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I Recommend This Budget Acer Laptop at Full Price, and It's an Even Better Value at $200 Off
I Recommend This Budget Acer Laptop at Full Price, and It's an Even Better Value at $200 Off

CNET

time15-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

I Recommend This Budget Acer Laptop at Full Price, and It's an Even Better Value at $200 Off

CNET's key takeaways Laptop prices are on the rise -- and the more they increase, the better Acer's Aspire 14 AI looks. The Acer Aspire 14 AI is available for $500 at Costco The Intel Lunar Lake CPU offers good performance for the price and long battery life. The display and design won't wow you. When I reviewed it in April, it cost $700 at Costco and was the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I had reviewed. Fast-forward two months, and it's now $500 at Costco, making it the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've seen -- and a great value. Acer cuts the right corners to hit such a low price for the Aspire 14 AI, delivering a well-rounded laptop with modern components. This is no budget laptop with outdated parts. It features the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor (codenamed Lunar Lake) that serves up competitive application and AI performance along with great battery life and a design that doesn't look all that different from Acer's pricier Swift laptops. The Aspire 14 AI's no-frills but future-proofed package makes it one of the best budget laptops of 2025. My experience with the Acer Aspire 14 AI I'm still waiting for the killer AI app to make a laptop AI CPU a must, but it's nice to know that when it arrives, you'll have a machine that's built for it. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU that has a neural processing unit capable of 40 trillion operations per second, the Aspire 14 AI hits the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. Its AI processor can offload AI workloads -- constantly taking Windows Recall snapshots, blurring backgrounds for video calls and producing live translations -- to its NPU, keeping the CPU and GPU freed up for whatever primary task you're working on. Matt Elliott/CNET Future-proofing is always valuable in any laptop, especially so in a budget model where it's not always a given. You need to be careful when shopping for a low-cost laptop because many offerings are older models with previous-generation components that are discounted in an attempt to clear out inventory for newer units. In testing, the Aspire 14 AI hung with the more expensive Copilot Plus PCs I've tested. Its scores on our application, graphics and AI benchmarks weren't all that far off from those of its pricier competitors. Its integrated Intel GPU doesn't provide much in the way of 3D gaming, but the same can be said for any Copilot Plus PC, as I've yet to encounter one with dedicated graphics. With the Aspire 14 AI, you avoid the budget laptop trap of buying a machine with outdated or soon-to-be-outdated parts. And you also skip past the specter of the Creaky Plastic Monster. Many budget laptops have flimsy plastic enclosures, but the Aspire 14 AI has aluminum top and bottom panels with only a plastic keyboard deck. The keyboard deck feels rigid and doesn't bend or flex like the thinner plastic commonly found on other budget models. It's a solidly constructed laptop, and you'd have to look closely to tell it apart from one of Acer's mainstream Swift laptops. The specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-8533 Graphics: Intel Arc 130V Storage: 1TB solid-state drive Display: 14-inch 1,920x1,200-pixel touch IPS LCD Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio Networking: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 3.05 pounds Battery life: 18 hours, 56 minutes Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Home CNET'S buying advice The best part of the Aspire 14 AI is getting a modern CPU that delivers the performance needed for the laptop to act as your primary machine and not just a cheap, underpowered second system. And the efficient Intel Core Ultra CPU also allows the Aspire 14 AI to run for almost 19 hours on a single charge while also offering a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities. The uninspired design and meh display are really the only items that scream "budget laptop." The rest of the package is more mainstream than budget, including the 16GB of RAM and the roomy 1TB SSD. You are usually looking at 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD when shopping for a $700 laptop. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I have a couple of other Copilot Plus PCs you should check out. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a winner for its slick and sturdy design and awesome haptic touchpad and the Asus Zenbook A14 boasts an ultralight yet rigid enclosure with a gorgeous OLED display. Plus, both offer even better battery life than the Aspire 14 AI.

Last Chance Prime Day Deal: This Budget Acer Laptop Was Already a Great Value. I Recommend It Even More With This 34% Discount
Last Chance Prime Day Deal: This Budget Acer Laptop Was Already a Great Value. I Recommend It Even More With This 34% Discount

CNET

time11-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

Last Chance Prime Day Deal: This Budget Acer Laptop Was Already a Great Value. I Recommend It Even More With This 34% Discount

Amazon Prime Day deal: The Prime Day sale ends tonight, but if you act fast, you can still score a 34% discount on the Acer Aspire 14 AI, the cheapest Copilot PC Plus PC I've ever reviewed. We're also seeing a discount at Costco, where it's down to just $500, but you'll need to be a Costco member to snag the deal. CNET's key takeaways The Acer Aspire 14 AI is available for $550 at Amazon $500 at Costco The Intel Lunar Lake CPU offers good performance for the price and long battery life. The display and design won't wow you. Laptop prices are on the rise -- and the more they increase, the better Acer's Aspire 14 AI looks. When I reviewed it in April, it cost $700 at Costco and was the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I had reviewed. Fast forward two months and it's now $550 and Amazon and $500 at Costco, making it the the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've seen -- and a great value. Acer cuts the right corners to hit such a low price for the Aspire 14 AI, delivering a well-rounded laptop with modern components. This is no budget laptop with outdated parts. It features the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor (codenamed Lunar Lake) that serves up competitive application and AI performance along with great battery life and a design that doesn't look all that different from Acer's pricier Swift laptops. The Aspire 14 AI's no-frills, but future-proofed package makes it one of the best budget laptops of 2025. My experience with the Acer Aspire 14 AI I'm still waiting for the killer AI app to make a laptop AI CPU a must but it's nice to know that when it arrives, you'll have a machine that's built for it. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU that has a neural processing unit capable of 40 trillion operations per second, the Aspire 14 AI hits the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. Its AI processor can offload AI workloads -- constantly taking Windows Recall snapshots, blurring backgrounds for video calls and producing live translations -- to its NPU, keeping the CPU and GPU freed up for whatever primary task you're working on. Matt Elliott/CNET Future-proofing is always valuable in any laptop, especially so in a budget model where it's not always a given. You need to be careful when shopping for a low-cost laptop because many offerings are older models with previous-generation components that are discounted in an attempt to clear out inventory for newer units. In testing, the Aspire 14 AI hung with the more expensive Copilot Plus PCs I've tested. Its scores on our application, graphics and AI benchmarks weren't all that far off from those of its pricier competitors. Its integrated Intel GPU doesn't provide much in the way of 3D gaming but the same can be said for any Copilot Plus PC, since I've yet to encounter one with dedicated graphics. With the Aspire 14 AI, you avoid the budget laptop trap of buying a machine with outdated or soon-to-be-outdated parts. And you also skip past the specter of the Creaky Plastic Monster. Many budget laptops have flimsy plastic enclosures, but the Aspire 14 AI has aluminum top and bottom panels with only a plastic keyboard deck. The keyboard deck feels rigid and doesn't bend or flex like the thinner plastic commonly found on other budget models. It's a solidly constructed laptop, and you'd have to look closely to tell it apart from one of Acer's mainstream Swift laptops. The specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-8533 Graphics: Intel Arc 130V Storage: 1TB solid-state drive Display: 14-inch 1,920x1,200-pixel touch IPS LCD Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio Networking: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 3.05 pounds Battery life: 18 hours, 56 minutes Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Home Best Prime Day Laptops Deals It's never too early to start shopping for an upgrade to your laptop, and our favorite Prime Day laptop deals are guaranteed to save you time and money. Check out the best savings here. See Now CNET'S buying advice The best part of the Aspire 14 AI is getting a modern CPU that delivers the performance needed for the laptop to act as your primary machine and not just a cheap, underpowered second system. And the efficient Intel Core Ultra CPU also allows the Aspire 14 AI to run for almost 19 hours on a single charge while also offering a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities. The uninspired design and meh display are really the only items that scream "budget laptop." The rest of the package is more mainstream than budget, including the 16GB of RAM and the roomy 1TB SSD. You are usually looking at 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD when shopping for a $700 laptop. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I have a couple of other Copilot Plus PCs you should check out. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a winner for its slick and sturdy design and awesome haptic touchpad and the Asus Zenbook A14 boasts an ultralight yet rigid enclosure with a gorgeous OLED display. Plus, both offer even better battery life than the Aspire 14 AI.

I'm Tracking the Best Amazon Prime Day Laptop Deals Until the Sale Ends Tonight
I'm Tracking the Best Amazon Prime Day Laptop Deals Until the Sale Ends Tonight

CNET

time11-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

I'm Tracking the Best Amazon Prime Day Laptop Deals Until the Sale Ends Tonight

It's the last day of Amazon's Prime Day shopping event, but I'm still highlighting the best Prime Day laptop deals. CNET experts like me have been tracking down and examining every discount available across the top brands, searching and curating to bring you every top saving available. I've found incredible deals on everything from Apple MacBooks and powerful gaming laptops to budget-friendly Chromebooks -- so no matter what you're looking for, I'm certain there's something you'll like. But be warned, while the sale is still ongoing, I am seeing signs of low stock on popular models already. So, if you've been waiting to upgrade your laptop, now's the time to act. However, Prime Day isn't just for laptops. There are plenty of amazing discounts on other products such as TVs, appliances and headphones. Best Amazon Prime Day laptop deals Apple MacBook Air M4 (13-inch): $849 The M4 MacBook Air is the latest model in Apple's lightweight lineup and our overall favorite laptop on the market right now. The basic model comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and there are plenty of more advanced configurations also on sale -- including the 15-inch model for people who prefer a larger display. Details Save $150 $849 at Amazon Close LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 16-inch: $2,097 This laptop from LG may be pricey, but it is well worth the expense with everything it offers. Not only is it good enough for your basic needs of streaming and surfing the internet, it's got a beautiful OLED display that'll make your images and video pop, a tremendously long battery life, a significant amount of RAM at 32GB, and it's slim and ultraportable. What's not to love? Our friends over at PCMag hold this laptop in high esteem, so if you find yourself tempted, don't hesitate. Details Save $453 $2,097 at Amazon Close Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition: $1,100 This is a $1,400 Lenovo laptop that you can purchase for $1,100 during this sale season. If you're looking for versatility, you'll love the features included with this laptop. It features a generous amount of memory, with 16GB, and a 1TB PCIe SSD and is specifically built for AI and AI tasks, meaning you'll have the latest technologies already installed, so you won't have to worry about falling behind. Details Save $300 $1,100 at Best Buy Close Acer Aspire 14 AI: $550 The Acer Aspire 14 AI is a more budget-friendly Copilot Plus PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and a vibrant 14-inch display. CNET Senior Editor Matt Elliot reviewed the device and noted that it offers an exceedingly long battery life and competitive performance for the price -- and now it's nearly $300 off. Details Save $280 $550 at Amazon Close Dell 14 Plus laptop: $850 This durable 14-inch laptop comes with Intel Arc Graphics and a Core Ultra 7 processor. Don't miss your chance to save 25% on one today. Details Save $278 $850 at Amazon Close HP OmniBook X Flip: $550 This two-in-one laptop comes with plenty of ports (two USB-C and two USB-A). It even has a reasonable 5-megapixel front camera for video calls. Details Save $350 $550 at Best Buy Close More Prime Day laptop deals: Best budget Prime Day laptop deals under $500 HP Chromebook 14: $295 Snag this Chromebook with a 14-inch micro-edge display, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for 49% off. It features a nonreflective antiglare pane on its display screen for reduced glare in sunlight and easier use outdoors. Details Save $35 $295 at Amazon Close Lenovo IdeaPad 1: $284 This budget-friendly laptop features a 15.6-inch screen, an Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its smart noise-canceling capabilities block out unwanted background noise during video calls, making it a great choice for remote workers. Details Save $75 $284 at Amazon Close Acer Chromebook Plus 515: $330 Running on Google's Chrome operating system, this laptop comes with a 15.6-inch touchscreen display, an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes with 12 months of Google AI Pro. Details Save $100 $330 at Amazon Close Dell Inspiron laptop: $350 This budget-friendly Dell laptop features impressive hardware, including a 15-inch touch screen display, 8GB of RAM and Intel UHD Graphics. Its ExpressCharge feature allows you to recharge the battery up to 80% in just 1 hour. Get it for $350 during Best Buy's Anti-Prime Day sale. Details Save $280 $350 at Best Buy Close HP Stream: $263 This 14-inch laptop is designed for seamless multitasking and entertainment, with a four-core, four-way processor and a vibrant display screen. It includes Intel UHD Graphics for high-quality video calls and streaming. Details Save $136 $263 at Amazon Close Asus Vivobook Go: $220 With a 15.6-inch display, 60Hz refresh rate and AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor, this slim laptop has a lot to offer for under $250. It also comes with 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage and a built-in 720p camera. Details Save $110 $220 at Amazon Close Asus Chromebook Flip CX1: $290 This convertible laptop has a 14-inch, 360-degree flippable touchscreen, allowing it to double as a tablet. The device comes with a Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and three months of Google One AI Premium. Details Save $80 $290 at Amazon Close More Prime Day budget laptop deals under $500: Best Amazon Prime Day gaming laptop deals MSI Katana A15 AI gaming laptop: $1,350 Gamers can enjoy this gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch display, an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage at $350 less than the list price. Details Save $350 $1,350 at Amazon Close Acer Nitro V gaming laptop: $1,200 Game anywhere with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with a 144Hz fresh rate. Details Save $150 $1,200 at Amazon Close More Prime Day gaming laptop deals: Watch this: M4 MacBook Air Review: Still Fantastic Even if Not Much Has Changed 04:44 Should you shop laptop deals during Prime Day? Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to get your hands on a new laptop, and we recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later. Yes, there's a slight chance that prices may dip a little lower later in the sale. However, it's more likely that the best bargains will sell out fairly early. If you see a laptop that fits your needs and budget for several hundred dollars off, we'd recommend grabbing it before it goes out of stock. Does Amazon Prime Day offer the best laptop deals? As you might expect, major retailers are offering excellent deals to counter the discounts on Amazon. So, while Amazon Prime Day should be your main focus, we also recommend checking out our coverage of discounts at Walmart and Best Buy to find the perfect deal for you. Plus, smaller, online-only retailers like Adorama and B&H Photo are offering deals that often go under the radar. Lastly, also keep tabs on brand websites because HP and Acer are offering some direct deals of their own. What else is on sale during Amazon Prime Day? There is a huge variety of deals that you can shop for during Amazon Prime Day. These include tons of top tech like TVs and laptops, as well as tons of home goods and big-ticket items like mattresses and major appliances. There are also plenty of seasonal deals on things like grills, outdoor gear and other summer essentials. To give you a good idea of what's out there, you can check out our full roundup of all the best Amazon Prime Day deals. How we choose the best Amazon Prime Day laptop deals Many of us at CNET have covered shopping events for more than five years, including Black Friday, Prime Day, Memorial Day and countless others. We've become good at weeding out scams and superficial deals, so you'll see only the best offers on our lists. When choosing laptop deals, we look for real discounts, quality reviews and remaining sale time. Our team of experts has tested hundreds of laptops to ensure we're bringing you the best options at the best prices. Real discounts mean exactly that. We look at the price history for that product to make sure no brands are inflating prices to make the discount seem more substantial than it is. Quality reviews and testing are important for any product, including laptops. If you're unhappy the first time you turn it on, the discount wasn't worthwhile. Remaining sale time is a huge part of our vetting process. If a deal seems like it will only be around for a short while or will only be available for the remaining stock, we'll let you know up front so you don't come back to the deal later only to be disappointed. Other ways to save With potential tariff-related price hikes, now might be the best time to get these kinds of prices on laptops. There's a chance we may not see the same kinds of prices during the next shopping event. Make sure to check out Best Buy and Walmart for even more deals if you can't find one you like on Amazon.

Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Laptop Is $200 Off at Costco Today
Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Laptop Is $200 Off at Costco Today

CNET

time10-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Laptop Is $200 Off at Costco Today

The Amazon Prime Day sales event is going strong, but other retailers are also offering deep discounts with their own Anti-Prime Day deals. Right now, Costco members can snag the Acer Aspire 14 AI for $500a $200 discount until July 20 or while supplies last. CNET's key takeaways The Acer Aspire 14 AI is available for $500 at Costco. The Intel Lunar Lake CPU offers good performance for the price and long battery life. The display and design won't wow you. Laptop prices are on the rise -- and the more they increase, the better Acer's Aspire 14 AI looks. When I reviewed it in April, it cost $700 at Costco and was the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I had reviewed. Fast forward two months and it's now $500 at Costco, making it the the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've seen -- and a great value. Acer cuts the right corners to hit such a low price for the Aspire 14 AI, delivering a well-rounded laptop with modern components. This is no budget laptop with outdated parts. It features the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor (codenamed Lunar Lake) that serves up competitive application and AI performance along with great battery life and a design that doesn't look all that different from Acer's pricier Swift laptops. The Aspire 14 AI's no-frills, but future-proofed package makes it one of the best budget laptops of 2025. My experience with the Acer Aspire 14 AI I'm still waiting for the killer AI app to make a laptop AI CPU a must but it's nice to know that when it arrives, you'll have a machine that's built for it. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU that has a neural processing unit capable of 40 trillion operations per second, the Aspire 14 AI hits the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. Its AI processor can offload AI workloads -- constantly taking Windows Recall snapshots, blurring backgrounds for video calls and producing live translations -- to its NPU, keeping the CPU and GPU freed up for whatever primary task you're working on. Matt Elliott/CNET Future-proofing is always valuable in any laptop, especially so in a budget model where it's not always a given. You need to be careful when shopping for a low-cost laptop because many offerings are older models with previous-generation components that are discounted in an attempt to clear out inventory for newer units. In testing, the Aspire 14 AI hung with the more expensive Copilot Plus PCs I've tested. Its scores on our application, graphics and AI benchmarks weren't all that far off from those of its pricier competitors. Its integrated Intel GPU doesn't provide much in the way of 3D gaming but the same can be said for any Copilot Plus PC, since I've yet to encounter one with dedicated graphics. With the Aspire 14 AI, you avoid the budget laptop trap of buying a machine with outdated or soon-to-be-outdated parts. And you also skip past the specter of the Creaky Plastic Monster. Many budget laptops have flimsy plastic enclosures, but the Aspire 14 AI has aluminum top and bottom panels with only a plastic keyboard deck. The keyboard deck feels rigid and doesn't bend or flex like the thinner plastic commonly found on other budget models. It's a solidly constructed laptop, and you'd have to look closely to tell it apart from one of Acer's mainstream Swift laptops. The specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-8533 Graphics: Intel Arc 130V Storage: 1TB solid-state drive Display: 14-inch 1,920x1,200-pixel touch IPS LCD Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio Networking: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 3.05 pounds Battery life: 18 hours, 56 minutes Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Home Best Prime Day Laptops Deals It's never too early to start shopping for an upgrade to your laptop, and our favorite Prime Day laptop deals are guaranteed to save you time and money. Check out the best savings here. See Now CNET'S buying advice The best part of the Aspire 14 AI is getting a modern CPU that delivers the performance needed for the laptop to act as your primary machine and not just a cheap, underpowered second system. And the efficient Intel Core Ultra CPU also allows the Aspire 14 AI to run for almost 19 hours on a single charge while also offering a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities. The uninspired design and meh display are really the only items that scream "budget laptop." The rest of the package is more mainstream than budget, including the 16GB of RAM and the roomy 1TB SSD. You are usually looking at 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD when shopping for a $700 laptop. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I have a couple of other Copilot Plus PCs you should check out. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a winner for its slick and sturdy design and awesome haptic touchpad and the Asus Zenbook A14 boasts an ultralight yet rigid enclosure with a gorgeous OLED display. Plus, both offer even better battery life than the Aspire 14 AI.

Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Is $200 Off at Costco Today
Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Is $200 Off at Costco Today

CNET

time09-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

Anti-Prime Day Laptop Deal: My Go-to Acer Aspire 14 AI Is $200 Off at Costco Today

The Amazon Prime Day sales event is going strong, but other retailers are also offering deep discounts with their own Anti-Prime Day deals. Right now, Costco members can snag the Acer Aspire 14 AI for $500a $200 discount, until July 20 or while supplies last. CNET's key takeaways The Acer Aspire 14 AI is available for $500 at Costco. The Intel Lunar Lake CPU offers good performance for the price and long battery life. The display and design won't wow you. Laptop prices are on the rise -- and the more they increase, the better Acer's Aspire 14 AI looks. When I reviewed it in April, it cost $700 at Costco and was the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I had reviewed. Fast forward two months and it's now $500 at Costco, making it the the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've seen -- and a great value. Acer cuts the right corners to hit such a low price for the Aspire 14 AI, delivering a well-rounded laptop with modern components. This is no budget laptop with outdated parts. It features the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor (codenamed Lunar Lake) that serves up competitive application and AI performance along with great battery life and a design that doesn't look all that different from Acer's pricier Swift laptops. The Aspire 14 AI's no-frills, but future-proofed package makes it one of the best budget laptops of 2025. My experience with the Acer Aspire 14 AI I'm still waiting for the killer AI app to make a laptop AI CPU a must but it's nice to know that when it arrives, you'll have a machine that's built for it. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU that has a neural processing unit capable of 40 trillion operations per second, the Aspire 14 AI hits the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. Its AI processor can offload AI workloads -- constantly taking Windows Recall snapshots, blurring backgrounds for video calls and producing live translations -- to its NPU, keeping the CPU and GPU freed up for whatever primary task you're working on. Matt Elliott/CNET Future-proofing is always valuable in any laptop, especially so in a budget model where it's not always a given. You need to be careful when shopping for a low-cost laptop because many offerings are older models with previous-generation components that are discounted in an attempt to clear out inventory for newer units. In testing, the Aspire 14 AI hung with the more expensive Copilot Plus PCs I've tested. Its scores on our application, graphics and AI benchmarks weren't all that far off from those of its pricier competitors. Its integrated Intel GPU doesn't provide much in the way of 3D gaming but the same can be said for any Copilot Plus PC, since I've yet to encounter one with dedicated graphics. With the Aspire 14 AI, you avoid the budget laptop trap of buying a machine with outdated or soon-to-be-outdated parts. And you also skip past the specter of the Creaky Plastic Monster. Many budget laptops have flimsy plastic enclosures, but the Aspire 14 AI has aluminum top and bottom panels with only a plastic keyboard deck. The keyboard deck feels rigid and doesn't bend or flex like the thinner plastic commonly found on other budget models. It's a solidly constructed laptop, and you'd have to look closely to tell it apart from one of Acer's mainstream Swift laptops. The specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-8533 Graphics: Intel Arc 130V Storage: 1TB solid-state drive Display: 14-inch 1,920x1,200-pixel touch IPS LCD Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio Networking: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 3.05 pounds Battery life: 18 hours, 56 minutes Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Home Best Prime Day Laptops Deals It's never too early to start shopping for an upgrade to your laptop, and our favorite Prime Day laptop deals are guaranteed to save you time and money. Check out the best savings here. See Now CNET'S buying advice The best part of the Aspire 14 AI is getting a modern CPU that delivers the performance needed for the laptop to act as your primary machine and not just a cheap, underpowered second system. And the efficient Intel Core Ultra CPU also allows the Aspire 14 AI to run for almost 19 hours on a single charge while also offering a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities. The uninspired design and meh display are really the only items that scream "budget laptop." The rest of the package is more mainstream than budget, including the 16GB of RAM and the roomy 1TB SSD. You are usually looking at 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD when shopping for a $700 laptop. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I have a couple of other Copilot Plus PCs you should check out. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a winner for its slick and sturdy design and awesome haptic touchpad and the Asus Zenbook A14 boasts an ultralight yet rigid enclosure with a gorgeous OLED display. Plus, both offer even better battery life than the Aspire 14 AI.

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