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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for value and a lower cost, consider the Acer Aspire 5 15, which generally offers solid performance for everyday tasks and is budget-friendly. However, if you're seeking a more premium experience, higher performance for demanding tasks, and a more portable design, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 might be worth the additional investment. The Acer will be heavier and may not have the same level of build quality as the ASUS, and while the Acer's battery life is adequate for general usage, the ASUS often offers longer battery life, which is beneficial if you're frequently on the go. Keep in mind, the higher performance of the ASUS may be particularly beneficial if you plan on doing graphics-intensive work or multitasking with resource-heavy applications. 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 5 15
- The Acer Aspire 5 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook S 13.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
The Acer Aspire 5 15, with a larger screen and longer battery life, is suited for general use, but the ASUS Zenbook S 13 stands out with a higher quality OLED screen, more powerful CPU, and additional RAM, which translates into smoother performance and better multitasking capabilities; it's also more portable and has a longer battery life, making it very good for general use and mobile productivity.
Engineering and Design
6.6
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
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
7.3
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 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
7.3
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
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
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5 with its adequate resolution and brightness will serve well for daily tasks, whereas the ASUS Zenbook S offers a sharper display with higher brightness, making it more suitable for those who prioritize screen clarity. The ASUS Zenbook S excels in engineering and design thanks to its wider color gamut, offering more accurate color representation for professional work. However, neither are ideal for gaming and 3D because they lack high refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of visuals in fast-paced scenarios, despite the ASUS's better resolution and panel type providing sharper images.
Battery
7.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 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
Good
Best in Class
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.6
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$480
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.5
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a superior gaming and 3D experience compared to the Acer Aspire 5 15 due to its more powerful Intel i7 CPU and OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, contributing to better screen quality. While both laptops have integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics which are suitable for light gaming, the ASUS Zenbook's higher-end CPU could handle graphics processing more effectively, despite both laptops having the same screen refresh rate.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | ASUS Zenbook S 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 2.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 11.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-1355U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 63 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 365 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the ASUS Zenbook S 13
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.
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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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