Choosing a laptop is not an easy feat, especially with a profusion of laptop models in the market. Decision-making becomes even more difficult when the advantage of one brand over another is being considered. Two brands that are normally compared head-to-head are Acer and ASUS. Hailing from Taiwan, both companies have released various laptops suitable for every type of user – gamers, professionals, students, or those who just need a laptop for entertainment.
Acer was founded in 1976 and offers a variety of computer products such as laptops, desktops, and tablets. They also sell computer accessories like monitors, mice, keyboards, and projectors.
ASUS, on the other hand, was founded in 1989 by an engineer who was a former Acer employee. Like Acer, they’re also known for their computer products and accessories, but they’ve expanded to motherboards, graphics cards, routers, headsets, and smartphones.
Both Acer and ASUS received awards for design and innovation, but which Taiwanese brand offers a better laptop? Find out from their detailed comparison below.
Innovation
It’s a tie for both brands when we talk about innovation. Both come up with new and unique features that attract more users.
As they continue to add more models to their laptop lineup, Acer also continues to come up with a number of innovations. For one, they’ve come up with laptops that have a 15.6” display but weigh less than 2 lbs. The frame is also just 0.35”, making it even sleeker. This is particularly evident in their Swift series, but they’ve also done the same thing with some of their gaming laptops.
Acer is also known for LiquidLoop, a fanless cooling system employed in their Switch 7 Black Edition, eliminating the fan noise while keeping the laptop cool.
Another awesome Acer innovation is the CNC-machined Ezel Aero Hinges in Predator Triton 900 screwed at both sides of the screen, making it adjustable forward and backward for great viewing angles and even all the way down to switch the laptop to a surface book.
ASUS also has its own line of innovations. The most unique is probably the ScreenPad integrated into their selected Zenbook, Vivobook, and Studiobook series. Taking the place of the touchpad, the screenpad functions as a secondary display that has an interface similar to mobile phones so users can work on the main screen and can watch videos on the screenpad at the same time. Apps can also be accessed from the screenpad, and accessible apps can be customized by the users.
ASUS also made their ROG Mothership GZ700GX more superior with a detachable, wireless keyboard allowing users to put the keyboard anywhere comfortable.
When it comes to cooling, ASUS developed a detachable liquid cooling module that pumps coolant into the laptop, and pipes distribute the coolant into the laptop. This unique cooling architecture is particularly employed in their ROG series. In addition, the keyboard in some of their ROG series also has its own cooling system, distributing cool air in the entire keyboard. These unique cooling systems will certainly keep the laptop cool despite long hours of use.
Design
When it comes to design, ASUS has a slight edge over Acer. Both brands have sleek, lightweight, and portable laptops but the majority of ASUS laptops have metal casings, specifically made of aluminum, making them more robust and durable. Their designs also look elegant and stylish with a variety of colors to choose from.
To be fair to Acer, their designs are also not the worst out there. In fact, they have laptops that have a professional finish. However, they’re more inclined to using plastics rather than metals, with the exception of a few models like the Chromebox 13, which has an aluminum chassis and hinges.
Overall, ASUS laptops have better and more durable laptop designs than Acer.
Performance
It’s a tie for both brands when it comes to performance. The performance of a laptop would depend on its and the components used in Acer and ASUS laptops are more or less the same.
Both Acer and ASUS laptops are armed with the latest processors either from Intel or AMD, as well as top of the line graphic cards, RAM, and secondary storage, especially in their gaming and professional laptops.
Overall, both brands have laptops that offer a wide variety of products that provide moderate to extreme performance levels that would suit a user’s need.
Price-to-Performance
It’s a win for Acer in this category. Considering the entirety of the laptops from both brands, you can get a slightly cheaper laptop from Acer that has the same performance level as an ASUS laptop.
There are, however, a few exceptions to this, like the ASUS ROG G703GX, which has a better price-to-performance than its Acer contender, Predator Triton 900. Both are the latest gaming line-ups from both brands, but for the same performance, it’s more worthwhile to spend lesser bucks on ROG G703GX.
Generally, Acer does have the edge over ASUS for best value laptops. Predator Helios 300 laptop, for example, has a price tag of less than $1000; considerably cheap for a gaming laptop. Acer’s Chromebook series are also more budget-friendly than ASUS’s. When looking at the other series from both brands, Acer’s pricing is slightly lower as compared to ASUS.
Customer Service
Like Acer, ASUS also has multiple channels for customer support like phone, email, and chat, and both have knowledge bases or FAQs providing online references to customers. When it comes to warranty, though, Acer has offerings for accidental damage coverage, while this is not applicable to all ASUS laptops.
Acer and ASUS have their fair share of complaints when it comes to customer support, so it’s safe to say that it’s a tie when it comes to customer service, although if you’re a clumsy user, but you have your eyes on an ASUS laptop, better check if its warranty covers accidental damages.
The Verdict
Acer and ASUS are award-winning brands, and both are fairly popular in the computer market. However, there is no consistent winner in all the aspects discussed in this article. Laptops from both brands have more or less the same level of performance and customer support. If you’re on a budget, go for an Acer laptop, but if budget is not an issue and you’re into aesthetics and durability, then ASUS would be right for you.
