Which is better for gaming?

The MSI Cyborg 15. Its RTX 5060 and Core 7 240H beat the Nitro's RTX 4050 and Core 5 210H on both GPU and CPU. The Acer's 165Hz panel is marginally smoother, but the MSI pushes higher frame rates.

Which has better battery life?

The Acer Nitro V 15. Acer rates it up to 10 hours; MSI gives no battery figure for the Cyborg 15. Neither is an all-day laptop under gaming load.

Is the Acer worth stepping up to over the MSI?

Only if ports and battery matter more than speed. The Nitro adds Thunderbolt 4, Ethernet and a rated battery, but gives up GPU and CPU performance.

Which is better for school or office work?

The Acer Nitro V 15. Thunderbolt 4, Ethernet and longer battery life suit docks, campus networks and long days away from an outlet. The MSI is the better gaming machine.

Can I upgrade the memory?

The Acer lists support for up to 32GB of DDR5. MSI does not state a maximum for the Cyborg 15, so treat its 16GB as the safe figure.

Hard to say from specs alone. The Acer has a much larger owner base reporting satisfaction; the MSI is newer with few ratings. The MSI's stronger GPU should stay useful for games longer.

MSI Cyborg 15 Gaming Laptop vs Acer Nitro V 15

The MSI Cyborg 15 is the stronger pick for raw gaming performance. Its RTX 5060 and Core 7 240H outclass the Nitro V 15's RTX 4050 and Core 5 210H, and the 144Hz IPS panel is solid. The Acer Nitro V 15 wins on refinement and confidence: a 165Hz screen, Thunderbolt 4, Ethernet, a bigger battery rating and far more owner feedback. Buy the MSI for frame rates; buy the Acer for ports, battery and a track record.

Choose the MSI Cyborg 15 if you want the fastest GPU and CPU in this pair and mostly game plugged in.
Choose the Acer Nitro V 15 if you need Thunderbolt 4, wired Ethernet, longer battery life and a higher refresh screen.

Prices

MSI Cyborg 15 Gaming Laptop: $799.00 at Walmart (checked today)
Acer Nitro V 15: $750.00 at Whatnot (last seen Nov 9)
Difference: the Acer Nitro V 15 is $49.00 cheaper than the MSI Cyborg 15 Gaming Laptop at the latest prices (Nov 9 and Nov 12)