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Updated January 10, 2024·
For better portability and premium features, choose the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, as it offers a high-quality build, a smaller screen size for easy carrying, and advanced processing power suitable for engineering tasks, although at a higher cost. If price is a concern and you need a bigger screen with a number pad and don't mind a heavier laptop, the Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a good balance for general use and light engineering, with satisfactory performance at a more budget-friendly price point. 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 ThinkPad Z13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with an ample screen, quality keyboard, and good heat management, making it suitable for general use, but its larger size and weight reduce portability compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, which boasts higher RAM and screen pixel density, superior battery life, and excellent portability, making it ideal for on-the-go usage without compromising on performance or screen quality.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, which facilitates complex tasks, and its screen has a higher resolution and pixel density, which is beneficial for detail-oriented work. Conversely, the Acer Aspire 5 17, while having a large screen, falls short due to lower RAM, a less powerful GPU, and inferior screen quality, though it offers a decent size display which might benefit those who prefer larger visuals for their work.
Content Creation
7.2
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
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
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
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
7.0
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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, where clarity, color reproduction, and visibility matter, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's sharper resolution and superior brightness provide a more vibrant and crisp visual experience than the Acer Aspire 5 17. In engineering and design tasks that demand precise colors, the Lenovo's coverage of professional color gamuts offers designers more accurate and richer color representation, making it a better fit than the Acer. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, despite Lenovo's slightly better resolution and panel advantages.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very 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
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.3
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both considered fair for gaming and 3D largely due to their integrated graphics (Intel Iris Xe for the Acer and AMD Radeon for the Lenovo), which are capable but not as powerful as dedicated gaming GPUs, and their standard screen refresh rates of 60Hz. While the Lenovo offers a better CPU (AMD Ryzen 7 compared to Intel i5 on the Acer) and screen quality due to higher pixel density and brightness, these incremental improvements may not drastically change the gaming or 3D experience compared to laptops specifically designed for these purposes.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 ThinkPad Z13
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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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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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