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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 typically costs less and comes with a large 17-inch screen, which is suitable for those who prefer a bigger display for general use or multitasking. However, large screens often mean the laptop is less portable, and this model is heavier, which might not be ideal if you need to carry it around regularly. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, on the other hand, is generally a bit more expensive, has a smaller 14-inch screen and is significantly lighter, thus more portable. It also has a higher capacity battery, longer battery life, and a more powerful processor, making it better for more demanding tasks and engineering use. Both have the same storage capacity, but the IdeaPad has double the RAM, which can greatly improve performance in multitasking and complex applications. The IdeaPad also has a higher quality keyboard and additional features like a fingerprint reader and facial recognition, which the Acer lacks. If your work involves engineering software or resource-intensive tasks, and portability is important to you, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i would be the better choice, despite the higher price. If you prioritize a larger screen and a lower price over portability and higher performance, consider the Acer Aspire 5 17. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i's good screen quality comes from its higher resolution and brighter panel which makes for a sharper and more vibrant display. In engineering and design, its display covers a wider color gamut, ensuring more accurate color reproduction which is crucial for detailed work. However, both the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i fall short for gaming and 3D due to lower refresh rates, leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
7.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's strengths for general use are its solid CPU performance and larger screen, making it suitable for multitasking and media consumption; however, it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, which excels with a higher-end CPU, more RAM, better portability, and longer battery life, catering to users who need a balance of performance and mobility for on-the-go productivity. Both the Acer and Lenovo laptops offer good screen quality, sufficient storage, and effective heat management, with the Lenovo also providing a superior keyboard and speaker quality, enhancing the user experience for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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 Slim 7i and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i both offer fair gaming and 3D capabilities due to their integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and standard refresh rates of 60Hz, which are suitable for light to moderate gaming. While the Aspire has a larger screen which enhances gaming immersion, the IdeaPad has a more powerful CPU and higher screen pixel density, which may provide a slightly smoother and more detailed visual experience.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i to be good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher-performance CPU and double the RAM of the Acer Aspire 5 17, which enhances multitasking and complex tasks handling. Additionally, the IdeaPad's screen offers better colors and higher brightness, which is important for detail-oriented work, despite being less portable and potentially louder under load.
Content Creation
7.2
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Acer Aspire 5 17 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.99 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 12.62" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 60.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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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Why trust us
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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