Acer Aspire 5 vs Lenovo Ideapad 3 (2021): Two Powerful Laptops At Affordable Price Points

Even though Acer and Lenovo are some of the biggest names in the computer world, their laptops aren’t out of reach. Two examples of affordable models from these brands are the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3. But even though they’re considered ‘budget’, you’d be surprised how much speed and power you can get out of them. They’re definitely full-featured laptops that go beyond just browsing the web and streaming movies. If you need help choosing between the two, here’s an in-depth comparison that takes their design, display, specs, battery, and connectivity into consideration.

Acer Aspire 5 vs Lenovo Ideapad 3 Comparison Chart

Design and Display

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 looks more stylish but the Acer Aspire 5’s screen display is more impressive.

While slim is in in the tech world, both the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3 don’t fit the mold. The Acer Aspire 5 looks like it was made in 2010, no thanks to its thick chin bezel and dated color scheme. The Lenovo Ideapad 3 doesn’t have an impressive screen-to-body ratio either but it does have a slightly more expensive look. This can can be attributed to its all-black design, sleeker silhouette, and bigger screen. That said, the Acer Aspire 5 wins if we’re talking about portability. It weighs in at 1.7kg while the Lenovo Ideapad 3 is at 1.85kg.

While the Acer Aspire 5 may not be much of a looker on the outside, its screen display is quite the opposite. Equipped with a top-notch IPS LCD, you get to enjoy brightness of 250 nits and wide viewing angles. While the Lenovo Ideapad 3 tries to compete with its 15.6-inch screen and FullHD 1080p resolution, its TN panel is of lower quality and doesn’t quite cut it. This means narrower viewing angles, less contrast, not-so-accurate colors, and a lower brightness of 200 nits.

Specs and Performance

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 is better for gaming while the Acer Aspire 5 is better if you want extra storage.

The Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3 are powered differently, the former running on the Intel Core i5-10210U while the latter on the AMD Ryzen 5-3500U. Both chips aren’t the latest iterations but because they’re quad-core models, they’re able to deliver a solid performance. While there’s not much of a gap between the two laptops, the Lenovo Ideapad 3’s AMD is more solid when it comes to gaming and 3D performance, thanks to its integrated GPU. While it might struggle with the latest games, it should be able to outdo the Acer Aspire 5 in light gaming. But aside from that, it’s neck and neck in all areas.

As for storage, both laptop models come with a system memory of 8GB and an M.2 256GB SSD which is pretty decent given their price points. The fact that the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3 have these two features prove that they’re able to provide a smooth and seamless experience for users. But if we had to pick a winner, we’ll give this round to the Acer Aspire 5 for having a USB-C port. If you want to stick in an external hard drive for extra storage, this feature will definitely come in handy.

Battery and Connectivity

The Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 4 are neck and neck in terms of battery and connectivity.

Both the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3 will give you three USB-A ports, two of which are 3.1 Gen 1 that run at 5Gbps while the other is a standard 2.0 slot. But as mentioned, the Acer Aspire 5 has something that the Lenovo Ideapad 3 doesn’t–a USB-C port. Given that USB-C is becoming a very popular way to connect, it’s a huge drawback that the Lenovo Ideapad 3 is missing it. However, it does try to make up for this with its built-in SD card reader. While you can always use a dongle on the Acer Aspire 5, it’s nice to not have to carry one around.

Battery-wise, the Acer Aspire 5 looks better on paper. While the Lenovo Ideapad 3’s battery size is only at 35WHr, its battery clocks in at 49WHr. That said, there are a bunch of other factors that affect battery life such as your usage patterns. Realistically, don’t expect either of them to have all-day longevity and will probably only be able to give you around 6 hours. Of course, you can always dial back on the brightness and stick to lighter apps if you want to get more usage.

Verdict

Go for the Acer Aspire 5 if screen display is a priority but pick the Lenovo Ideapad 3 if aesthetics are more important.

If you need a powerful laptop but don’t want to dig too deep into your wallet, the Acer Aspire 5 and the Lenovo Ideapad 3 are ideal for you. But given their price points, it’s inevitable that these models come with some drawbacks. While the Acer Aspire 5 has an impressive screen display and USB-C connectivity, it scores low in design. As for the Lenovo Ideapad 3, its sleeker look is able to appeal to more people and it has an SD card reader to boot but its screen is of a lower quality. That said, it’s up to you to decide which is of higher priority to you–display or aesthetics.

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