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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is significantly less expensive than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, making it suitable if you are on a tight budget. However, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers a larger storage capacity, twice the RAM for better multitasking, a more recent AMD processor, and better integrated graphics capabilities which can handle general use and engineering needs more effectively. The IdeaPad also has a higher battery capacity, leading to longer battery life, an IPS display that generally provides better viewing angles and color reproduction than the TN panel on the Acer, and a touchscreen, which the Acer lacks. Despite its lower price, the Acer has longer battery life but offers less power and storage. Overall, for general usage, the IdeaPad provides a better experience at a higher price, while the Aspire 1 is more budget-friendly but with lower performance and screen 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
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 generally falls short due to a basic Intel Celeron N4500 CPU, limited RAM, and lower screen quality, which impacts multitasking capabilities and visual experience, while its portability and battery life are acceptable. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers better performance for general use with a stronger AMD Ryzen 3 7330U CPU, more RAM, enhanced screen quality, as well as adequate storage, keyboard and speaker quality, without sacrificing much in terms of portability and battery life.
Engineering and Design
5.5
6.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a lower end CPU and integrated graphics, along with less RAM, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which is equipped with a more capable CPU and GPU, and double the amount of RAM. Furthermore, the Lenovo has a higher-quality IPS screen, enhancing the visual experience required for design work.
Content Creation
5.9
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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's display may not be vibrant or sharp enough for most tasks due to its lower resolution and brightness, impacting the experience not just for general use but for detailed engineering work and gaming where clarity is key. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with fair screen quality, offers better clarity and brightness, suitable for everyday tasks and engineering design, though it still lacks the color accuracy professionals may need. Neither laptop is ideal for gaming or 3D applications, as both fall short in refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 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.
Cost
$244
$390
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.6
5.9
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
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Acer Aspire 1 are both poor for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 1 struggles with gaming and 3D because it has a basic Intel GPU which offers minimal graphics performance, and it uses a TN panel with a standard refresh rate, affecting visual quality and fluidity. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 fares better due to its AMD Vega graphics that outperform the Intel counterpart, paired with an IPS screen for better color and viewing angles, even though it shares the same refresh rate limitation.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Acer Aspire 1 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 47 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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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