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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If your primary consideration is cost and a balance between performance and affordability, the Acer Swift X 16 is the more economical choice, equipped with a solid processor and a decent graphics card suitable for general use and some gaming or light creative work. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 packs more powerful components for higher performance in demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming; however, it comes at a premium price. The MSI model also offers a higher refresh screen, beneficial for fast-paced games but may have less battery endurance due to its higher power components. Both laptops offer portability but do remember that owing to its higher-spec hardware, the MSI Stealth GS66 is slightly heavier and may have shorter battery life compared to the Acer Swift X 16. 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 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use because it offers a balance of CPU performance with its AMD Ryzen 7, sufficient RAM, a high-resolution screen for sharp image quality, and portability with its lighter weight and longer battery life. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66, while good for general use, is positioned more for gaming with a high-performance CPU and more powerful GPU, but it has shorter battery life and is slightly heavier, which may reduce its portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.8
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Acer Swift X 16 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Stealth GS66 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.0
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for software development, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.2
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X 16 likely features a higher resolution and brighter display, which are essential for sharp and clear visuals in general use and detailed engineering tasks, and it probably covers a wider color gamut for accurate color representation crucial in design work. The MSI Stealth GS66, while also providing good quality visuals for general tasks and precise colors for engineering and design, may have a lower screen brightness or slightly narrower color coverage. However, both fall short for gaming and 3D because they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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.
Cost
$1,250
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X 16 with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, provides substantial power for engineering and design, complemented by a high-resolution screen and long battery life, making it slightly more portable due to its lighter weight and better battery performance. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66, while slightly heavier and with shorter battery life, equips a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and an Intel i7 CPU, which may offer a performance edge for the most demanding tasks, although its lower-resolution display may not be as crisp for design work.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X 16 and MSI Stealth GS66 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to have very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X 16 has 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 X 16 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2023
"Acer’s Swift X 16 is an excellent choice for shoppers who want a 16-inch laptop and care more for performance than attractive design or long battery life. The Swift X 16’s gorgeous OLED display, spacious keyboard, and big touchpad make it pleasant to use in basic day-to-day tasks. It also has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which combine to deliver good performance in a wide variety of productivity applications and games. A few minor mistakes, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will turn off some shoppers, but those who can accept its shortcomings will find the Swift X 16 a versatile daily driver."
MSI Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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