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Updated January 10, 2024·
To assist you in making a choice between the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, consider the following aspects. The Acer Aspire 5 17 typically offers a larger screen and can be a cost-effective option for everyday tasks and general use. Its larger size might be less convenient for travel. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, on the other hand, is designed with a more premium build quality, offers better performance for demanding tasks like 3D work, machine learning, or gaming, and includes a versatile touchscreen display. However, this comes at a higher price point. If you prioritize portability, flexibility, and high performance and your budget allows, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 could be the better choice. If you're looking for a budget-friendly laptop for general use and prefer a larger display, the Acer Aspire 5 17 may suit your 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is rated very good for general use due to its higher-end CPU, significantly more RAM, superior screen quality with higher resolution and touchscreen capability, and being lighter thus more portable; it also has a longer battery life. The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a good balance for general use with its capable CPU and sufficient RAM for ordinary tasks, a good quality screen, and exceptional heat management, making it a solid choice for users with a tighter budget or who value a larger screen size.
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.7
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers better gaming and 3D capabilities with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, compared to the Intel i5-1335U Iris Xe graphics and 60Hz screen on the Acer Aspire 5 17. Additionally, the Surface's screen has a higher resolution, which contributes to better screen quality, despite having a smaller screen size than the Acer.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 outperforms the Acer Aspire 5 17 for engineering and design due to its significantly more powerful CPU, a dedicated GPU, and a larger amount of RAM, which are all pivotal for tasks such as 3D rendering and computational simulations. Additionally, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers better screen quality with a higher resolution display that can also function as a drawing tablet, enhancing its suitability for design work, whereas the Aspire 5 17 has a lower-resolution screen without touch capabilities.
Content Creation
7.2
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
7.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 offers sufficient resolution and brightness for daily tasks and work-related use, but its limited color gamut and lower refresh rate don't suit professional design work or fluid gaming experiences. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 boasts a higher resolution and better color accuracy, making it great for detailed engineering and design work, but its standard refresh rate is not ideal for gaming, where higher refresh rates can deliver smoother visuals. Neither laptop is optimized for gaming or 3D applications, where high refresh rates are crucial for the best experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has 8 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
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 64 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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 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 | 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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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