The Acer Aspire 3 is significantly less expensive than the HP Envy 17 and is more portable, making it suitable for general use and consistent travel. However, the HP Envy 17 has a larger screen, more RAM, and better overall performance for tasks like 3D rendering and engineering software. It also offers a touch screen and higher-quality speakers and webcam, which could enhance multimedia use. Despite its better features for intensive tasks, the HP is heavier and not as easy to carry around as the Acer. Choose the Acer for cost-effectiveness and mobility or the HP for enhanced performance and media features. 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 HP Envy 17
Good for engineering and design
Good overall build quality
Good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Envy 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The HP Envy 17 offers superior performance for engineering and design tasks with double the RAM and a high-performance Intel i7 CPU compared to the Acer Aspire 3 14's AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and less RAM, which is why the Envy is better suited for demanding workloads. While both have comparable integrated graphics and Full HD IPS displays, the larger screen and higher brightness on the Envy provide a better visual experience, although the Aspire 3 14 affords greater portability due to its smaller size and weight.
Screen Quality
6.1/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The HP Envy 17 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If a laptop like the Acer Aspire 3 has fair screen quality, it likely means it has an adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but its coverage of color gamuts may not be extensive enough for precision work required in engineering and design. The HP Envy 17, with its good screen quality, could have higher resolution, brightness, and greater color accuracy, benefiting tasks that demand visual detail and fidelity, such as CAD and graphic design. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short in providing smooth visuals as their refresh rates are likely lower, which is crucial for rendering fast-moving images cleanly.
Battery
9.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The HP Envy 17 has 8 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the HP Envy 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.2/10
The HP Envy 17 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
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the HP Envy 17 costs $1,000.
The HP Envy 17 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM, which can provide adequate performance for general tasks along with good portability due to its smaller screen and lighter weight, but it has a shorter battery life and lower screen quality compared to the HP Envy 17. The HP Envy 17 offers a powerful Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a higher quality display with a larger screen, making it suitable for more intensive use, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life despite a larger battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
6.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Envy 17 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
7.2/10
7.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Envy 17 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
7.1/10
7.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Envy 17 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the HP Envy 17 compare to other laptops
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the HP Envy 17
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.
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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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
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