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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is more affordable and offers good general-use performance with a long battery life, making it highly portable, suitable for everyday tasks, and it has a touchscreen. However, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while more expensive, has a stronger processor and high-end graphics for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, but it's heavier with a shorter battery life, compromising portability. If you prioritize gaming or demanding software over cost and portability, go with the MSI; if you want a budget-friendly, light laptop for everyday use, the Acer Swift 3 is more suitable. 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
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 has an integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz display, making it only fair for gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is equipped with a high-end dedicated GPU and a 144Hz screen, offering good performance in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.9
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI GP66 Leopard is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift 3 is favored for engineering and design due to its balance between performance with an efficient CPU and integrated graphics, and portability with a lightweight design and a touch-capable high-definition screen. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard is more suited for intense engineering and graphics tasks, with a more powerful CPU, high-end dedicated GPU, and a superior cooling system, though it trades off portability due to its heavier weight and shorter battery life.
Screen Quality
6.8
7.5
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a balance with its display that is sharp and bright enough for daily tasks and professional design work, ensuring clear visuals and decent color accuracy. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which can affect the smoothness of fast-paced visuals. The MSI GP66 Leopard, even with similarly good general and engineering screen quality, fails to meet gaming expectations in the same way, also lacking the high refresh rate gaming and 3D rendering require for optimal performance.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3’s lighter weight and longer battery life make it highly portable and suitable for day-to-day tasks, supported by an adequate CPU and RAM, complemented by a quality touchscreen display. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard with its more powerful CPU, dedicated GPU, and high-refresh-rate screen is better equipped for gaming and software that demands high performance, but it is less portable due to its weight and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.6
7.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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 GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 65 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 | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 0 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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