aspects of price, performance, battery life, portability, and suitability for your needs. If budget is a primary concern, the Acer might be a better choice since you've indicated it's usually less expensive. However, the MSI may offer superior performance, which could be important for tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming. Keep in mind that higher performance can lead to shorter battery life and less portability due to heavier components. If your work involves a lot of traveling, the lighter and potentially longer battery life of the Acer might be more convenient, but if you perform intensive tasks and require high performance without considering the price, the MSI might be the way to go. 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
- The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers a decent balance with a solid processor, sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, and a quality screen, while remaining somewhat portable and delivering fair battery life. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 packs a more powerful CPU coupled with double the RAM and superior screen resolution, making it excellent for demanding applications, although at the cost of reduced portability and slightly shorter battery usage time.
Gaming and AI
7.5
9.5
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its significantly more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate, compared to the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, which has a less powerful GPU and a lower refresh rate. While both laptops have quality CPUs and screens, these key differences in GPU and refresh rate give the MSI Raider GE78 an edge for the most demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.3
9.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, with its mid-range Intel i5 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, offers solid performance for engineering and design, complemented by a high-quality IPS screen. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 excels with a top-tier Intel i9 CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, ensuring exceptional performance for the most demanding tasks but at the expense of lower portability due to increased weight and size.
Content Creation
7.7
8.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
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
8.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.6
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize vibrant colors and sharp details for tasks like web browsing and document editing, the MSI Raider GE78's exceptional resolution and brightness might suit you better than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16. For engineering and design work where color accuracy is key, the MSI's coverage of color gamuts will ensure more true-to-life representations. However, if fast-paced gaming and 3D rendering are your focus, neither laptop offers an optimal experience due to lower refresh rates, despite having capable resolutions and panel technologies.
Portability
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 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 | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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