When determining which laptop to buy, consider how you'll use the device. The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 may save you money and offer the flexibility of a 2-in-1 with a touch screen, useful for casual browsing and media consumption. However, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is typically sturdier with better build quality, offers stronger performance for demanding tasks like 3D modeling or data analysis, and has a keyboard that's favored for heavy typing work. If portability and battery life are crucial, the ThinkPad often outperforms larger, less expensive models. Consider how much value you place on performance, build quality, and specific features versus the savings offered by 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 Spin 14
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad X13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13, with a stronger CPU and more RAM, provides smoother and faster performance for everyday tasks and multitasking, along with a high-quality screen, all in a highly portable package with long battery life, crucial for on-the-go usage. Meanwhile, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers an affordable alternative that handles basic general use, but its modest CPU and RAM, along with a lower screen quality, mean less robust performance in comparison, though it maintains decent portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13, while adequate for moderate gaming and 3D tasks, might not provide the smoothest experience due to their GPUs and screen refresh rates, which are vital for high-performance gaming but not top-tier in these models. Although they have decent CPUs and screen quality, these factors can't compensate for the limitations in graphics rendering and fluid motion that more specialized gaming laptops offer.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 typically offers a higher performing CPU, more RAM, and a more capable GPU compared to the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, making it more suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks; additionally, it often has superior screen quality which is crucial for detail-oriented work. While the Acer may be lighter and quieter, with a more comfortable keyboard and better speakers, these features are less critical than raw performance for engineering applications.
Content Creation
7.0/10
8.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 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
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 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
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 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's screen has moderate resolution and brightness which suffice for daily tasks but its limited color range isn't ideal for precise engineering and design work; its sluggish refresh rate detracts from the immersive experience needed for gaming and 3D applications. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 offers a more vibrant display and better color accuracy, making it suitable for professional tasks that involve detailed designs and color-sensitive projects; however, its lower refresh rate fails to meet the demands of high-end gaming and fluid 3D rendering. The tradeoff with these laptops lies in choosing adequate display quality for productivity over the high-performance visuals required for specialized gaming and 3D tasks.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 both have very good portability, though the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has very 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
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 costs $1,241.
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 Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 has very good input devices, a wide array of security features and ports as well as 5G in the tested configuration. It is more compact and lightweight compared with its predecessor, and it has improved speakers and a slightly better webcam. On the other hand, the fan is more annoying and the performance is barely improved. The battery is worse as well, but this is primarily attributable to the OLED screen - if this aspect is important, buyers should choose the IPS Low Power LCD."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X13
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
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.