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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 is an excellent choice if you're looking for a budget-friendly laptop that can handle general use effectively. It's lightweight and has sufficient battery life for daily tasks, a full HD screen, and is quite portable. However, if you require more power, particularly for engineering software or more demanding applications, the HP Dragonfly Pro, with its superior processor, better graphics capabilities, and double the memory, would be a better fit. Despite its higher cost, it comes with a touchscreen, better screen brightness and color coverage, which makes it well suited for media-related work as well. Both options offer a backlit keyboard and a decent build quality, but the HP has additional features like facial recognition and a higher-quality webcam and speakers. 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14".
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" outshines the Acer Aspire 3 14 in general use due to its superior processing power, double the RAM for multitasking, and a higher battery capacity for longer unplugged use, complemented by a touchscreen with better color coverage and brightness for vibrant visuals. While both laptops are portable, the HP also boasts a higher portability score and enhanced speaker and keyboard quality.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.5
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is 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.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.6
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is 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
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.8
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for software development, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.1
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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's fair screen quality for general use is due to its satisfactory resolution and brightness, which are adequate for tasks like browsing and video streaming, but it falls short for engineering and design due to its limited color range, impacting color accuracy for professional work. The HP Dragonfly Pro offers a higher quality display with good resolution and brightness, which enhances user experience in general tasks and benefits design work with more accurate color representation. However, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates, which is not ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion and rapid screen updates are essential.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Battery
9.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 8.3/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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