The Acer Aspire 3 15 is more wallet-friendly and offers solid performance for general use with a decent battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks and light work. Its lighter build also means it's more portable, although it has less storage and memory compared to the HP Envy 17. On the other hand, the HP Envy 17, while more expensive, comes with more power thanks to its faster processor and increased memory, making it better for more demanding applications such as engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning. The Envy has a larger screen with touch capability, which might be beneficial for creative tasks, and slightly better build quality, but is heavier, which affects portability. Both laptops are not ideal for intensive gaming due to their integrated graphics. 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 HP Envy 17.
Advantages of the HP Envy 17
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good overall build quality
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Envy 17 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The HP Envy 17 offers a more robust performance for general use than the Acer Aspire 3 15 due to its superior processor, double the RAM, and a better screen that even supports touch. While the Envy 17's larger screen and higher power components mean it's heavier and less portable with lower battery life, its advantages in processing power and display quality create a more capable and enjoyable experience for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Envy 17 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a basic GPU suitable for light gaming and standard screen refresh rate, making it fair for gaming and 3D tasks, but it may struggle with more demanding games. The HP Envy 17 with its integrated graphics can handle similar tasks and offers a larger screen, but also comes with a standard refresh rate, positioning it similarly for these uses.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
7.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Envy 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers moderate performance for engineering and design due to an AMD processor and a basic AMD GPU, paired with a decent screen, but its lower RAM and storage may limit complex task handling; its lightweight design and silent operation enhance portability and comfort. In contrast, the HP Envy 17 provides enhanced capabilities suitable for demanding tasks with a higher-end Intel processor and integrated graphics, more RAM and storage, and a touchscreen with better screen quality, but is heavier and less portable.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The HP Envy 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 15 has a screen that provides enough clarity and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, yet its limited color range and lower resolution may not be suitable for detailed engineering and design work. The HP Envy 17, on the other hand, offers a brighter display and wider color gamut, making it well-suited for creative professionals who prioritize accurate color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness during fast-paced visual activities.
Battery
9.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The HP Envy 17 has 8 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
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and HP Envy 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 HP Envy 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
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the HP Envy 17 costs $1,000.
The HP Envy 17 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Envy 17 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.
Give feedback
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the HP Envy 17 compare to other laptops
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."
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the HP Envy 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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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