Acer Aspire 16 AI review: The laptop I keep reaching for
Table of Contents
Acer Aspire 16 AI: The guts
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 355
- GPU: Intel Arc 140V GPU
- NPU: Intel AI Boost, up to 49 TOPS
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
- Display: 16-inch OLED, 1920×1200, 60Hz
- Display: 100% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB, 300 nits
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Aspect Ratio: 16:10
- Webcam: 1080p FHD
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth: 5.4+
- Battery: 65Wh, 3-cell
- Ports: 2× USB4 Type-C, 2× USB-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio
- Card Reader: MicroSD
- Keyboard: Backlit keyboard with number pad
- Weight: 3.23 lbs
- Price: $1,279.99 (MSRP)
Acer Aspire 16 AI: It’s pretty light for a 16-inch laptop
At 3.23 pounds, I kept forgetting I was carrying a 16-inch laptop. I could easily pick it up with one hand and carry it around (although I wouldn’t recommend making a habit of carrying any laptop that way!). The aluminum chassis also feels nice in hand—I definitely prefer it to the plastic ones.
Flip the Aspire 16 over and you’ll see several ventilation openings across the underside, along with a raised section toward the rear. Acer identifies the openings as part of the laptop’s ventilation and cooling system. I didn’t hear much fan noise at all, and the underside of the laptop stayed cool.
The biggest reason I’d reach for the Aspire 16? The display. Even my husband, who has watched me test many different laptops, noticed the display and commented on how good it looked.
First, the size. It’s 16-inches with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which means you’re getting more vertical space than a standard 16:9 panel. I appreciated that extra space, especially when scrolling through longer emails and PCWorld articles.
Second, it’s an OLED panel, so colors are rich and vibrant. Darker scenes have a sense of depth to them, too. To put it through a less scientific (but more entertaining!) test, I watched one of Bjork’s live concerts. And, just as I expected it to, the Aspire 16 handled the concert beautifully.
Bjork’s white feather mask really popped against the colorful backgrounds—I could easily spot her in faraway shots. I found myself pretty immersed in the performance. In part due to the larger screen size. In part due to Bjork being, well, Bjork.
