Acer Chromebook Plus 514vsMSI Sword 17

We compare these two popular phones to help you decide which one fits your needs and budget better.

Acer
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
Chromebook Plus 514

Quick Stats

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 delivers impressive performance despite its affordable price point. Most important takeaway: The device provides seamless browsing and multitasking experiences with decent battery life.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514's sturdy plastic build is a reliable option for daily use and holds well.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514's display is surprisingly crisp and vibrant at an affordable price point of $249.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 offers a solid keyboard, touchscreen display, and decent speakers at a low price.
MSI
MSI Sword 17
Sword 17

Quick Stats

The MSI Sword 17 delivers impressive performance, handling high settings with averages above 100fps in various tests.
The overall build quality of the MSI Sword 17 is solid, with no major complaints found.
The MSI Sword 17 features an excellent IPS display with vibrant colors, great contrast, and smooth refresh rate.
The MSI Sword 17 features a stunning IPS display, dual fans, and multiple ports for seamless connectivity.
Key Differences

No significant specification differences found between these devices.

Rank
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#673
MSI Sword 17
Winner
#668
Scores by Category
Rankings
Connectivity
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#248
Winner
MSI Sword 17
#390
Display
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#473
Winner
MSI Sword 17
#776
Performance
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#775
MSI Sword 17
#366
Winner
Build
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#109
Winner
MSI Sword 17
#829
Features
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
#168
Winner
MSI Sword 17
#812

Note: Lower rank number indicates a better position in category.

Specifications Comparison
Specification
Acer Acer Chromebook Plus 514
MSI MSI Sword 17
up to 8GB
up to 64GB
up to 2048GB SSD
up to 2000GB SSD
Intel Core i3-N305
Intel Core i7-11800H
Intel UHD Graphics Xe 750 (32EU)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (Laptop, 85W)

Note: Highlighted specifications show differences between the two devices.

Pros and Cons

Acer Chromebook Plus 514

Strengths

The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a device that makes a very deep impression on what can be delivered on a shoestring budget.
It has a solid experience with all the stuff that makes for it: clam shell, touchscreen, keyboard, and trackpad.
The build is surprisingly sturdy and doesn't feel like it's bending or creaking under its own weight.
The screen is great for this price range: 16x9 aspect ratio, 300 nits of brightness, anti-glare coating, and touch input.
The keyboard is surprisingly good with no backlight but still usable for daily routines.
It has a decent selection of I/O ports, including USB Type-A and Type-C, headphone jack, microphone jack, Kensington lock, and micro SD card slot.
It comes with 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of SSD storage, which is impressive for the price.

Weaknesses

The build quality feels a bit cheap, although it's sturdy and doesn't bend or creak.
The click mechanism on the trackpad can be a bit finicky, especially above halfway point.
The camera above the screen has colors that aren't great, but you get all the new camera tricks like background blur and noise cancellation.
There's no HDMI port, which might be a drawback for some users.
The speakers are decent but not exceptional for video calls or YouTube watching.
The trackpad can feel cheapened by the click mechanism, especially above halfway point.
Although the keyboard is good, it's not the best keyframe I've typed on.

MSI Sword 17

Strengths

The 17.3 inch ips 144hz display does look absolutely beautiful.
The keyboard feels great
It's a decent 17.3 inch gaming laptop that's not going to quite break the bank
Fortnite ran at 156 fps with high settings
Injustice 2 and Witcher 3 ran smoothly at high settings

Weaknesses

The trackpad is too small given the screen size and footprint of the laptop
CPU temps were not ideal, averaging 81 degrees Celsius during gaming tests
Fan curve adjustment was not available in the bios
Cyberpunk 2077 ran at only 71 fps with medium settings due to outdated GPU
Dirt 5 ran at 65 fps with high-medium mix of settings
Read Full Reviews

Acer Chromebook Plus 514

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a device that defies expectations on a shoestring budget. Despite its affordable price point of $249, this Chromebook delivers a solid experience with a sturdy build, impressive screen, and capable Intel Core i3 processor. With 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, it's hard to find flaws in this offering. My month-long usage has revealed the value proposition that Acer has managed to achieve, making this Chromebook worth serious consideration for those on a budget.

MSI Sword 17

The MSI Sword 17 is a 17.3-inch gaming laptop that offers an impressive balance of performance and affordability. With its vibrant IPS display running at 144Hz, the keyboard providing a comfortable typing experience, and the ability to handle demanding games like Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, this laptop is a great option for those seeking a decent gaming experience without breaking the bank. In this review, we'll dive deeper into its features and performance.

Need help choosing?

Read our detailed reviews to understand which device is better for your specific needs and budget.

Read Acer Chromebook Plus 514 ReviewRead MSI Sword 17 Review

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