If you prioritize performance and features such as a high-quality display for engineering tasks or content creation, and are prepared to invest more, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 15. It has much greater storage, more RAM, a more powerful processor and GPU, and superior screen technology that supports touch and is brighter with higher resolution. However, the Acer represents fundamental functionality at a much lower cost, with adequate performance for general use, a larger screen, and longer battery life. Its lower storage and performance capabilities make it less suited for demanding tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning compared to the Lenovo. 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 Lenovo Slim Pro 9i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is considered very good for general use primarily due to its substantially higher RAM, a superior main processor and graphics card, along with a better-displaying Mini LED screen offering higher resolution and brightness, making it more suitable for various tasks and visual work. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 15, while offering fair performance with adequate processing power for basic tasks, has lower RAM, a less powerful processor and GPU, and an IPS screen with lower resolution and brightness, which may affect multitasking and the experience with high-definition content.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
7.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its more modest AMD Radeon 610M graphics card and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i comes equipped with a superior Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate, lending itself to good gaming and 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 with its lower-tier AMD Ryzen CPU and AMD Radeon GPU is adequate for modest engineering projects, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i excels in demanding design tasks with its powerful Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, paired with substantially more RAM and higher screen resolution for finer detail. Also, the Lenovo's superior screen quality with higher brightness and color accuracy further benefits users involved in visuals-intensive work, despite it being less ideal for extended portability given its slightly shorter battery life compared to the Acer.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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
8.3/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.
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
9.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 Lenovo Slim Pro 9i offers a superior screen experience due to its higher resolution and brighter display, making documents, websites, and media appear sharp and vibrant. When it comes to engineering and design, this laptop also excels with its wider range of colors, ensuring that designers see accurate shades and hues, which is crucial for professional work. Yet, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, meaning the visual fluidity and smoothness necessary for these tasks aren't optimal, although the higher resolution and panel quality of the Lenovo may still deliver a visually appealing experience.
Battery
9.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has very 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 Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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."
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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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