To choose between the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the LG Ultra 16, consider your priorities. If you're looking for a budget-friendly option with touch capabilities, the Acer could be appealing. It's lighter and offers silent, fanless operation, which might be ideal for general use and portability. On the other hand, if you need greater performance for tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software, the LG Ultra 16, with a more powerful processor and more RAM, will handle those demands better. The LG also has a much longer battery life, which is significant if you're often away from a power source, but it does come at a higher cost and slightly more weight. Neither laptop is suited for intensive gaming, but both have good build quality and heat management. 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 LG Ultra 16
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Excellent battery life
Good speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Ultra 16 is 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, less RAM, and a smaller storage capacity, impacting its performance for general use compared to the LG Ultra 16, which boasts a more powerful CPU and double the RAM and storage. Additionally, the LG Ultra 16 offers a larger battery life and higher screen quality, enhancing the user experience for longer periods, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, although having a slightly more portable build, falls short in these critical very important areas.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
7.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Ultra 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, with an Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics, is less suited for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the LG Ultra 16, which features a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Vega 8 graphics; coupled with a larger, higher quality screen, the LG Ultra will typically perform better in resource-intensive applications and provide a more vivid display.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 16 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the LG Ultra 16 is somewhat better.
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
7.5/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The LG Ultra 16 is 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
6.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The LG Ultra 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the LG Ultra 16 have screens that provide adequate clarity and sharpness for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but they may not offer the high resolution or peak brightness desired by users seeking a more vibrant and detailed visual experience. For engineering and design professionals who require accurate color representation, these laptops' displays may fall short since they do not cover the full range of professional color gamuts. When it comes to 3D work or gaming, the refresh rates of these screens are likely lower than what's needed for smooth motion, and although the resolution and panel types may suffice for moderate demands, they're not optimal for high-end 3D rendering or competitive gaming where fluidity and speed are crucial.
Battery
8.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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.
Cost
$418
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Ultra 16 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and LG Ultra 16 are considered fair for gaming and 3D due to their integrated graphics solutions, which are less potent than dedicated gaming GPUs, limiting the graphic intensity they can smoothly handle. Both models feature 60Hz refresh rate displays, which are sufficient for general use but might not provide the smoothest experience for fast-paced gaming where higher refresh rates are preferred.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 to have very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
6.5/10
The LG Ultra 16 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the LG Ultra 16 compare to other laptops
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."
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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