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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering your options between Acer Aspire 3 14 and Apple MacBook Air (2020), the Acer is more budget-friendly and has a larger storage space, but the MacBook Air excels in build quality, battery life, and overall performance, especially in engineering tasks and 3D/machine learning. The MacBook Air is also lighter and thinner, offering better portability. Both models lack a touchscreen and deliver moderate brightness and color coverage. The Aspire 3 has a numeric keypad and is well-suited for general tasks; however, the MacBook Air, with its higher build quality and performance, is more versatile across a broader range of activities, including premium business applications. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), with a higher-resolution display and a more efficient CPU, provides a smooth general use experience, bolstered by its lightweight portability and longer battery life compared to the heavier Acer Aspire 3 14, which still offers fair performance and a reasonable screen but falls short in battery longevity and portability.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers adequate performance for engineering and design with its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and Radeon GPU, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) with the Apple M1 chip and integrated 7-core GPU delivers higher efficiency and stronger graphics performance, beneficial for more demanding engineering tasks. Additionally, the MacBook Air boasts a superior screen quality with a higher resolution and broader color coverage, essential for design work, alongside higher scores in portability, keyboard, and speaker quality, making it a more capable machine for engineering and design within its sleek form factor.
Content Creation
7.2
7.8
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.5
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 with its fair screen quality offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but it lacks the wide color gamut and superior brightness that professionals in engineering and design would benefit from, which the MacBook Air provides with its higher-quality display. While both laptops have screens that are fine for general use and engineering tasks, neither is optimal for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, a feature that's critical for smooth visuals in fast-paced environments where the MacBook Air's better resolution and panel type provide only a slight edge.
Battery
9.5 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 14 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class 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
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2020) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is fair for gaming and 3D because it includes a discrete AMD GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which supports a reasonable gaming experience on a Windows platform widely compatible with major games. In comparison, the MacBook Air (2020) is limited by its integrated GPU and, despite having a high-quality screen, its macOS may not support many popular games, making it less suitable for gaming despite its fair capabilities in handling 3D tasks.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Apple MacBook Air (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | November 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 2.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 8.36" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Apple M1 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 49.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 395 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 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 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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 Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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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