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Updated January 10, 2024·
When deciding between the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13, consider your primary uses and budget. The Aspire 3 is less expensive, with a larger size, somewhat longer battery life, and solid performance for general tasks. The Zenbook S 13 is pricier but offers better performance, especially for engineering and 3D tasks, thanks to more RAM and a faster processor, plus an OLED screen with superior colors and brightness. It is lighter and more compact, making it highly portable and well-suited for professional use. In summary, the Aspire 3 suits budget-conscious general use, while the Zenbook excels in high-performance tasks and portability. 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
- The Acer Aspire 3 14 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook S 13.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
- 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
- Good overall build quality
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is adequate for general use with sufficient RAM and CPU for everyday tasks, a fair quality display, and good portability due to its reasonable size and weight; it has a notable advantage in operating noise with a silent, fanless design.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.5
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, while suitable for light gaming and 3D applications, may struggle with high-end games due to a less powerful GPU and a standard screen refresh rate. The ASUS Zenbook S 13, on the other hand, offers a higher-tier GPU and a better screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and gameplay, making it more appropriate for serious gaming and demanding 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
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
7.2
8.5
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
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
8.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
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
6.1
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a screen with enough clarity, brightness, and resolution suitable for everyday tasks and document-oriented engineering work, yet its more basic color range may not provide the accuracy required for high-end design tasks. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook S 13's superior resolution and brightness, along with a wider color gamut, make it excellent for detailed design work and comfortable general usage, though both models will fall short for gaming and 3D due to their lower refresh rates. Neither laptop is optimal for 3D applications and fast-paced gaming, where smoother visuals are key, and high refresh rate screens are essential.
Battery
9.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 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
Best in Class
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.6
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$434
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 costs $1,400.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | ASUS Zenbook S 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 2.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 11.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 8.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i7-1355U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 63 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 365 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the ASUS Zenbook S 13
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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