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Updated January 10, 2024·
To decide between the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Acer Aspire 5 17, consider that while the Aspire 3 may save you money, the Aspire 5 typically has a larger screen and better performance, which can be more suitable for multitasking and multimedia tasks. However, the Aspire 5's larger size can make it less portable. If you prioritize savings and portability, and primarily use your laptop for basic tasks like browsing and office applications, the Aspire 3 could be a smart choice. If you need more power for resource-intensive tasks and a bigger display, and don't mind a bulkier laptop and higher price, the Aspire 5 may better meet your needs. 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
- The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the Acer Aspire 5 17.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 17
- Good for general use
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
266.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 128GB of storage, and 9.5 hours of battery life, is deemed fair for general use due to moderate performance and storage but has the advantage of longer battery life and lighter weight for better portability.
Engineering and Design
5.9
6.7
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and Radeon 610M GPU, offers modest performance suitable for lighter tasks in engineering and design; it offers a decent screen and a balance of portability due to its size and weight. Whereas, the Acer Aspire 5 17 has a higher-performing Intel i5 CPU and better integrated graphics with Intel's Iris Xe, along with a larger screen, which provides a more comfortable viewing experience for detailed work, though it is less portable given its larger size and slightly more weight.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.2
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
266.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 have similar screen quality.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Aspire 5 17 have fair screen quality for general use due to their adequate panel type, resolution, and acceptable brightness levels, making everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and video streaming satisfactory. However, their fair screen quality in engineering and design is limited by modest color range coverage, affecting professionals who require precise color accuracy for detailed work. For gaming and 3D applications, the screens' poorer quality is attributed to lower refresh rates which can result in less fluid motion and their resolution and panel types not being optimal for high-end graphics rendering.
Battery
9.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 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.
Cost
$330
$700
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 costs $700.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
7.0
7.2
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 15 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
7.2
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 15 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
6.5
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Aspire 3 15 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Acer Aspire 5 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Acer Aspire 5 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 15.83" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i5-1335U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 50.3 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 266 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | 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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Rtings
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."
Acer Aspire 5 17
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NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Acer Aspire 5 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.
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