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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 with its large storage and robust processor is less expensive, making it suitable for general use and basic engineering tasks, while the Apple MacBook Air offers a higher resolution display, longer battery life, and lightweight design, ideal for those who prioritize portability and multimedia quality. The MacBook Air operates quietly and brings higher build quality, a more vibrant screen, and better overall performance scores for general use as well as for more demanding tasks like 3D and machine learning. Ultimately, if budget is a primary concern and you require extra storage out of the box, the Acer Aspire may fit your needs, but if you're looking for a more portable laptop with higher quality display and sound, the MacBook Air is the stronger option, albeit at a higher price. 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 (2022).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with its decent processor and ample storage, offers satisfactory performance for everyday tasks, but the Apple MacBook Air (2022) surpasses it with a more powerful CPU and superior screen quality, which enhances overall user experience. Additionally, the MacBook Air boasts a lighter build and longer battery life, making it more portable and better suited for on-the-go use than the Acer Aspire 3 14.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.5
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is suitable for engineering and design tasks due to its mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and AMD Radeon GPU, and a fair display with moderate color coverage, but the MacBook Air (2022) outperforms it with a more powerful Apple M2 chip, integrated high-performance GPU, and a superior display offering high brightness and wide color coverage, making it better suited for more intensive engineering applications and design work where screen quality is crucial.
Content Creation
7.2
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
8.0
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
7.6
14.0in
SIZE
13.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 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 14 offers a decent resolution and brightness suited for everyday tasks and productivity applications, but it lacks the higher color accuracy and wider color gamut needed for engineering and design work. The MacBook Air, with its higher resolution and brightness, along with a wider color gamut, caters excellently to professionals in engineering and design demanding precision in color representation. However, both laptops have lower refresh rates, which is not ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion and quicker screen updates are crucial for the best experience.
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
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
$769
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $769.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
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 (2022) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with an AMD Radeon GPU and 60 Hz screen refresh rate, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks, and is equipped with Windows, which supports a larger gaming library. Conversely, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) features the M2 GPU and the same refresh rate which allows for fair 3D capabilities, its MacOS restricts compatibility with many popular games, limiting its utility for gaming despite its hardware capabilities.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $769 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
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 | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 9.4/10 | |
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 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 (2022)
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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 (2022)
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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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