The Acer Swift X (2023) is more affordable, lighter, and more portable with respectable performance for general use and a backlit keyboard, catering well to everyday tasks and some light engineering work. The MSI Stealth GS77, while more expensive and heavier, delivers significantly higher performance, making it better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and demanding engineering applications. It boasts a larger screen, additional storage capacity, and increased RAM, but its battery life is shorter than the Acer's. Consider the Stealth GS77 if you require high performance and don't mind the extra weight and cost; otherwise, the Swift X offers a good balance for general usage at a lower price point. 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 X (2023)
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
Very good for general use
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9/10
7.9/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 and a screen refresh rate of up to 120Hz, making it suitable for gaming and 3D applications, while the higher-end MSI Stealth GS77's Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a 240Hz refresh rate cater to more demanding gaming and 3D tasks with smoother visuals and enhanced performance.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Stealth GS77 is somewhat better.
The MSI Stealth GS77 is lauded for engineering and design due to its substantially more powerful CPU and GPU, double the RAM, and a larger, high-refresh screen, which translates into better performance for demanding tasks, but it's heavier and less portable than the lighter Acer Swift X, which still offers a solid CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and a high-resolution screen suitable for less intensive engineering work.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
8.3/10
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift X and the MSI Stealth GS77 offer crisp visuals and bright displays, which make reading text and viewing media a pleasant experience. For engineering and design, both have color accuracy vital for precise work, but their lack of extensive color gamut coverage may limit some professional applications. While both excel with resolution and panel quality, their lower refresh rates are less than ideal for the fast-paced visuals needed in high-end gaming or intensive 3D tasks, which can impact the smoothness and immersion of the experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
Very Good
Fair
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is good.
The Acer Swift X, with decent performance from its mid-range CPU and GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a vivid high-resolution display, offers a lightweight and portable choice with good battery life for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 delivers higher performance with a better CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a larger high-quality display, but sacrifices portability due to its larger size and weight, along with having a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very 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
7.9/10
8.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift X (2023) 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS77 to have very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2023) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the MSI Stealth GS77 compare to other laptops
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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