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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Aspire 1 and the Lenovo Legion 9i involves significant tradeoffs. The Acer Aspire 1 is much more affordable, lightweight, and suitable for basic tasks and general use, while the Legion 9i, being more expensive, packs a powerful processor and high-end graphics suitable for intensive 3D applications, machine learning, gaming, and engineering work. The Aspire 1 has a simpler display and minimal storage compared to the Legion's high-resolution, high-refresh-rate screen and larger storage capacity. The Aspire 1 is fanless, ensuring silent operation, but the Legion offers higher performance for demanding tasks. If budget is a priority and your computing needs are modest, the Aspire might suit you, but if you need top-tier performance for advanced applications and can afford the higher price, the Legion 9i is the better bet. 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 portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a weaker CPU and less RAM, and uses a low-quality screen, thus performing poorly for general use, especially in multitasking and viewing content, while the Lenovo Legion 9i offers a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED display, making it very effective for multitasking and entertainment purposes.
Gaming and AI
5.6
9.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 falls short in gaming and 3D tasks because it uses an integrated Intel graphics chip and a basic screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, which are not suited for high-end graphics and fast-paced games that require more powerful graphics processing and smoother visuals. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i excels in these areas thanks to its superior Nvidia RTX 4080 dedicated graphics card and a high-quality display with a 165Hz refresh rate, providing the necessary horsepower and fluidity for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
5.5
9.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1's less powerful Intel Celeron processor and integrated graphics are not suited for demanding engineering or design tasks, and it has a lower-quality TN screen which means less vibrant colors and narrower viewing angles compared to the Lenovo Legion 9i, which has a top-of-the-line Intel i9 processor, dedicated Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, and a high-quality Mini LED screen with superior color coverage and contrast for intricate visual work.
Content Creation
5.9
8.7
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
8.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.7
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior screen quality with high resolution and brightness, providing crisp visuals and comfortable viewing, whereas the Acer Aspire 1 has a lower quality display lacking in these key areas. In engineering and design, the Legion 9i's screen stands out because it covers a wide range of colors with ample DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage, ensuring accurate color reproduction, unlike the Aspire 1 which falls short in this aspect. However, for 3D and gaming, the Aspire 1 lags behind due to its lower refresh rate, which means the Legion 9i, despite its higher quality in other respects, may not offer as smooth motion rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i has very 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 9.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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