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Aspire 5 15
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MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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What we think

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Updated January 16, 2024·

The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a more budget-friendly choice, offering a larger storage capacity and more memory, which could be beneficial for multitasking and data-intensive tasks. It has a respectable processor but might be bulkier and heavier, which can affect portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is pricier, yet offers a higher-resolution display and potentially better overall performance with its own M2 chip. The MacBook Air is also lighter and has a superior battery life, making it an excellent option for those who prioritize portability and longer use on the go. Furthermore, the MacBook integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices and services, which could be a major perk for users already in the Apple ecosystem. Consider the Acer if cost and storage are primary concerns, and the MacBook if you value a higher quality display, performance, and portability, along with the benefits of the Apple ecosystem. 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 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
  • Good for engineering and design
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good for content creation
  • Good overall display quality
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Very good portability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Best in class speakers
  • Best in class keyboard

Key differences

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Engineering and Design

6.6
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
7.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.

Content Creation

7.3
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
8.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.

Software Development

7.3
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
8.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.

Screen Quality

6.2
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Battery

7.0 Hours
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
15.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

6.5
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$480
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
$1,299
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) costs $1,299.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.5
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.1
Aspire 5 15
MacBook Air 15 (2023)
6.5
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.

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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 5 15Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Acer Aspire 5 15Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)

GENERAL

Price
$480
$1,299
Release Date
May 1, 2023June 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7''13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45''
Weight
3.97 lbs3.3 lbs
Width
14.21"13.4"
Depth
9.4"9.35"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i5-1335UApple M2
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB256 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7 Hours15 Hours
Battery Capacity
50 Wh66.6 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"15.3"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10802880 x 1864
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
275 nits501 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.5/1010/10
Portability Score
7.8/109/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoYes
Fan Noise Score
7.5/1010/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/1010/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/1010/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
20
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
21
Thunderbolt Version
43

Shopping

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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."

Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."

Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)

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 Apple

Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.

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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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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.

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