ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Acer Aspire 16 AI is presently on sale for $699.
- It is a dependable, light-weight workhorse with a marathon battery that is perfect for lengthy days.
- Nonetheless, its {hardware} has efficiency limitations.
extra shopping for decisions
Acer’s new Aspire 16 AI is a humble laptop computer. It is not flashy or over-the-top, it does not home high-end {hardware} or an OLED display. As an alternative, it focuses on being a dependable work gadget with a midrange price ticket. Contemplating how costly issues are these days, we’d like extra laptops like this now greater than ever earlier than — particularly in case you’re a school pupil.
For college kids, the Aspire 16 is a dependable gadget with sufficient battery energy to get by the day. As an alternative of bells and whistles, it delivers strong efficiency and a slim type issue that is straightforward to commute with.
Smooth design
The Acer Aspire 16 AI opts for a sensible design, measuring 14 x 9.85 x 0.63 inches and weighing 3.42 kilos, it is smooth, sliding simply into most backpacks. Construct high quality is strong, and its weight is evenly distributed, passing the “one-finger take a look at” with out a trace of wobble.
I additionally respect the spacious touchpad, which measures 5.9 x 3.5 inches and offers loads of room for snug navigating. You’ll be able to transfer from one aspect of the display to the opposite with no need to raise your finger off. Too usually, funds laptops minimize corners by equipping cramped touchpads.
Typing on the Aspire 16 felt largely satisfying. The primary set of keys is evenly spaced out and presents an honest quantity of journey distance, making it straightforward to sort shortly. That stated, the keys have a barely mushy really feel; it isn’t essentially the most crispy keyboard. Plus, the up and down arrow keys, in addition to the quantity pad, are undersized. They’re completely useful, though you might by accident bump keys.
Made for varsity
Above the keyboard sits a 16-inch LCD touchscreen that delivers a strong all-around viewing expertise. The panel covers the complete sRGB gamut, so though colours do not pop with the vibrance of an OLED, they don’t seem to be boring, both. What the Aspire 16’s show lacks in wow issue, it makes up for in different areas. At a decision of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and a refresh fee of 120Hz, it delivers crisp visuals.
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A refresh fee that top is often discovered on gaming laptops. When you will not be doing high-end gaming on this laptop computer due to its {hardware}, you’ll respect how easy every little thing feels. I skilled this firsthand throughout testing once I ran an evening driving livestream on YouTube. The built-in audio system aren’t notably spectacular, however they do provide a good quantity of quantity and readability.
On the draw back, I did run into some visible quirks, like shade banding. That is the place shade gradients break into seen items as a substitute of mixing seamlessly, however it’s a uncommon prevalence.
An actual standout characteristic is its 1440p webcam. For enterprise folks and college students alike, it is a large win. Most different laptops on this class go for 1080p — and even 720p cameras. The upper decision produces a clear, sharp picture with natural-looking colours in addition to not one of the graininess you’d encounter recording over a low-quality webcam. Mixed with speedy connectivity requirements like Wi-Fi 7, the Aspire 16 AI is well-equipped for on-line and offline work.
Featherweight efficiency
Contained in the Acer Aspire 16 AI is a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset paired with 16GB of RAM, a configuration that prioritizes power effectivity. Throughout testing, the gadget lasted simply 17 hours on a single cost. That is fairly spectacular. Acer states that the Aspire 16 can stretch that runtime to as a lot as 28 hours below the appropriate situations. Both method, this marathon battery makes the mannequin a robust possibility for individuals who do not wish to always attain for the charger.
In relation to on a regular basis efficiency, Acer’s machine did effectively. It supported over 50 Chrome tabs, consisting of high-res livestreams, a Netflix film, information articles, and extra, with out flinching. This degree of multitasking exhibits that the Aspire 16 is flexible sufficient for college kids on the lookout for a pc versatile sufficient for bouncing between homework and streaming or professionals juggling a number of apps.
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That stated, there are some trade-offs. First, the Snapdragon X is a Home windows on ARM chip, that means not each app is absolutely supported. Most packages are nice, with a couple of exceptions, just like the benchmarking app Cinebench 24. Compatibility points are rarer as of late, however you possibly can run into them.
Additionally, as a result of the Snapdragon X is a mid-tier chipset, the Aspire 16 is may need some bother maintaining with extraordinarily demanding workloads. Here is the way it compares to related computer systems in benchmarking relative to cost.
Truthfully, the efficiency hole is not large, and for most individuals, the distinction is negligible, however it nonetheless exists. What ideas the dimensions in Acer’s favor is worth. Whereas the rivals carry out higher, they’re costlier — twice as a lot within the case of the Dell 16 Plus. The Aspire 16 delivers a comparable expertise at a greater worth level. For folks on a funds, that affordability makes the laptop computer a pretty possibility regardless of any limitations it has.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Proper now, you should buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI from the corporate’s official web site for $700. Acer developed this laptop computer primarily for tech-savvy college students who want a flexible gadget to assist with college work and have a long-lasting battery. I agree with Acer on their selection of core viewers, and suppose this laptop computer fits them effectively.
In the event you’re on the lookout for a extra premium different, I like to recommend the Dell 16 Plus. It’s extremely related when it comes to dimension and target market, however Dell’s mannequin is extra suited to demanding duties, has a extra premium construct, and a nicer 2.5K touchscreen (however is twice the value).
