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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a budget-friendly and portable option, well-suited for general use with longer battery life and a lighter weight, making it easy to carry around. It also has a touchscreen which might be useful for some users. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 is slightly more expensive and heavier, with a bigger screen and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card that provides better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. Yet, it has a shorter battery life and might not be as suitable for frequent travelers due to its weight. Consider the Acer Swift 3 for regular tasks and mobility, and the MSI Cyborg 15 for more demanding applications and gaming. 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 3
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
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 Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The MSI Cyborg 15 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks primarily because it has a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, compared to the Acer Swift 3 which is equipped with an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a lower refresh rate of 60 Hz. While the Acer Swift 3 has a more powerful CPU and better screen quality, these factors are less critical than the GPU and refresh rate for gaming and 3D performance.
Screen Quality
6.8
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3, with its superior resolution and brightness, offers a crisp and vivid display that enhances the general use and detailed work required in engineering and design. However, its limitations in refresh rate make it less ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion is crucial. Conversely, the MSI Cyborg 15 provides an adequate display for everyday tasks and professional design work, but it also falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, which is essential for a fluid and responsive visual experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.7
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is praised for general use due to its balance between a powerful CPU, sufficient RAM, high-quality IPS screen, and impressive portability with a light build and long battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15, while also good for general use, offers a more robust CPU and dedicated GPU which is particularly advantageous for heavier tasks, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it better suited for stationary use or near power sources.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its capable Intel i5 CPU combined with integrated graphics that offer sufficient power for various applications, its 16GB of RAM for multitasking, and a high-quality IPS screen that provides good color accuracy and brightness. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15's more powerful Intel i7 CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU make it a robust choice for more demanding engineering tasks and design work, but it has less RAM than the Swift 3 and while it offers a high-refresh-rate screen, its overall color accuracy and screen brightness are lower.
Content Creation
7.6
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.6
7.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both 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.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 7.5 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 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | |
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 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the MSI Cyborg 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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