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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 14 offers a balance between functionality and portability, with a high-resolution touchscreen, lighter weight, and longer battery life for typical use, making it suitable for general use and some light engineering. However, if your work involves 3D rendering, machine learning, or intensive gaming, the MSI Katana 15 features a more powerful dedicated graphics card that greatly enhances performance in these areas, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which could limit its portability. Keep in mind that the MSI also has better capability for fast motion on its display which is beneficial for gaming, despite its lower overall screen resolution compared to the Acer. 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 Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 edges out with a better CPU and higher-resolution screen, ideal for smooth general use and media consumption, while its lighter weight and longer battery life suit those who prioritize portability. The MSI Katana 15, though also good for general use, has a more powerful GPU suitable for gaming, trading off some portability and battery life for better graphics performance.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.6
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, might not match the gaming or 3D performance of the MSI Katana 15 which boasts an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, considerably better for these tasks due to higher processing power and support for features like hardware ray tracing. However, the Swift 14 has a higher screen resolution and pixel density which might offer sharper images, but it's limited by a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz compared to the Katana 15's 144Hz that can render fast-paced scenes more smoothly, making it more suitable for competitive gaming.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
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 Katana 15 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
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 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
258.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Swift 14 provides a crisp, vivid display with a good resolution and adequate brightness that enhances visibility and clarity, which is less pronounced in the MSI Katana 15. Engineers and designers would appreciate the Acer's superior color accuracy and wider color gamut, ensuring that visuals are represented faithfully, a critical aspect that the Katana 15 doesn't match up to. However, when it comes to 3D and gaming, both laptops fall short, as they lack the high refresh rates necessary for smooth motion rendering and fast-paced visuals, although the MSI may marginally outperform the Acer due to differences in their specific panel technologies.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$949
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 53.5 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 | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the MSI Katana 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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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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