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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) comes down to your preferences and needs. If you're seeking a more affordable option, the Acer Aspire might suit you; however, it has less storage and its performance is less suited for intensive tasks such as engineering software or 3D modeling. The MacBook Air is higher in price but offers better performance, more storage, a higher-resolution display, and longer battery life. It is also lighter, which makes it more portable. The Acer does include a larger screen, which might be beneficial for multitasking or if you prefer a bigger display. The Acer runs Windows while the MacBook Air runs MacOS, so consider which operating system you're more comfortable with. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers a fair experience for general use with modest CPU and GPU capabilities, adequate RAM, and a standard full HD screen, while its heavier weight and lower battery life reduce its portability compared to the MacBook Air. The Apple MacBook Air (2022), however, delivers a good experience due to its superior M2 chip for faster performance, a higher-resolution and brighter display, a lighter frame for better portability, and longer battery life for extended use without charging.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is 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.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.5
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.0
7.9
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
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
8.0
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
6.2
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
13.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 provides an adequate viewing experience for everyday tasks, but its limited color range and lower resolution might not meet the precision required for engineering and design work. The MacBook Air shines with its higher resolution and wider color gamut, offering clarity and color accuracy that's beneficial for professional creative work, yet neither are suited for 3D applications due to their standard refresh rates, which can't deliver the smooth visuals required by high-frame-rate gaming or intensive 3D rendering.
Battery
9.5 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$899
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $899.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
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."
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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 Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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