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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're after an affordable laptop for simple day-to-day tasks like browsing and office applications, the Acer Aspire 1 is a solid choice due to its lower cost, though it has less storage, memory, and a lower-end processor which might not be suitable for more demanding tasks. On the other hand, if you require a high-performance laptop for engineering, 3D modeling, or machine learning, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers significantly more power, more storage, and memory, as well as a superior display but at a higher price point; however, both laptops offer a similar level of portability. The ThinkPad Z16 also includes additional features like a touchscreen, better build quality, and ports for connectivity that could be very useful for professional use. 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 ThinkPad Z16.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very 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
6.7
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair 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
8.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its basic processor, minimal RAM, and average screen quality, is not equipped for demanding engineering and design tasks, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a high-performing processor, substantial RAM, advanced GPU, and superior OLED screen, all crucial for intensive applications used in those fields.
Content Creation
5.9
8.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 screen may not offer the sharpness, brightness, and vivid colors you'd want for any use, making text less crisp and images less vibrant. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with its higher quality display, ensures that colors and details are more accurate for professional tasks in engineering and design, thanks to its better color coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the ThinkPad Z16 might not refresh the screen quickly enough for smooth motion, unlike specialized gaming laptops.
Build Quality
5.5
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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