I went hands-on with Acer’s Aspire Go 15 final yr, and praised it as top-of-the-line low-cost laptops you will get, priced at round $280. This yr, one of many newest additions to Acer’s Aspire line, the Aspire 14 AI, is just a few steps up by way of {hardware} and options, however maintains a aggressive value level of $699.
Acer’s model messaging has positioned itself as on the forefront of eco-friendly elements and post-consumer recycled supplies, and the aesthetic of its laptops from the previous few years displays this.
From the uncovered grill on the hinge, to the seen copper warmth pipes on the underside of the machine, to the thick bezels surrounding the show, the Aspire 14 AI is not the sleekest laptop computer round. Nonetheless, it displays an unpretentious, eco-conscious aesthetic with a stable suite of {hardware} that exhibits up able to work.
It options two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports that may help an exterior monitor at an 8K decision, an HDMI 2.1, help for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, and a Kensington lock slot. This unfold of ports makes it a succesful enterprise laptop computer for distant or hybrid employees, significantly when paired with the battery.
Battery life, nevertheless, is the Aspire 14 AI’s finest characteristic. I do know we have been singing the praises of many laptops with marathon battery life over the previous yr, however Acer’s Aspire 14 AI fills a distinct segment: an AI-ready funds laptop computer with an absolute marathon battery that may final for days on finish.
Throughout my testing, I introduced the Aspire 14 AI into the workplace on a full cost and used it intermittently all through the day. It was nonetheless above 90% by the tip of the workday, and once I closed it up and introduced it again out the following day, it hadn’t dropped a single proportion level.
The following day, I introduced it again in and used it fairly a bit extra aggressively: holding a number of videocalls, doing extra sustained multitasking, and preserving the show jacked up. It lastly began to dent the battery life, however by the tip of the day, it was nonetheless excellent round 30%.
Like different power-efficient gadgets in its class, the Aspire 14 AI’s energy consumption drops to a trickle when it is not being pushed too arduous and just about stops depleting altogether when asleep and never in use. This makes it excellent for all-day use.
The implausible battery life is enabled thanks partly to the Intel Core Extremely 7 (Collection 2) processor, which has carried out very properly on different machines I’ve examined, just like the Asus Zenbook S 14 and the Dell XPS 13. With Acer’s 14 AI, the development continues, as this machine not solely competes with these two laptops however barely exceeds them.
The machine’s 3.05-pound bodily type issue is non-descript, with an aluminum shell on the highest and backside and a light-weight plastic body in a graphite end. The keyboard is okay, with none noteworthy traits, though the keys characteristic a really brief journey distance and are on the mushy facet.
Relying on the way it’s configured, the Aspire 14 AI comes with both a 14-inch WUXGA IPS contact show or an OLED. The IPS show is useful however not significantly noteworthy by way of brightness or shade gamut. The OLED, then again, makes it really feel extra premium.
The Aspire 14 AI is well-stocked by way of reminiscence, with as much as 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD, making it a stable possibility for any mainstream workflow. As its title suggests, the Aspire 14 AI is expressly designed for AI duties, delivering as much as 40 TOPS and the standard suite of AI-specific options that include different Copilot+ PCs.
Moreover, the Intel Arc GPU helps as much as 53 TOPS, with upscaling expertise for gaming and higher efficiency in terms of graphics rendering and video modifying.
That being stated, whereas gaming on the Aspire 14 AI is well-supported by the {hardware}, the IPS show could maintain again the expertise. Due to this fact, I would counsel choosing the OLED configuration when you’ve got any notions about gaming on this laptop computer.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Acer’s Aspire 14 AI is likely one of the higher bang-for-your-buck choices accessible proper now. Beginning at $699, it presents a number of the newest high-performing {hardware} and a battery that may final a number of days in a really aggressive package deal.
When you’re searching for a “funds plus” laptop computer with respectable {hardware} that opts for a extra utilitarian type issue (and approachable value), the Aspire 14 AI is a stable alternative. I’d counsel choosing the OLED configuration for those who’re keen to pay for the improve, particularly for those who’ll be utilizing it for visually inventive work or gaming.
