Acer Aspire 3 vs Acer Aspire 5

89 facts in comparison

Based on 89 Reddit opinions. Aspire 5 leads by 16 points.

89 opinions
Aspire 5 leads by 16pts
Acer Aspire 3
61%
C
Based on
137 Redditors

Acer Aspire 3

~$337.55
64 opinions

tldr; Rock-bottom budget laptop for basic tasks only. Slow performance, mediocre display. Consider used ThinkPad instead for similar money.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
Acer Aspire 5
77%
B
Based on
69 Redditors
Winner

Acer Aspire 5

~$599.99
25 opinions

tldr; The Acer Aspire 5 receives mostly positive reviews on Reddit (80% positive across 69 mentions). A solid choice in its category.

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PerformanceDisplayBattery LifeBuild QualityThermals & Noise
PER
🖥️DIS
🔋BAT
🔧BUI
🌡️THE
57
Points
80
Points

Score by Category

Performance
73%75%
Display
12%0%
Battery Life
100%67%
Build Quality
8%67%
Thermals & Noise
0%100%

Why is Acer Aspire 5 better than Acer Aspire 3?

  • Higher Reddit score (77% vs 61%)
  • Better build quality (67% vs 8%)
Based on 206 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the Aspire 5

Winning by 16 points (77% vs 61%)

Better build quality
High confidence (206 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 206 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Aspire 3
6.1/10
137 mentions
Aspire 5
7.7/10
69 mentions
DISPLAY
Aspire 31.2/10
Aspire 50.0/10
PERFORMANCE
Aspire 37.3/10
Aspire 57.5/10
VALUE
Aspire 39.2/10
Aspire 58.9/10
BUILD QUALITY
Aspire 30.8/10
Aspire 56.7/10
THERMALS
Aspire 30.0/10
Aspire 510.0/10
BATTERY LIFE
Aspire 310.0/10
Aspire 56.7/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Aspire 3: 3|Aspire 5: 2
DisplayAspire 3
Aspire 312%
Aspire 50%
Performance
Aspire 373%
Aspire 575%
ValueAspire 3
Aspire 392%
Aspire 589%
Build QualityAspire 5
Aspire 38%
Aspire 567%
ThermalsAspire 5
Aspire 30%
Aspire 5100%
Battery LifeAspire 3
Aspire 3100%
Aspire 567%
Aspire 361%
Aspire 577%
Clear winner - Aspire 5 leads by 16 points

Key Specs

SpecAcer Aspire 3Acer Aspire 5
Brand
Acer
Acer
Manufacturer
Acer
Acer
Color
Silver
Various
Weight
3.92 pounds
1.78kg
Height
9.35 inches
17.8 mm

Key Highlights

Acer Aspire 3
⭐ Cheapest option for basic browsing
⚡ Slow for anything beyond web browsing
⚙️ Build quality is plasticky and cheap
⚠️ Used ThinkPad often better value
✔️ Only for extremely tight budgets
Some users report issues (21% negative)
Acer Aspire 5Winner
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended

Topic Battles

Aspire 3: 2|Tied: 1|Aspire 5: 2
Performance
Aspire 3
73%
Aspire 5
75%
🖥️Display
Aspire 3 wins
Aspire 3
12%
Aspire 5
0%
🔋Battery Life
Aspire 3 wins
Aspire 3
100%
Aspire 5
67%
🔧Build Quality
Aspire 5 wins
Aspire 3
8%
Aspire 5
67%
🌡️Thermals & Noise
Aspire 5 wins
Aspire 3
0%
Aspire 5
100%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Acer Aspire 5

Best Praise
+2 pts
I had a acer aspire 5 i5 (and a mx150) 8 gig though and it served me well since 2018 till now. It got me through things like gaming a little, using photoshop etc
r/laptops
View
Top Criticism
+1 pts
its ayt, i got acer aspire 5 i5 8250u, it stop charging for weeks, recently tried and hoped the charging port was out, but didnt fix it. Strangely enough my dad said change the charger. I checked it with multimeter and ye he was right. Im using a acer charger with low amperage, but it charges now. The cpu isnt great, wish i took the i7 instead. My pc isnt great build quality. I too would like to upgrade soon, but we'll see! When this dies all get a lenovo thinkpad t-series or dell latitude (maybe hp elitebook). I read that business laptops are super reliable! Enjoy
r/laptops
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3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Acer Aspire 3

Best Praise
+15 pts
The aspire 3.  Only one that isn't complete, total garbage. First 3 are all N4500's.  The first even is only 1366x768 display.  Absolute junk. 5700u is double the cores, quadruple th threads, better ipc.  Fhd display.  It's in another league from the first 3 in terms of performance.
r/laptops
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Top Criticism
+2 pts
Depends on what you want. If you need performance, acer, but is kind of cheap build. Ideapad probably will last longer, won’t break that easy, but is less performance.
r/laptops
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Acer Aspire 3
Acer Aspire 5
$400$600Apr '25May '25Jun '25Jul '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Apr '26Low: $287.95Low: $599.99Current: $349.98Current: $657.04
Acer Aspire 3
All-time low: $99(2024-08)
Acer Aspire 5
All-time low: $594.51(2025-11)
$27 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Acer Aspire 5 Wins
77%
5
vs
61%
3

Acer Aspire 5 leads by 16 points based on 206 Reddit opinions.

Why Aspire 5Winner
    Why Aspire 3
    • ⭐ Cheapest option for basic browsing
    • ⚡ Slow for anything beyond web browsing
    • More discussed (137 vs 69)

    ❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

    Sentiment Breakdown

    29%Positive
    Positive
    29%
    Neutral
    64%
    Negative
    7%
    Based on 69 Reddit opinions

    Sentiment Breakdown

    26%Positive
    Positive
    26%
    Neutral
    53%
    Negative
    21%
    Based on 137 Reddit opinions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is better, Acer Aspire 5 or Acer Aspire 3?
    Based on 206 Reddit comments, Acer Aspire 5 is the preferred choice with 77% positive sentiment vs Acer Aspire 3's 61%. Acer Aspire 5 leads by 16 percentage points.
    Should I buy Acer Aspire 5 or Acer Aspire 3?
    If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Acer Aspire 5 has stronger approval ratings (77% vs 61%). However, Acer Aspire 3 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
    What do Redditors love about Acer Aspire 5?
    Acer Aspire 5 has 69 mentions on Reddit with 77% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
    What do Redditors say about Acer Aspire 3?
    Reddit users highlight: Cheapest option for basic browsing. Slow for anything beyond web browsing. Build quality is plasticky and cheap. With 137 mentions and 61% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
    How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
    This comparison analyzed 206 Reddit comments: 69 about Acer Aspire 5 and 137 about Acer Aspire 3. Data was sourced from Laptops community discussions.
    How accurate are these ratings?
    Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
    Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
    Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

    89 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/16/2026