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Updated January 12, 2024·
If your primary concern is cost and you are looking for a laptop that's easier on your wallet, the Acer Swift 3 is a more budget-friendly choice. It's also lightweight and portable, making it a good option for travel and daily commuting. This laptop is sufficient for general use like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. However, if you need a laptop with higher performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software, the MSI Thin GF63, while more expensive, offers a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. The MSI also has a better screen for gaming with a higher refresh rate, but it's heavier and may reduce portability. The tradeoff with the MSI is that you're paying more for performance, and it will be less convenient to carry around compared to the lighter Acer Swift 3. 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 Thin GF63
- The MSI Thin GF63 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Thin GF63 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift 3's integrated GPU is less powerful than the dedicated Nvidia GPU in the MSI Thin GF63, which is critical for gaming and rendering 3D graphics. Additionally, the MSI boasts a higher screen refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals for fast-paced games compared to the lower refresh rate on the Acer.
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
262.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3's display offers a balance of resolution and brightness that makes it suitable for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work but lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth visuals essential in gaming and 3D applications. While the MSI Thin GF63 provides an adequate visual experience for both general activities and technical work, it does not meet the high standards for color accuracy demanded by professional design and engineering software. Neither model excels in gaming or 3D scenarios, where swift screen refresh is crucial for immersive and responsive experiences; they simply aren't built with the high-refresh-rate screens that those fields require.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the MSI Thin GF63 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$1,150
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is favored for general use due to its longer battery life, highly portable design, and full HD touchscreen, which enhances usability; it also boasts a good balance of CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, along with a solid keyboard, speakers, and efficient heat management. In contrast, the MSI Thin GF63, while also capable for general use, offers a more powerful CPU and dedicated graphics card, better suited for performance-intensive applications, but trades off on portability and battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go users.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Thin GF63 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6
7.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Thin GF63 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
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-12650H | |
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 | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
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 Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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