The Acer Aspire 3 15 gives you basic performance at a budget price with moderate battery life, suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and office work. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, on the other hand, offers a significant step up in performance, higher quality build, and a much larger storage capacity, which would be great for more intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and some gaming. Its battery life is similar to the Acer despite its stronger performance, but it's heavier and less portable. If budget is your primary concern and your activities don't require a powerful machine, the Acer may suffice, but if you're looking for a laptop that can handle heavier loads and offers a more premium experience, the ASUS is the better option despite the higher cost. 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 Zenbook Pro 17.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers basic computing with a lower-end CPU and less RAM, making it suitable for general use but not as fast or smooth in multitasking or demanding tasks compared to the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, which boasts a high-end CPU and more RAM for superior performance. Additionally, the Zenbook's larger storage, superior screen quality, and robust build quality enhance the user experience for general use, although this comes at the cost of less portability and a higher price than the Aspire 3.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a more suitable gaming and 3D experience with its stronger Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor, which are pivotal for rendering graphics swiftly. In comparison, the Acer Aspire 3 15 has a less potent AMD Radeon 610M GPU and an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, delivering only adequate performance, which may not keep pace with more demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is better suited for engineering and design tasks, with its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor, ample 32GB of RAM, and higher-end Nvidia RTX GPU, all of which offer superior performance for intensive applications over the Acer Aspire 3 15's AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and Radeon 610M GPU.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.
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
7.0/10
7.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is somewhat better.
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
6.2/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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's screen may suffice for tasks like web browsing and document editing due to adequate resolution and brightness, but its limited color range and lower refresh rate might not satisfy engineers seeking precise color representation or gamers needing smooth motion. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a more vivid display with better color accuracy, appealing to professionals in engineering and design, yet its lower refresh rate means it may not keep up with the demands of high-speed gaming. For general users, both laptops have qualities that ensure a comfortable viewing experience, but designers and gamers should consider the differences in color fidelity and fluidity of motion, respectively.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
6.2/10
7.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
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 Zenbook Pro 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.
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.
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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