For everyday tasks like web browsing, email, and streaming, the Acer Aspire 1 offers solid performance at a budget-friendly price, with a decent screen for general use. However, it's not designed for demanding applications or gaming, and its battery life is modest.
In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is a powerhouse suitable for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its high-performance CPU and dedicated GPU. It has a superior screen with a higher refresh rate and color accuracy, which is also beneficial for engineering tasks. The Legion Pro 5i is heavier and pricier but offers better build quality, a more comfortable keyboard, and superior speakers. It's also more future-proof with Thunderbolt ports and additional RAM and storage slots.
If portability and cost are your primary concerns and you don't need high performance, the Acer Aspire 1 is a practical choice. However, if you're looking for a laptop that can handle more demanding tasks and you're willing to invest in a device that will last longer and provide a better overall experience, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is the way to go. 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 Pro 5i (2024)
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.6/10
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Pro 5i (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
8.7/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is very good 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
5.9/10
7.9/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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
6.1/10
7.7/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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
5.2/10
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) costs $1,500.
"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."
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
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.
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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