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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is more budget-friendly and offers decent performance with a longer battery life, ideal for day-to-day tasks and web browsing. It's silent as it operates without a fan, but it's heavier and has a lower-quality keyboard and display. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, while more expensive, provides much better performance, particularly for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to a more powerful processor and graphics. It has double the memory and storage space, as well as superior build quality and keyboard. The ThinkBook also boasts a higher resolution display with better color coverage, making it suitable for content creation and detailed work. If you're frequently on the move, the ThinkBook is lighter and thus more portable, but both laptops have similar battery longevity. Overall, the ThinkBook may be the better option for demanding tasks and productivity, while the Acer Spin could suffice for more casual, budget-conscious users. 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 ThinkBook 13s.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14's lower-tier processor and RAM, moderate screen quality, and fair keyboard may limit its efficiency for demanding tasks, but its longer battery life and silent operation make it suitable for casual use and media consumption. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, on the other hand, offers a high-end processor, ample RAM, and superior screen quality, which, along with its better keyboard and portability, make it well-suited for more intensive general use despite having less battery longevity.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is fair for gaming and 3D because, while its Intel UHD Graphics Xe can handle less demanding tasks, it has a basic screen refresh rate limiting advanced gaming smoothness. Similarly, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s also has a standard screen refresh rate, but its Intel Iris Xe Graphics offers somewhat superior performance, making it slightly better for gaming and 3D applications despite neither being optimal for intensive gaming needs.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.5
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.0
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.7
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offers a bright, high-resolution display with a panel type that provides crisp and vivid images, making it superior to the fair quality display of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, which may have lower brightness and resolution. Engineering and design tasks benefit from the ThinkBook's good coverage of professional color gamuts, ensuring accurate color rendition, whereas the Aspire 3 Spin's fair screen quality might not display colors as precisely. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, rendering them less suitable for fast-paced visuals despite the ThinkBook's better resolution and panel type.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.6
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
$1,000
$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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$418 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-N305 | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14
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Rtings
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."
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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.
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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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