Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) vs Lenovo V15 (Gen 5)
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 V15 only if it matters to you that it has Ethernet.
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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 V15'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 V15's 60 Hz one.
- Ports Depends on you
Only the Acer Aspire 16 has Thunderbolt or USB4, while only the Lenovo V15 has Ethernet.
- Extras Acer Aspire 16 wins
Only the Acer Aspire 16 has a backlit keyboard.
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 plug things in: it has Thunderbolt or USB4 (for fast docks and drives).
- You want a backlit keyboard, handy for typing in dim rooms.
Choose the Lenovo V15 if…
- You plug things in: it has Ethernet (for wired internet).
- You might want more memory later: you can add it yourself.
- You do demanding work: its Intel Core i5-13420H has the power for photo and video editing.
Full spec comparison
Add more laptopsThe Acer Aspire 16 leads on the screen, battery and weight 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 V15 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 V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | Intel Core i5-13420H |
| Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| AI engine (NPU) | 11 TOPS | — |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | DDR5-5200 |
| Maximum memory | 16 GB | 32 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 NVMe M.2 2242 |
| Storage slots | — | 1 |
Screen
The Acer Aspire 16 is ahead on the screen.
The Acer Aspire 16 has a slightly bigger screen: 16" against 15.6". It has an OLED screen, has more accurate colour and has a smoother screen, and the Lenovo V15 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16" | 15.6" |
| Resolution | Full HD+ (2048 x 1280) | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:9 |
| Panel | OLED | — |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Variable refresh (VRR) | — | No |
| Brightness | 400 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 has a bigger battery and is slimmer, and the Lenovo V15 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 17.5 hours | Up to 11.2 hours |
| Battery capacity | 53 Wh | 47 Wh |
| Charger | 65 W | — |
| Charges via | USB-C | round tip / USB-C PD |
| Fast charging | — | 80% in 1 hour (Rapid Charge) |
| Weight | 1.64 kg | 1.61 kg |
| Dimensions | 359.7 x 253.2 x 11.4-17.9 mm | 359.2 x 235.8 x 18.3 mm |
| Materials | Aluminium lid; recycled-plastic bottom cover | PC-ABS lid and base |
| Durability | — | MIL-STD-810H |
| Colour | Iron | Business Black |
| Colours available | — | Business Black, 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 V15 has Ethernet.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 1.4b, 1x 3.5 mm audio, 1x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45, 1x round-tip power |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 | None |
| External displays (max) | — | 2 |
| Card reader | None | None |
| Ethernet | None | 1 GbE RJ-45 |
| 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 5.2 |
| 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 V15 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Acer Aspire 16 (A16-71M) | Lenovo V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Webcam | 1080p | 720p |
| Webcam privacy | — | physical shutter |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes | No |
| Keyboard | White backlight, AcerSense key, Caps Lock indicator, microphone mute indicator | spill-resistant, numeric keypad, 1.3 mm travel, Copilot key, non-backlit |
| Login | Fingerprint | — |
| Number pad | Yes | Yes |
| Touchpad | Precision multi-gesture touchpad | 62 x 104 mm Mylar Precision touchpad |
| Speakers | 2 speakers | 2x 1.5W |
| Microphones | 2 microphones | dual-array |
| Pen | — | No |
| Security | Kensington lock, BIOS user and supervisor passwords, Windows Hello fingerprint | Kensington Nano lock |
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 V15 (Gen 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro |
| Model number | NX.J5LEK.003 | — |
| Released | — | 2024 |