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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize savings and need a laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the Acer Swift Go 14 offers a more affordable option while ensuring good portability due to its lighter weight and typically longer battery life. On the other hand, if you require top-notch performance for activities such as 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, or engineering software, investing in the MSI Raider GE78 may be worthwhile despite the higher cost, as it usually delivers much more powerful hardware and a higher refresh rate display, which is ideal for intensive applications and games. However, keep in mind that this power comes at the cost of decreased battery life and increased weight, making it less convenient to carry around. 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 Go 14
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is good.
The Acer Swift Go 14 is commended for general use due to its light weight and smaller screen size, enhancing portability, coupled with quality screen and excellent keyboard, though it has less raw power and a shorter battery life compared to the MSI Raider GE78.
Gaming and AI
6.4
9.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE78 is superior for gaming and 3D applications mainly because it has an Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics unit and a screen with a high 240Hz refresh rate, both of which are crucial for a smooth and visually impressive gaming experience. In contrast, the Acer Swift Go 14 is equipped with an Intel i7-1355U Iris Xe graphics and a more modest 60Hz screen, making it less suited for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.2
9.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is good.
The Acer Swift Go 14, while good for engineering due to its competent processor and sufficient RAM, is outperformed by the MSI Raider GE78 which boasts a much more powerful CPU, has double the RAM, and includes a high-end GPU, essential for intensive engineering tasks and design work that requires significant computational power.
Content Creation
7.6
8.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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
8.6
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Acer Swift Go 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift Go 14's solid resolution and brightness contribute to its good screen quality for general use and engineering tasks where fine detail and clarity are important, but its standard refresh rate is not ideal for the fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Raider GE78's high-resolution display with excellent brightness ensures that it excels in general use and in displaying a wide color range crucial for engineering and design work, yet its poor refresh rate diminishes the experience for gaming and 3D, where fluid motion is key. Both laptops fare well in areas relying on visual precision and color accuracy, but gamers and 3D designers might find them lacking due to the screens' limited ability to smoothly handle rapid movements.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Swift Go 14 has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$793
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $793 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the Acer Swift Go 14 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$793 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.6'' x 0.59'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.32" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.58" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 65 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Go 14
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | May 2023
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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