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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize affordability and need a laptop for everyday tasks like browsing, office work, or streaming, the Acer Aspire 3 15 is a cost-effective option. However, its performance for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software is limited compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A16. The ASUS offers significantly more power, better graphics capabilities, and is designed for demanding applications, but it comes with a higher price tag and is less portable due to its larger size and weight. The ASUS also has a better display with a higher refresh rate, making it suitable for smoother gaming and video playback. Choose the Acer for basic use and savings, or the ASUS if you need advanced performance and are willing to invest more and manage with a bulkier device. 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 ASUS TUF Gaming A16.
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 provides modest general use capabilities with lower-tier processing power and half the RAM of the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, making it suitable for basic tasks, yet limited in handling more demanding applications efficiently. Conversely, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is equipped with a higher-tier processor, double the RAM, and superior screen quality, enhancing its suitability for a wider range of more intensive tasks, but at the expense of being heavier and offering less portability compared to the Acer Aspire 3 15.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers superior gaming and 3D performance due to its more powerful AMD RX 7600S GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate of 165, providing smoother visuals compared to the Acer Aspire 3 15, which is equipped with a less powerful AMD Radeon 610M GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.7
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is considered fair for engineering and design due to its more basic CPU and GPU, lower RAM, and standard screen quality; while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16's superior CPU, more powerful GPU, higher RAM, and better screen quality make it good for more demanding engineering tasks. Additionally, the ASUS model's added benefits like more ports and better heat management may outweigh its slightly lesser portability and increased operating noise for those requiring advanced performance.
Content Creation
7.0
7.6
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
Screen Quality
6.2
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with a screen that provides adequate color and clarity, is suitable for everyday tasks such as browsing and video streaming but may fall short in delivering the vibrant colors and precision required for engineering applications and lacks the high refresh rate gamers need for smooth visuals. The ASUS TUF Gaming A16, while offering better color coverage and sharper resolution suitable for both everyday use and more demanding engineering and design work, still falls short for gaming and 3D rendering due to its lower refresh rate which is crucial for the fluid motion visuals these tasks demand. Both laptops might excel in certain areas but neither is optimized for high-performance gaming or 3D tasks where screen quality, including fast refresh rates, is pivotal.
Battery
9.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good portability, though the Acer Aspire 3 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.2
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has good 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
$940
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 costs $940.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.0
7.3
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | ASUS TUF Gaming A16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $940 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.97'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.85 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
ASUS TUF Gaming A16
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PCWorld
Dominic Bayley | May 2023
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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Why trust us
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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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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