If you need a laptop for general use with a focus on long battery life and quiet operation, and are looking at a more budget-friendly option, the Acer Aspire 3 15 is a suitable choice. However, if you require a powerful laptop for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, and are willing to invest more, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i would be a better fit due to its higher-end processor, advanced graphics card, and better display. The Legion also has the added benefits of a higher-quality keyboard and more available ports, but keep in mind it is heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to 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
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers modest storage, RAM, and a less powerful processor suitable for basic tasks, alongside fair battery life and portability; it is generally sufficient for routine computing needs but not resource-intensive activities. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i features more RAM and a high-performance processor, better screen resolution, and robust battery life, making it well-suited for more demanding general use, including media consumption and multitasking, albeit with reduced portability due to a heavier build.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
8.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
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 Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 15 in gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, coupled with a robust CPU and higher-quality screen. While the Acer Aspire 3 15 is equipped with a modest AMD Radeon 610M GPU and a standard refresh rate suitable for casual use, its specifications lag behind the Lenovo, making it less ideal for the demands of gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a more powerful CPU and GPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality than the Acer Aspire 3 15, which are all very important for engineering and design tasks, leading to its very good suitability. However, the Aspire might appeal to those prioritizing portability and a quieter device, as it is lighter and offers silent, fanless operation.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
7.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 Slim 5i and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 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
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 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.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 3 15 offers a balance of resolution and brightness, providing a comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i delivers higher resolution and brightness, ensuring crisp and clear visuals. For engineering and design, the Aspire 3's color reproduction may be adequate but not exceptional, lacking the wider color gamuts found in the Legion Slim 5i that professionals require for precise color work. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the Lenovo's superior refresh rate enhances fluidity in motion, although both laptops may not fully satisfy the highest standards for gaming due to limitations in screen quality.
Battery
9.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 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 Slim 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
$1,055
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,055.
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 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.
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