The Acer Swift X (2022) is more portable and has better screen resolution but is less suited for gaming due to its less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU. The MSI GP66 Leopard is heavier and less portable but offers superior gaming and engineering performance with its Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, and has a higher refresh rate screen that benefits fast-paced gaming. 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 (2022)
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
7.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2022) is only fair.
The MSI GP66 Leopard offers a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, providing smoother visuals and better performance in gaming and 3D applications than the Acer Swift X, which houses a less capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz. The CPU and screen quality are important too, but it's mainly the GPU and refresh rate that give the MSI laptop its edge for these particular demands.
Screen Quality
7.0/10
7.5/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
330.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for general use, and gaming and AI.
When considering a laptop for general use, factors like panel type with crisp visuals, resolution for clear detail, and brightness for visibility in various lighting conditions are key; the Acer Swift X and the MSI GP66 Leopard, with their respective screen qualities, satisfy these criteria, providing an enjoyable viewing experience. For engineering and design, accurate color reproduction is vital to ensure work represents true colors; both the Swift X and Leopard have commendable color gamuts, aligning with Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 standards, which are crucial for these fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where motion clarity and the smoothness of movement are paramount, the refresh rate becomes a dominant factor; both laptops may fall short in this area, prioritizing resolution and panel type over the higher refresh rates favored by gamers and 3D professionals.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2022) has very good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a lighter frame and longer battery life making it more portable and suited for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard offers a high-performance CPU and GPU that ensure powerful processing but results in less portability and shorter battery life. The Swift X features solid RAM and a high-resolution IPS display for vivid colors and crisp images, essential for daily productivity and entertainment; the GP66 Leopard, with similar RAM and a lower resolution screen, focuses on performance-oriented tasks, but might not offer the same screen quality or efficiency in battery usage as the Swift X does for general use activities.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Acer Swift X (2022) 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.7/10
7.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GP66 Leopard to have very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2022) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,313
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a price of $1,313 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2022) and the MSI GP66 Leopard 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 GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2022) or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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