Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
The Acer Aspire 16 is the better laptop on paper: it has an OLED screen, has more accurate colour and has a smoother screen. Pick the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 only if it matters to you that it has an SD card reader.
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Key differences
- OLED screen Acer Aspire 16 wins
The Acer Aspire 16 has an OLED screen, with true blacks and richer colour than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3's LCD.
- Colour Acer Aspire 16 wins
The Acer Aspire 16's screen shows a wider range of colour (100% DCI-P3 against 45% NTSC), so photos and films look richer and truer.
- Smoothness Acer Aspire 16 wins
The Acer Aspire 16's 120 Hz screen is smoother than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3's 60 Hz one.
- Brightness Acer Aspire 16 wins
The Acer Aspire 16's screen is brighter (400 against 300 nits), so it's easier to see near a window.
- Ports Depends on you
Only the Acer Aspire 16 has Thunderbolt or USB4, while only the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has an SD card reader.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Acer Aspire 16 if…
- You watch a lot of films and video, or edit photos: its OLED screen has true blacks and rich colour.
- You edit photos or care about colour: its screen covers 100% DCI-P3.
- You like smooth scrolling: its 120 Hz screen feels slicker.
- You work near windows or outside: its screen is brighter at 400 nits.
- You plug things in: it has Thunderbolt or USB4 (for fast docks and drives).
Choose the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 if…
- You plug things in: it has an SD card reader (for camera cards).
- You might want more memory later: you can add it yourself.
- You do demanding work: its AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS has the power for photo and video editing.
Full spec comparison
Add more laptopsThe Acer Aspire 16 leads on the screen and extras; elsewhere the two are closely matched. Highlighted values mark the better spec in each row, and you can hide the rows where they match.
Performance
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is ahead on performance.
It can be upgraded, and the Acer Aspire 16 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS |
| Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics | AMD Radeon 680M |
| AI engine (NPU) | 11 TOPS | — |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | DDR5-4800 |
| Maximum memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory upgrades | Soldered (not upgradeable) | Upgradeable (slots) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | SSD |
| Storage interface | PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 | PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2242 |
| Storage slots | — | 2 |
Screen
The Acer Aspire 16 is ahead on the screen.
The Acer Aspire 16 has a slightly bigger screen: 16" against 15.3". It has an OLED screen, has more accurate colour and has a smoother screen, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16" | 15.3" |
| Resolution | Full HD+ (2048 x 1280) | Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Panel | OLED | IPS |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Variable refresh (VRR) | — | No |
| Brightness | 400 nits | 300 nits |
| Colour range | 100% DCI-P3 | 45% NTSC |
| HDR | DisplayHDR True Black 500 | None |
| Finish | — | Matte |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
Battery and size
The Acer Aspire 16 is ahead on battery and weight.
It is slimmer, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 17.5 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Battery capacity | 53 Wh | 50 Wh |
| Charger | 65 W | — |
| Charges via | USB-C | round tip / USB-C PD |
| Fast charging | — | 2 hours runtime from 15-minute charge (Rapid Charge Boost) |
| Weight | 1.64 kg | 1.59 kg |
| Dimensions | 359.7 x 253.2 x 11.4-17.9 mm | 343.4 x 239.5 x 17.9-18.9 mm |
| Materials | Aluminium lid; recycled-plastic bottom cover | PC-ABS lid and base |
| Durability | — | MIL-STD-810H |
| Colour | Iron | Luna Grey |
| Colours available | — | Cosmic Blue, Luna Grey |
Ports and wireless
The Acer Aspire 16 is ahead on ports and wireless.
The Acer Aspire 16 has Thunderbolt or USB4 and has Wi-Fi 6E, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has an SD card reader.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-C USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 (charging, DisplayPort), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo | 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x USB-C 5Gbps (USB PD 45-65W, DisplayPort 1.2), 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5 mm audio, 1x SD card reader, 1x round-tip power |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 | None |
| External displays (max) | — | 2 |
| Card reader | None | SD |
| Ethernet | None | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wi-Fi card | — | Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2x2 M.2 card |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Mobile data | None | None |
Features
The Acer Aspire 16 is ahead on extras.
It has a backlit keyboard and has a sharper webcam, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Webcam | 1080p | 720p |
| Webcam privacy | — | physical shutter |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes | No |
| Keyboard | White backlight, AcerSense key, Caps Lock indicator, microphone mute indicator | 6-row, numeric keypad, 1.3 mm travel, Copilot key, non-backlit |
| Login | Fingerprint | — |
| Number pad | Yes | Yes |
| Touchpad | Precision multi-gesture touchpad | 75 x 120 mm Mylar Precision touchpad |
| Speakers | 2 speakers | 2x 2W, Dolby Audio |
| Microphones | 2 microphones | dual-array |
| Pen | — | No |
| Security | Kensington lock, BIOS user and supervisor passwords, Windows Hello fingerprint | Firmware TPM 2.0 |
Software and model
Both run Windows.
So the same apps work on both, and they get the same kind of updates.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Model number | NX.J5LEK.003 | 83K700DCUK |
| Released | — | 2025 |