The Acer Aspire 3 aims to deliver a budget-friendly laptop experience, but does its performance justify the price? With an MSRP under $500, it promises affordability, but how does it stack up against the competition in 2024? Let’s dive in.
Design and Build: Surprisingly Robust
The Acer Aspire 3 sports a simple silver-on-silver design, typical for budget laptops. While it might not win any design awards, the build quality is surprisingly robust. The plastic chassis feels rigid, showing minimal flex. It’s also relatively portable for a 15.6-inch laptop, measuring a reasonable 14.3 x 9.4 x 0.79 inches and weighing 3.8 pounds.
Acer Aspire 3 design
However, a rattling noise near the touchpad, likely due to a loose component, detracts from the overall feel.
Keyboard and Trackpad: Roomy but Lacking Backlight
The Aspire 3 boasts a spacious keyboard with a number pad, offering generously sized keys (except for a few slightly smaller ones). Key travel is adequate, providing decent tactile feedback, but the key action feels somewhat springy, and the aforementioned rattle adds an unpleasant sound.
Acer Aspire 3 keyboard and trackpad
A significant drawback is the lack of a keyboard backlight, making it challenging to use in low-light conditions. While this omission isn’t uncommon at this price point, it’s a missed opportunity. The touchpad, however, is a plus, offering ample space for Windows multi-touch gestures and responsive performance.
Display and Audio: Decent Visuals, Subpar Sound
The Aspire 3 features a 15.6-inch 1920×1080 IPS non-touch display. With a pixel density of 141 pixels per inch and a measured brightness of 324 nits, it delivers acceptable sharpness and brightness for everyday use.
Acer Aspire 3 display
Unfortunately, color performance and contrast are lacking, resulting in a somewhat dull and washed-out image, especially in darker scenes. The built-in speakers are also a disappointment, offering low volume and muddy sound quality.
Webcam and Microphone: Basic Functionality
The Aspire 3 comes equipped with a basic 720p webcam, which delivers predictably fuzzy and dull image quality. While sufficient for casual video calls, it pales in comparison to the 1080p webcams found on more expensive laptops. The microphone performs better, offering decent volume and some background noise cancellation.
Connectivity: Sufficient for Most Needs
The Aspire 3 offers a reasonable selection of ports, including two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port (supporting DisplayPort and Power Delivery), HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. While the absence of an Ethernet port is noticeable, the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 provides adequate wireless connectivity.
Acer Aspire 3 connectivity
Performance: A Mixed Bag
The Acer Aspire 3 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, a budget-oriented processor. Paired with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, it handles everyday tasks like web browsing and office work smoothly. However, its performance in demanding applications and games is significantly limited. Benchmark results demonstrate its considerably slower performance compared to laptops with more modern processors and graphics.
Acer Aspire 3 PCMark 10 results
Acer Aspire 3 Cinebench results
Acer Aspire 3 Handbrake results
Acer Aspire 3 3DMark results
Battery Life: Adequate, Not Exceptional
Despite its modest performance, the Aspire 3’s battery life isn’t outstanding. Our tests yielded around six and a half hours of video playback, which is acceptable but not impressive for a budget laptop.
Acer Aspire 3 battery life results
Conclusion: A Budget Option with Limitations
The Acer Aspire 3 offers a decent budget laptop experience, boasting a robust build, ample RAM and storage, and an acceptable display. However, its performance limitations, particularly in graphics and processing power, are significant drawbacks. If your budget is strictly limited to $500, it’s a viable option, but spending a few hundred dollars more can get you a substantially more powerful machine. Consider your needs and budget carefully before making a decision.
