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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Aspire 1 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 depends heavily on your needs and budget. The Acer Aspire 1 is less expensive and offers basic functionality suitable for tasks like web browsing, office applications, and video streaming with an advantage of being lighter and having a fanless design for silent operation. It, however, has limited storage space, lower performance capability and a less vibrant display. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while pricier, provides higher performance with a better processor and graphics card, making it suitable for gaming, 3D applications, and more intensive engineering tasks. It has a brighter, higher-quality screen, more RAM and storage, as well as a longer battery life. Note that with the enhanced capabilities, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 is slightly heavier which can affect portability. 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 IdeaPad Gaming 3.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- 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 keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its lower performing Intel Celeron CPU and basic integrated graphics, less RAM, and lower screen quality, offers modest capability, which might not keep up with demanding tasks but benefits from quieter, fanless operation.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.5
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is not suitable for gaming due to its basic integrated GPU and a screen refresh rate of only 60 Hz, which limits graphics performance and smoothness during gameplay. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is more suitable for gaming and 3D tasks because it is equipped with a capable Nvidia RTX 2050 dedicated GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, ensuring better visual performance and fluidity in games.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is not suited for engineering and design due to its lower-end Intel Celeron processor, basic integrated graphics, and standard screen quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 provides a robust AMD Ryzen processor, dedicated Nvidia graphics card, and a higher-quality IPS screen which is crucial for such tasks.
Content Creation
5.9
7.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 has low resolution and dim brightness, making it less ideal across all use cases, while its panel type may not render colors accurately or vibrantly for enjoyable general use. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its good screen quality, probably has a high-resolution display with better brightness and a decent panel that reproduces colors well, which is beneficial for general use and visual clarity required in engineering and design. However, for 3D applications, its screen likely falls short due to a lower refresh rate, which is less optimal for rendering fast-paced visuals smoothly.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
$549
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 1 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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