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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for more intensive tasks like engineering or gaming, the Acer Aspire 3 15 would be more suitable due to its better processor and graphics capabilities. However, if portability and price are your main concerns, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 offers a smaller, lighter, and more affordable option, albeit with lower performance due to its less powerful processor and graphics. The Acer will generally offer higher display quality and likely more battery life but will be heavier and cost more. Conversely, the ASUS will be easier to carry and less expensive but may struggle with demanding applications and only has a basic display. 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
- Good for content creation
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
6.6
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers better performance for general use due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, double the RAM, and a larger, higher quality IPS screen compared to the ASUS Vivobook Go 12's Intel Celeron processor, half the RAM, and smaller, lower resolution TN screen. While the Acer is heavier and less portable, its advantages in screen quality and processing power contribute to its fair standing for general use over the ASUS, which is more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size but ranks poorly due to its lower performance and screen quality.
Engineering and Design
5.9
5.3
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and ASUS Vivobook Go 12 are both poor for engineering and design, though the Acer Aspire 3 15 is somewhat better.
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
5.7
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1
15.6in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a fair screen that suffices for general use due to its acceptable resolution and brightness, but it falls short for engineering and design as it doesn't cover a wide color gamut, which is crucial for accurate color work. Its screen is less suitable for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates that can't deliver the smooth visuals needed for optimal gaming experiences. The ASUS Vivobook Go 12, with lower resolution and brightness, underperforms even for basic tasks, and its deficiencies in color accuracy and refresh rate further impair its ability for engineering, design, gaming, and 3D work.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
11.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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
5.1
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$267
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
$450
$500
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 costs $267.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
5.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and ASUS Vivobook Go 12 are both poor for gaming and AI.
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.
Battery
9.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | ASUS Vivobook Go 12 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $267 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 2.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 10.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 7.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 38 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 480p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
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 | 1 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
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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