Based on the comparison, if price is a major concern and your needs are basic, such as web browsing and office work, the Acer Aspire 3 15 is a cost-effective option with a good battery life, making it suitable for on-the-go use. However, if gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering tasks are your focus, and you're willing to invest more, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro offers significantly better performance, enhanced screen resolution, and a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, though at a tradeoff of heavier weight and reduced battery life compared to the Acer. The Lenovo also has extra features like a backlit keyboard and better connectivity options, but this comes at a cost of portability as it is heavier than the Acer. 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 portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is deemed fair for general use due to its lower-tier CPU, modest memory, and basic screen quality, which are adequate for everyday tasks but may struggle with heavy multitasking or high-definition content; its portability and battery life are good, benefiting users who prioritize mobility, and it's quieter due to its fanless design.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
8.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i surpasses the Acer Aspire 3 15 in gaming and 3D due to its much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, which results in smoother visuals and better performance for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i outshines the Acer Aspire 3 15 in engineering and design because it has a stronger CPU, double the RAM, a significantly more powerful GPU, and a higher-quality screen, all of which are crucial for demanding tasks like 3D modeling and rendering. However, the Acer Aspire 3 15 excels in portability and silent operation due to its lighter weight and fanless design, which may be more suitable for users prioritizing mobility and a quiet environment over top-tier performance.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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.
Software Development
7.0/10
7.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you need a laptop for general tasks or engineering, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i stands out with a display that offers sharper images and vivid colors, thanks to its higher resolution and broad color coverage, which are essential for precision and detail-oriented work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite its high-quality panel, the Legion's lower refresh rate may not deliver the smooth visual experience gamers seek. The Acer Aspire 3 15, while adequate for everyday tasks, may not provide the clarity and color accuracy needed for engineering tasks, nor the gaming experience due to its lesser screen qualities across the board.
Battery
9.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5i costs $1,000.
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."
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
124,095
Recommendations made
26,888
Consumer hours saved
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.