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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is less expensive and offers basic performance suitable for general tasks like browsing and document editing with a lightweight design, but its lower-quality display and limited storage space reflect its budget orientation. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, though more expensive, provides a significant upgrade in performance, making it well-suited for more demanding work like engineering and creative tasks; it also includes a touchscreen with a higher resolution and brightness for a better visual experience, more storage and RAM for smooth multitasking, and a longer battery life. The Lenovo's improved features make it versatile for a range of activities, but it is heavier and costlier than its Acer counterpart. 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
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 16.
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a less powerful processor and half the memory of the Lenovo Flex 5 16, which can make multitasking and running moderate to heavy applications slower. Additionally, the Aspire's TN screen, with its lower brightness and color coverage, offers a less vivid display compared to the Flex 5's IPS screen with higher resolution and better brightness, making the latter a better option for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a basic Intel Celeron GPU and a lower screen brightness, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 features a more powerful Iris Xe GPU and a brighter screen, which is better for such activities despite both having similar screen refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its basic Intel Celeron processor, 4GB RAM, and standard display, lacks the power and screen quality necessary for engineering and design tasks, whereas the Lenovo Flex 5 16's much stronger i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and superior IPS display with higher resolution make it well-suited for such demanding work. Additionally, the Acer's GPU is less capable, and whilst both have good portability and quiet operation, the Lenovo offers better overall performance and a touchscreen which may benefit design applications.
Content Creation
5.9
7.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 likely lacks the resolution, brightness, and panel type that are crucial for a clear and vibrant display in any context, making it less suitable for general use, engineering tasks, and visually demanding gaming. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its good screen quality, provides sharper images and truer colors necessary for detailed work in general use and engineering, but its lower refresh rate may not support the smooth visuals required for high-end gaming and 3D applications. Hence, the Flex 5 16 is better for productivity and creativity but may falter in delivering the best experience for action-packed games or intensive 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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.
Build Quality
5.5
7.0
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good 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.
Cost
$244
$779
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 1 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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