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Updated January 10, 2024·
To decide between the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13, consider your priorities. The Acer Aspire 5 17 typically offers a larger screen and potentially better value for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 provides higher portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight. The Zenbook often has a more premium build and can deliver better performance for tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, but it usually comes with a higher price. Battery life can vary, but ultraportable models like the Zenbook often prioritize longer battery life. Evaluate whether mobility or screen size is more important for your work, along with whether the additional performance and build quality of the Zenbook justify its cost over the Acer for your specific needs. 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 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.3
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 takes the lead in general use over the Acer Aspire 5 17 due to its superior CPU and three times the amount of RAM, which contribute to faster and smoother performance for a wider range of tasks; it also boasts a higher resolution OLED screen providing better visuals, greater portability with its lighter weight and smaller size, and longer battery life, facilitating extended usage on the go. Conversely, the Acer Aspire 5 has a larger screen which may be preferred for easier viewing, but it is heavier and bulkier, and while it offers decent performance for everyday tasks with its capable CPU and sufficient RAM, it doesn't match the Zenbook's premium features.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 outperforms the Acer Aspire 5 17 in engineering and design use primarily because it has a significantly more powerful CPU, substantially more RAM, and a higher-quality OLED screen with a notably higher resolution and better color accuracy.
Content Creation
7.2
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 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 17 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
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 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 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's screen has adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and basic engineering work, but its limited color range and lower refresh rate make it less suitable for high-end design applications and gaming. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and a wide color gamut, ensuring sharp and vivid visuals for general use and professional design, yet it falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that isn't ideal for fast-paced visuals. Both are compromised for gaming and 3D work where high refresh rates are crucial for smooth motion, with the ASUS being preferable for detailed engineering and design due to superior color accuracy.
Battery
7.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
4.6 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 17 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 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.5
3.7/10
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 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is considered better for gaming and 3D because it has a more powerful GPU that enhances visual performance, and a higher-quality OLED screen which offers better colors and contrast. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 5 17 has a less powerful GPU and uses an IPS screen that, while fair, doesn't match the visual fidelity provided by the Zenbook's OLED display.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | ASUS Zenbook S 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 11.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-1355U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 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 | 50.3 Wh | 63 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 365 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
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 17 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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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Recommendations made
23,768
Consumer hours saved
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