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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Swift 14 and the MSI Stealth 17 depends on your priorities. If you need a laptop that's more affordable and very portable with a touchscreen, the Acer Swift 14 is a strong option. It offers good performance for general use and is quite light, making it easy to carry around. However, if you require top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or intensive gaming, and you're willing to invest more, the MSI Stealth 17 has powerful specs like a superior graphics card and processor, and a larger screen, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life. The MSI is well-suited for engineering tasks but less portable. 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
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7
9.1
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers superior performance over the Acer Swift 14 for gaming and 3D thanks to its higher-tier Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a screen refresh rate that is significantly higher, resulting in smoother visuals. While both laptops have high-quality IPS displays, the Swift 14's focus on portability with its lighter weight and longer battery life could be beneficial for less demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
9.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 14 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 stands out with a more robust processor and significantly more RAM, which are crucial for demanding engineering and design tasks, alongside a powerful GPU providing the grunt for graphics-intensive applications, outweighing the Acer Swift 14's capabilities. Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 14 offers portability and lower operating noise, but its screen, while of high quality, is smaller and less suited for detailed work which the larger, more vibrant display of the MSI Stealth 17 can better handle.
Content Creation
8.2
8.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth 17 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6
8.6
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift 14 offers high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for browsing or watching videos which benefits general use, but its modest color range limits its engineering and design potential while its standard refresh rate hinders fast-paced gaming experiences. Conversely, the MSI Stealth 17, with its bright, high-resolution display and extended color gamut, delivers detailed visuals for engineering works and general tasks, but like the Swift, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D gaming that requires quick image transitions. For both laptops, trading off high refresh rates for other quality features means they're not optimized for gaming, but are well-equipped for productivity and professional applications.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Excellent
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$3,899
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift 14 provides a balance for general use with its capable CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen, all packaged in a lightweight and thin design that enhances portability and is complemented by a reasonable battery life. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17, while also good for general use due to its superior CPU, larger RAM, and similar screen quality, is less portable due to its larger size and weight but makes up for it with more storage and a robust design suitable for performance-demanding tasks.
Software Development
8.2
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 and Acer Swift 14 are both very 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The MSI Stealth 17 and Acer Swift 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 Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Stealth 17
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NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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