If you prioritize savings and still want a solid machine, the Acer Swift 3 is less expensive while offering decent performance for everyday tasks with good battery life and portability. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offers significantly more power, with a better display suitable for creative tasks and more intensive use like 3D work or light gaming. However, this comes at a higher cost, and it's heavier, reducing its portability. Consider the Acer for general use due to its affordability, and the MSI if your work demands high performance and you can manage a steeper price and less portability. 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
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo surpasses the Acer Swift 3 in general use owing to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM for smoother multitasking, and a sharper OLED screen, which provides superior image quality. However, these enhancements come with a tradeoff as the MSI is heavier, which slightly reduces its portability, and likely commands a higher price point due to the increased specifications and premium build.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.4/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo outperforms the Acer Swift 3 for engineering and design use due to its superior processor, double the RAM, more advanced GPU, and higher resolution OLED screen, which contribute to better overall performance and screen quality. Despite the Acer Swift 3 being more portable and likely quieter in operation due to a less powerful components, the MSI Prestige's higher specs make it more suitable for demanding tasks that engineering and design work often require.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.6/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift 3 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
7.6/10
8.5/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift 3 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
6.8/10
8.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift 3 offers a decent balance of resolution and brightness, making it pleasant for common tasks like web browsing and document editing, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo steps up with a sharper and brighter display, enhancing visibility and clarity. In engineering and design, where color accuracy is crucial, the MSI's superior color range with high coverage of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spectra ensures more precise color representation, a step above the Acer's adequate but less extensive color gamut. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, neither laptop excels due to their lower refresh rates, despite the MSI having a marginal edge with better resolution and panel quality, which can still improve the overall visual experience.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$1,349
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo costs $1,349.
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3 is limited in gaming and 3D capabilities due to its integrated GPU, which is less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs, and a standard refresh rate screen. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offers superior gaming and 3D performance with a dedicated GPU and an OLED display, which delivers higher contrast and color quality despite both laptops having the same screen refresh rate.
Battery
12.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo has 12 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo 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 3 and the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo is meant to be a business-focused laptop, but it ends up being the MacBook challenger PC laptop enthusiasts have longed for. Not only can it meet and, in many cases, surpass the M2-powered MacBooks, but it is also surpassing the baseline M3 MacBooks, which is a giant leap forward for Intel-powered laptops. This isn’t hyperbole; this is what the numbers show."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo
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.
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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