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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 is a budget-friendly option that is lighter and has a longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is slightly more expensive, heavier, but offers a more powerful processor, better graphics, and is more suitable for gaming, 3D work, and other performance-demanding tasks. While the Acer Aspire 3 is more suited for everyday tasks and people on the go, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 caters to gamers and professionals needing higher performance. Both laptops come with similar storage and RAM, but the Lenovo excels in screen refresh rate for smoother visuals, and it has better capabilities for connecting to networks and devices as well as ray tracing support for gaming. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.5
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14's AMD Radeon 610M GPU and 60Hz screen refresh rate provide a basic level of gaming performance, suited for less demanding games. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and twice the screen refresh rate at 120Hz offer a noticeably improved gaming and 3D experience, better supporting games that require higher graphics processing and smoother motion.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 14 in engineering and design tasks as it has a more powerful CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding software applications used in these fields. Additionally, the IdeaPad's higher screen quality, with better brightness and color performance, would benefit design work, although it is less portable and noisier under load compared to the Acer's silent operation.
Screen Quality
6.1
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When it comes to general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offer screen resolutions and panel types that provide clarity and good viewing angles, along with adequate brightness for everyday tasks. However, for engineering and design work, the Lenovo's good screen quality stems from its wider color gamuts, which ensure more accurate color reproduction crucial for those fields, while the Acer Aspire 3's fair screen quality may not satisfy professionals looking for precise color detail. For gaming and 3D applications, despite decent resolutions and panel types, both laptops fall short on refresh rates, which are key for smooth visual performance, making them less ideal for fast-paced gaming or intensive 3D rendering.
Battery
9.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
$549
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers good portability and long battery life, making it fair for general use, but it may trail behind in performance due to its less powerful CPU and GPU compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which also has better screen quality with higher brightness and color range coverage, contributing to it being considered good for general use.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $549 | ||
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 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 60 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 | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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