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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance and are looking for a more premium option suitable for intensive engineering tasks, the Acer Swift 14, though more expensive, would suit you better as it has a faster main processor. For general use, the MSI Modern 14 is more budget-friendly and performs decently, but might not handle demanding tasks as efficiently. The Acer Swift 14 offers a higher resolution, touch-enabled display, which may enhance your visual experience, particularly in engineering and design work. If portability is a primary concern, both laptops are similar in size and weight, but the MSI Modern 14 has a slightly lower battery life, which could be a factor if you often work on the go. Choose the Acer Swift 14 if you require a laptop with strong performance and are willing to pay more, or the MSI Modern 14 if you want to save money and need a laptop for everyday tasks. 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
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 stands out for general use due to its superior processor, higher resolution display, and better battery life, which boost performance, screen quality, and usage time, respectively. In contrast, while the MSI Modern 14 matches in RAM and portability, it falls short with a lesser processor, lower screen resolution, and shorter battery life, making it less optimal for demanding tasks and extended use.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.0
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift 14 is somewhat better.
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
7.9
6.6
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14 outperforms the MSI Modern 14 in engineering and design tasks due to its more powerful Intel i7 CPU, advanced Iris Xe GPU, and higher-resolution screen that covers more color spaces, making it ideal for detailed and color-critical work. However, it is slightly less portable than the MSI Modern 14, with the MSI offering a lighter build and more compact dimensions at the expense of reduced storage, less potent AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, and lower-resolution screen, impacting its suitability for demanding engineering software and less accurate design work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
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 Modern 14 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
7.1
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the MSI Modern 14 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
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 14 offers a sharper, brighter display with better color representation, making it suitable for detailed tasks in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate affects the smoothness in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Modern 14 provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but may not deliver the high-fidelity color accuracy that professional design work demands. For gaming and 3D, both laptops may not offer the fluid visuals preferred by gamers due to their lower refresh rates, which can make fast-paced action less smooth.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Cost
$1,400
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to have excellent portability, while the MSI Modern 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.0
The Acer Swift 14 and MSI Modern 14 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 Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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 Modern 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the MSI Modern 14
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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