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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 14 boasts a higher resolution touchscreen for sharper visuals and more storage, which is typically valued for general use and business activities. The larger battery could also indicate a longer battery life. However, if you're seeking top-notch gaming or 3D rendering capabilities, the MSI Pulse GL66 comes with a powerful dedicated graphics card and faster screen refresh rate, which is essential for smooth gameplay and intensive graphics work, but with less storage and potentially a shorter battery life, also it is heavier which makes it less portable. Make your decision based on whether your priority is performance for gaming and graphics-intensive tasks or a blend of everyday use with some portability. 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 Swift 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 is praised for general use due to its robust CPU, ample RAM, high-resolution screen, and greater portability with a longer battery life, all of which are critical for such tasks. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, while still good for general use, trades some portability and battery life for a more powerful graphics card, making it better suited for gaming and related high-performance tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14 is suitable for gaming and 3D applications due to its high-resolution display and capable integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU, but compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which boasts a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 and a higher screen refresh rate, the MSI is a better fit for intensive gaming and 3D work requiring more graphical horsepower. However, the Acer may appeal to those who prioritize a higher resolution and slightly brighter screen for other visual tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
8.2
7.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.6
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 14 boasts a display with high resolution and brightness, which makes it suitable for general use by offering crisp and clear visuals. For engineering and design tasks, its ability to represent a wide range of colors through extensive color gamuts is important for accuracy, and the Swift 14 excels in this area. However, gaming and 3D applications benefit most from fast refresh rates to keep action smooth, and the Acer Swift 14 falls short here, whereas the MSI Pulse GL66, despite having decent resolution and panel type, doesn't stand out in any particular aspect, offering a fair experience across various uses but not excelling for specialized tasks like 3D where refresh rate is paramount.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
Excellent
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 14 provides strong engineering performance with its latest Intel i7 CPU, ample RAM, and high-resolution IPS display; however, its integrated graphics are less powerful than dedicated gaming options. The MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, offers a high-end Nvidia GPU for demanding tasks and simulations, making it ideal for engineering programs that require sophisticated graphics processing, but it is less portable and has a lower resolution display compared to the Swift 14.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
MSI Pulse GL66
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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