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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and more powerful processing for tasks like engineering or machine learning, the HP 17" Laptop is the better choice, offering more storage and memory. However, it's also heavier and generally costs more. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 1 is more budget-friendly with lower performance, suited for general tasks, and it's lighter, offering greater portability. Neither is optimal for intensive gaming, but both should handle general use fairly well. The Acer has longer battery life and is quieter, as it features fanless operation, while the HP offers better color coverage and overall build quality. 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 Aspire 1
- Good battery life
Advantages of the HP 17" Laptop
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The HP 17" Laptop offers better general use performance with a higher-end CPU and more RAM, leading to faster and smoother operation, as well as a higher quality IPS screen for better viewing angles compared to the Acer Aspire 1's basic CPU, lower RAM, and TN panel which provides lower visual quality. While the Acer Aspire 1 is lighter and has a silent, fanless design, enhancing portability and operating noise, its shorter battery life and smaller size may not offset its performance limitations for general users compared with the HP's larger screen and longer battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a weaker integrated GPU and a basic screen, limiting gaming and 3D capabilities, while the HP 17" Laptop has a more powerful integrated GPU and a higher quality screen, providing fair performance for gaming and 3D applications. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, but the difference in GPU strength and screen quality impacts their gaming and 3D potential.
Engineering and Design
5.5
6.8
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP 17" Laptop is only fair for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
5.9
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP 17" Laptop is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
6.1
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
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
5.2
6.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
The HP 17" Laptop has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its lower resolution and dim display, is less suitable for tasks that demand a lot of on-screen real estate and clear visuals, which is vital for both day-to-day activities and detailed engineering work. The HP 17" Laptop, while having a larger screen that might seem more appealing for general use and technical applications, still suffers from average color accuracy and range, making it less ideal for professionals in design who rely on precise color representation. Neither are optimal for gaming or 3D work; the Acer's small and poor-quality display hampers immersion and detail, while the HP's larger screen doesn't compensate for its lack of a high refresh rate that's crucial for a smooth visual experience in fast-paced scenes.
Cost
$244
$530
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the HP 17" Laptop costs $530.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The HP 17" Laptop 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 1 and HP 17" Laptop both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
6.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP 17" Laptop to have only fair build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor 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 Aspire 1 and the HP 17" Laptop compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | HP 17" Laptop |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $530 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 15.8'' x 10.2'' x 0.81'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.58 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 15.78" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.15" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 287 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
HP 17" Laptop
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | November 2022
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the HP 17" Laptop
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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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