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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and higher computing power for tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is a better choice but at a higher price. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 3 14 is more budget-friendly and offers silent operation with decent performance for general use. The Acer also has a slightly better portability score owing to its lighter weight, while the ASUS stands out with better performance scores for demanding tasks and more internal storage. Neither is suitable for intensive gaming, and both have a high battery life for typical usage. 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 ASUS Vivobook S 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 offers double the RAM and more powerful processing capabilities with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H compared to the Acer Aspire 3 14's AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, which makes the ASUS better suited for multitasking and demanding applications. Additionally, the Vivobook S 15 comes with enhanced screen brightness and better color coverage which favors users who prioritize display quality for general use, although the Acer Aspire 3 14 counters with slightly better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.1
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is less suited for engineering and design because it has less RAM and a less powerful CPU and GPU, which can limit performance in resource-intensive tasks compared to the ASUS Vivobook S 15, which has double the RAM and a higher-end CPU and integrated graphics, offering better handling of complex engineering and design software. While both have similar quality IPS displays, the ASUS's larger screen can provide a more comfortable workspace; however, the Acer Aspire is lighter, making it more portable, but this advantage may be overshadowed by its lower performance for engineering-specific applications.
Screen Quality
6.1
6.3
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 have screens that provide acceptable clarity and visibility due to their resolution and panel types, but they may lack the brightness needed for the most comfortable viewing in different lighting conditions. In engineering and design, while these laptops offer acceptable detail for most tasks, professionals might find the limited range of colors displayed by the screens a drawback when precision in color representation is crucial. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as their refresh rates are not high enough to ensure the smooth visuals that these applications typically require, although their resolutions and panel types offer a basic level of image quality.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.0
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
$908
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 costs $908.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.3
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 ASUS Vivobook S 15 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 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.
Content Creation
7.2
7.6
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Acer Aspire 3 14 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
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 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.
Battery
9.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | ASUS Vivobook S 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $908 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.97 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 9.17" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 70 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
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 | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook S 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | February 2023
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the ASUS Vivobook S 15
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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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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