For general use, the Acer Aspire Go 14 offers excellent value with a budget-friendly price, a sharp 14-inch display with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, and a lightweight design that enhances portability. However, its performance is best suited for everyday tasks rather than demanding applications.
In contrast, the HP 17" Laptop, despite being more expensive, provides a larger 17.3-inch screen which is ideal for those who prefer a bigger display for work or entertainment. It comes with more RAM and storage, making it more future-proof and capable of handling more intensive tasks, including light engineering work. Its larger chassis allows for better heat management, which is beneficial during prolonged use.
If you prioritize portability and are looking for a cost-effective solution for everyday computing tasks, the Acer is a strong contender. However, if you require a larger screen, more power for multitasking, and better thermal performance for longer computing sessions, the HP 17" Laptop would be the better choice, especially if you're planning to use it for more than just basic tasks. 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 Go 14
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the HP 17" Laptop
Good for general use
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire Go 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP 17" Laptop and Acer Aspire Go 14 are both only fair for engineering and design, though the HP 17" Laptop is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.7/10
6.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
The Acer Aspire Go 14 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire Go 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire Go 14 has very good portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.0/10
The Acer Aspire Go 14 has good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$350
$550
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire Go 14 has a price of $350 and the HP 17" Laptop costs $550.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP 17" Laptop to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire Go 14 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP 17" Laptop and Acer Aspire Go 14 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
7.0/10
7.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop and Acer Aspire Go 14 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 Go 14 and the HP 17" Laptop compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire Go 14 or the HP 17" Laptop
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.