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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 14 is a midrange option, less expensive, and suitable for general use and most routine tasks, making it a cost-effective choice for everyday activities. The MSI Stealth GS66, however, is at a premium price, more suited for intensive use such as 3D modeling, machine learning, gaming, and engineering applications, where high performance is critical, though it may be less economical for casual use. Consider the Acer for affordability and basic tasks, or the MSI for high-end use, keeping in mind the tradeoff between cost and specialized performance. 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
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The Acer Swift 14, with its higher resolution display and superior screen quality, offers a more refined visual experience for general use, complemented by its lightweight design making it highly portable with longer battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66's powerful GPU and abundant connectivity options, along with better heat management and keyboard quality, make it suitable for more demanding applications, but it comes at the cost of reduced portability and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.8
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14 has an integrated GPU suited for less graphically intensive tasks and a standard screen refresh rate, which might not be ideal for fast-paced games, but its screen has a higher resolution and quality for superior visual experience. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 boasts a more powerful Nvidia GPU and much higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and a competitive edge in gaming and 3D applications, but it is heavier and offers a lower resolution display.
Software Development
8.2
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Acer Swift 14's higher resolution and brightness offer crisper and clearer visuals, enhancing everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, the Acer's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color representation, which is crucial for detailed work such as graphic design or video editing. However, for gaming and 3D rendering, the MSI Stealth GS66's lower refresh rate may result in less fluid motion and slower response times, which can be detrimental to fast-paced, visually intensive experiences.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS66 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 14 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS66 outperforms the Acer Swift 14 in engineering and design work due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU suitable for demanding tasks and a higher number of Thunderbolt and total display output ports for extensive connectivity options, although it's heavier and has less battery life which affects portability. Conversely, the Acer Swift 14 offers better screen resolution and color coverage, which enhances visual design work, and it's lighter with longer battery life, making it more portable but less suitable for GPU-intensive engineering software.
Content Creation
8.2
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 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 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 GS66
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NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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