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Aspire 3 15
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MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

For general use with a focus on value, the Acer Aspire 3 15 offers the basics at a budget-friendly price and should handle everyday tasks well, but its screen and performance won't stand out. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is more expensive but excels with superior build quality, screen, performance, and battery life, which makes it a better choice for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D work, or machine learning. Also, with its higher portability score, the MacBook is easier to carry around. If you prioritize performance and quality over cost, the MacBook Pro is a strong option. Conversely, for more casual or price-sensitive users, the Acer Aspire might suffice. 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 Pro 14 (2021).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good for content creation
  • Excellent overall display quality
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Very good portability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Best in class speakers
  • Best in class keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

6.6
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.

Gaming and AI

5.8
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
6.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.

Engineering and Design

5.9
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
8.2
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.

Content Creation

7.0
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
8.4
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.

Software Development

7.0
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
8.3
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.

Screen Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Battery

9.5 Hours
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
13.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$330
Aspire 3 15
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
$1,905
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 3 15Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Acer Aspire 3 15Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

GENERAL

Price
$330
$1,905
Release Date
January 1, 2023October 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74''12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61''
Weight
3.97 lbs3.5 lbs
Width
14.29"12.31"
Depth
9.35"8.71"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 3 7320UApple M1 Pro (8C)
RAM
8 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
128 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
9.5 Hours13.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
40 Wh69.6 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"14.2"
Display Technology
IPSMini LED
Resolution
1920 x 10803024 x 1964
Refresh Rate
60Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
244 nits479 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.3/1010/10
Portability Score
7.7/108.6/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoYes
Fan Noise Score
10/108.8/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.3/109.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/1010/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
20
USB-C ports
13
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
22
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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Acer Aspire 3 15

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Dig into reviews and images

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 Pro 14 (2021)

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."

Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

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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Recommendations made
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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.

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