The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is generally less expensive, more portable, and offers silent operation due to having no fans, which makes it suited for general use, web browsing, and less demanding tasks. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 is significantly more expensive, heavier, and less portable but comes with much higher performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. The ASUS also has a better screen for fast motion and color accuracy, making it ideal for intensive gaming and creative work. However, its fans may produce more noise under heavy usage. Choose the Acer if you prioritize portability and value, or the ASUS if you need high performance and specialize in gaming or content creation. 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 Spin 14
Very good portability
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.6/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a lower-tier CPU and less RAM than the ASUS ROG Strix G18, contributing to it being considered just fair for general use. Additionally, while the Spin 14 offers good screen quality and portability with silent operation and good battery life, the Strix G18 excels with a superior processor and graphics unit, more memory, and a better-quality display, making it very good for general use despite its lesser portability and heavier build.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 in engineering and design tasks primarily due to its superior central processing unit (CPU), double the amount of random access memory (RAM), and a much more powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), all of which are critical for demanding software. Additionally, the ASUS offers a higher quality display with better color coverage and brightness which is important for design accuracy, although it is heavier and less portable compared to the lighter and fanless Acer, which may be quieter but less suited for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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
6.9/10
8.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
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
8.7/10
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 likely has a moderate resolution and brightness, making it adequate for daily tasks like browsing and video streaming, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers a superior display with high resolution and brightness which enhances the quality for professional work in engineering and design. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications because despite their varying panel qualities, they lack the high refresh rates crucial for smooth motion and gameplay. Moreover, while the ASUS may have better color coverage beneficial for design accuracy, it still doesn't meet the gaming standards for refresh rates.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$2,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 costs $2,299.
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the ASUS ROG Strix G18
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,395
Recommendations made
23,703
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.