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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Acer Aspire 5 17, consider their differences in size, battery life, and suitability for tasks. The Acer Aspire 3 14 is more portable due to its smaller screen and lighter weight, offering longer battery life, which is practical for on-the-go use. The Acer Aspire 5 17, with a larger display, may be more comfortable for tasks such as document editing and multimedia consumption, but its larger size and heavier weight make it less portable. Both offer similar performance for general use; however, none are best suited for highly demanding tasks like intensive gaming or engineering software. If budget is a concern, the Aspire 3 14 is the more cost-effective option. 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 3 14
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 17
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.1
6.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both only fair for engineering and design, though the Acer Aspire 5 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and Radeon 610M GPU offers portability and very good battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go engineering tasks, but with moderate screen quality and graphics performance. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 5 17, equipped with an Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics, delivers a larger screen and better speaker quality, ideal for design work that benefits from a bigger display and better sound but sacrifices some portability due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
6.1
6.2
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
266.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 have similar screen quality.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Aspire 3 and 5 display fair performance due to their sufficient resolution and brightness, which are adequate for everyday tasks but may not stand out in terms of vividness or clarity. For engineering and design, the screens may fall short as they lack the wide color gamuts essential for precise color work required in professional editing and modeling, meaning colors may not be as accurate or consistent. And in gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is crucial, both laptops may not provide the smooth experience desired, as their refresh rates are lower than what's preferred for fast-paced visuals and rendering.
Battery
9.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$434
$700
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 costs $700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
266.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers less processing power and screen brightness than the Aspire 5 17, making it fair for general use, while its lighter weight and longer battery life offer better portability. In contrast, the Aspire 5 17 with a more capable CPU and a larger, slightly dimmer screen, is better for more demanding tasks but is heavier and less portable, thus labeled good for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, equipped with an AMD Radeon 610M GPU, and the Acer Aspire 5 17, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, both offer fair performance for light gaming and 3D applications, but neither are designed for high-end gaming which would require more powerful GPUs and higher screen refresh rates than their standard 60Hz displays. The Aspire 3's smaller size and Ryzen CPU can handle moderate tasks, whereas the Aspire 5's larger screen and Intel CPU afford a bit more multitasking capability, but with increased weight and reduced portability.
Content Creation
7.2
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation.
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
7.1
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
6.2
6.5
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 14 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Acer Aspire 5 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 4.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 15.83" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i5-1335U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 50.3 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 266 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Acer Aspire 5 17
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.
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