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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2022) offers a more portable design, making it a better choice if you frequently travel or commute with your laptop. It's also likely to have better battery life, which is crucial for on-the-go use, although you trade that for a smaller screen and less powerful graphics compared to the MSI Katana 17. The MSI Katana 17, however, provides a larger display and superior graphics capabilities that are well-suited for gaming or graphics-intensive tasks. If these are your primary concerns and you don't mind the extra weight and potentially shorter battery life, the MSI Katana could be the preferred option. 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)
- Good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
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
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2022) is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2022) is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is considered very good for engineering and design use primarily because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU, and double the RAM and storage capacity compared to the Acer Swift X, enhancing its ability to handle demanding engineering software and multitasks more efficiently. However, the Acer Swift X offers better screen quality with a higher resolution and pixel density, which may offer a clearer and more detailed visual experience, and it is also more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it easier to carry around.
Screen Quality
7.0
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
330.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X offers clear visuals and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and professional design work where accuracy in color representation is crucial. However, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness necessary for 3D applications and gaming. Whereas the MSI Katana 17, while still providing a decent display for routine activities, may fall short in providing the color accuracy needed for more precise engineering and design tasks, and similar to the Swift X, its refresh rate might not satisfy the needs of gamers or professionals working with dynamic 3D content.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2022) has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
330.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Acer Swift X (2022) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2022) is good for general use with its higher screen resolution and better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life; however, the MSI Katana 17 exceeds in general use with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a larger but faster screen, though it is less portable and has shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Acer Swift X (2022) 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
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Katana 17 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
7.2
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Katana 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,313
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a price of $1,313 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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How the Acer Swift X (2022) and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2022) | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,313 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.3" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58.7 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 330 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 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 X (2022)
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NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"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."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2022) or the MSI Katana 17
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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