If you prioritize performance and display quality for tasks like engineering, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" with its AMD Ryzen processor might be the better choice despite being somewhat more expensive, as it offers more power and a higher light intensity for the screen, although with slightly lower portability due to its weight. On the other hand, if you prefer a more budget-friendly option with greater portability and better battery life, the Acer Aspire 5 15" is a viable option, especially since it provides a larger RAM capacity, which is beneficial for multitasking. Each choice balances cost against differing sets of advantages—performance and display versus cost savings and portability. 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
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
Very good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" have similar screen quality.
When it comes to general use, both the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 have adequate panel types, resolution, and brightness that suffice for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, these laptops offer fair screen quality, yet they may fall short for professionals who need more accurate color representation due to limited color gamut coverage. In the realm of gaming and 3D applications, both laptops are less suitable as they lack high refresh rates and may not provide the smooth visual experience that these intensive tasks demand.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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.
Build Quality
6.5/10
6.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" both have only fair build quality, though the Acer Aspire 5 15 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$450
$741
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $450 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 is well-suited for general use thanks to its capable Intel i5 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, and quality IPS display, offering a balance of performance and screen quality, though at a slightly heavier weight and with shorter battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" also caters to general use with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and a touchscreen display, complemented by a longer battery life and better portability, but trades off with a bit less RAM and might have challenges in heat management and speaker quality.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.1/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are considered fair for gaming and 3D because they both have integrated graphics cards which are less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs and have standard screen refresh rates of 60Hz which are less fluid than higher refresh rates favored in gaming. Additionally, their CPUs and screen quality, while adequate for general use, don't provide the high performance and visual fidelity often preferred for intensive gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
6.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for engineering and design.
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
7.3/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Acer Aspire 5 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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