When choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, consider that the Aspire 3 15 has a larger 15.6-inch screen that does not support touch, which might be better for viewing content and productivity. However, its overall performance for general use, 3D/machine learning, and engineering tasks might be slightly less than the Spin 14. The Aspire 3 Spin 14 provides a smaller 14-inch touchscreen with higher resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio, which can be more suitable for tasks that benefit from a touch interface or a taller screen, like document editing. Both have similar battery life and port functionality, but the Spin 14 is slightly more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight. If you value portability and touch capabilities, the Spin 14 may suit you, whereas if you prefer a larger display and don't require touch functionality, the Aspire 3 15 is a strong candidate. 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 15
Good for software development
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14
Very good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Spin 14 have screen qualities suitable for general use, owing to their adequate resolution and brightness, providing a clear and comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks. However, for engineering and design work, while their fair color gamut coverage allows for some degree of precise color work, professionals might find them lacking compared to screens with higher color fidelity. For gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates result in less fluid motion which can detract from the immersive and responsive experience that gamers and 3D professionals seek.
Battery
9.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$330
$418
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 costs $418.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both only fair for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers a slightly larger screen and a modest boost in battery life, accommodating general tasks with an acceptable display and performance from its AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and RAM configuration; however, its heavier weight reduces its portability compared to Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, while more portable with a lighter build, versatile with a touchscreen and a convertible 2-in-1 design, makes slight sacrifices in battery life but shares similar RAM and CPU specs, catering to everyday use with comparable screen quality and performance.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
10.0/10
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both poor for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 with an AMD Ryzen 3 series CPU and AMD Radeon GPU delivers decent gaming and 3D performance for its class, but with a standard screen refresh rate and quality, it's primarily suited for entry-level gaming. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, despite its versatility as a 2-in-1, features an Intel CPU with integrated UHD Graphics, which also provides fair gaming and 3D capabilities; however, its screen has a slightly higher pixel density and offers touch functionality, which doesn't compensate for the GPU limitations in demanding gaming or 3D scenarios.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
5.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both poor for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers a fair performance for engineering and design due to its AMD Ryzen 3 CPU, dedicated AMD Radeon GPU, and an IPS screen with decent color accuracy and brightness, but its heavier weight affects portability negatively.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 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
7.0/10
6.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 3 15 to be good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
6.2/10
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 compare to other laptops
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and it's easy to carry around. The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Its Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and integrated graphics can only handle simple tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, so it isn't ideal for students in more technical fields like 3D graphics. Unfortunately, the battery lasts only around six to seven hours of light use."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,095
Recommendations made
23,638
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.