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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is a budget-friendly option suitable for general use with a longer battery life, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is more expensive but offers high performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its powerful processor and graphics card. The Surface Laptop Studio has a touchscreen and can handle demanding games thanks to hardware ray tracing. Meanwhile, the Aspire 3 is lighter and potentially quieter with fanless operation, providing solid performance for everyday activities and some degree of portability. Choose the Acer for value and basic tasks or the Microsoft Surface for intensive applications and versatility at a higher cost. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers less RAM and a lower-quality screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, affecting multitasking and visual clarity which are crucial for general use. While the Acer has a silent, fanless operation signifying less operating noise, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a higher portability score, better battery life, and significantly more storage, contributing to its very good rating for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.7
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with a less powerful GPU and standard screen refresh rate, offers modest gaming and 3D capabilities suited for casual use, while its screen quality and CPU provide adequate performance for general tasks. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, with a high-end GPU and higher screen refresh rate, delivers a smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D experience, backed by a strong CPU and superior screen quality for more demanding applications.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is superior for engineering and design because it has a more powerful processor, significantly more RAM, and a more advanced GPU than the Acer Aspire 3 14, making it better suited for resource-intensive tasks. Furthermore, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts exceptional screen quality with higher resolution and touch capability, providing an enhanced visual experience for detailed work, which is indispensable for professionals in those fields.
Content Creation
7.2
8.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
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
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
7.9
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 for general use or engineering and design work, the latter's higher resolution and brightness, alongside a better-panel type, contribute to its very good screen quality, offering clearer and more vibrant visuals. Additionally, for engineering and design applications, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 stands out due to its superior color gamut coverage, crucial for tasks that demand color accuracy. For 3D or gaming, however, neither laptop is ideal because both lack high refresh rates needed for smooth motion, although their screen resolutions and panel types are adequate for moderate use.
Battery
9.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
14.4in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $2,900.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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