When choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, consider that while the Acer is more budget-friendly, the ASUS offers superior performance with a better processor and graphics card, which would be advantageous for demanding tasks such as 3D work, machine learning, and gaming. The ASUS also has a higher resolution OLED display, beneficial for creative work or media consumption. However, it is heavier and less portable. If your primary concern is general use and portability and you appreciate a 2-in-1 device that doubles as a tablet, the Acer could be a suitable and cost-effective option. Conversely, if performance and high-end features are more critical and you're willing to invest more, the ASUS may be the better choice. 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 Zenbook Pro 16X
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
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
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has modest hardware with an Intel i3 processor, less RAM, and a standard screen quality, which positions it for casual and lightweight use, but its lower weight and size offer better portability at an attractive price.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
7.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, with its integrated Intel graphics, offers basic performance suitable for light gaming and 3D applications but lacks the graphical prowess of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, which includes a high-end Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card providing significant power for demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is equipped with a more powerful processor, greater RAM and superior GPU compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, thus offering enhanced performance for tasks that are demanding in terms of engineering and design. Furthermore, the Zenbook Pro has a significantly better screen quality, but the Aspire 3 offers more portability due to its lighter weight and also operates quietly due to its fanless design.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
8.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
8.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X likely offers a higher resolution and brighter display compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, making text sharper and images more vivid, which is less critical but still appreciated in everyday tasks. For engineering and design, the ASUS's color accuracy, with wider Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, ensures that professionals can see more accurate colors for their work, a feature not as prevalent in the Acer model. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both the Acer and ASUS may not provide the ideal experience due to lower refresh rates, though resolution and panel quality play a role, the smoothness of motion, which is crucial for gaming, is compromised.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.6/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X costs $1,300.
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."
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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.