CNET’s key takeaways Laptop computer costs are on the rise — and the extra they enhance, the higher Acer’s Aspire 14 AI appears. The Acer Aspire 14 AI is out there for $500 at Costco and $628 at Amazon.The Intel Lunar Lake CPU provides good efficiency for the worth and lengthy battery life.The show and design will not wow you.After I reviewed it in April, it price $700 at Costco and was the most affordable Copilot Plus PC I had reviewed. Quick-forward two months, and a Labor Day deal has introduced that worth all the way down to $500 at Costco, making it the most affordable Copilot Plus PC I’ve seen — and an excellent worth.Price range laptop computer customers will discover no scarcity of low cost fashions round $500 which are priced so low for the easy indisputable fact that they’re older laptops with growing old elements that get extra outdated with every passing day. The Acer Aspire 14 AI would not fall into this class. It is the uncommon laptop computer with each a really price range worth and trendy elements. It’s primarily based on a present Intel Core Extremely Collection 2 processor (codenamed Lunar Lake) that delivers good efficiency for the worth, together with nice battery life and aggressive AI efficiency. The Aspire 14 AI additionally wins factors for supplying extra RAM and storage than most price range laptops. In reality, it is one in all my greatest price range laptops of 2025. LAPTOP DEALS OF THE WEEK Offers are chosen by the CNET Group commerce workforce, and could also be unrelated to this text.My expertise with the Acer Aspire 14 AII’m nonetheless ready for the killer AI app to make a laptop computer AI CPU a should, but it surely’s good to know that when it arrives, you will have a machine that is constructed for it. Because of its Intel Core Extremely 5 CPU that has a neural processing unit able to 40 trillion operations per second, the Aspire 14 AI hits the minimal requirement for Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PC platform. Its AI processor can offload AI workloads — always taking Home windows Recall snapshots, blurring backgrounds for video calls and producing dwell translations — to its NPU, protecting the CPU and GPU freed up for no matter main activity you are engaged on. Matt Elliott/CNETFuture-proofing is all the time worthwhile in any laptop computer, particularly so in a price range mannequin the place it isn’t all the time a given. You have to watch out when purchasing for a low-cost laptop computer as a result of many choices are older fashions with previous-generation elements which are discounted in an try to filter out stock for newer items.In testing, the Aspire 14 AI hung with the costlier Copilot Plus PCs I’ve examined. Its scores on our utility, graphics and AI benchmarks weren’t all that far off from these of its pricier opponents. Its built-in Intel GPU would not present a lot in the way in which of 3D gaming, however the identical will be stated for any Copilot Plus PC, as I’ve but to come across one with devoted graphics.With the Aspire 14 AI, you keep away from the price range laptop computer entice of shopping for a machine with outdated or soon-to-be-outdated components. And also you additionally skip previous the specter of the Creaky Plastic Monster. Many price range laptops have flimsy plastic enclosures, however the Aspire 14 AI has aluminum prime and backside panels with solely a plastic keyboard deck. The keyboard deck feels inflexible and would not bend or flex just like the thinner plastic generally discovered on different price range fashions. It is a solidly constructed laptop computer, and also you’d must look intently to inform it other than one in all Acer’s mainstream Swift laptops.The specsCPU: Intel Core Extremely 5 226VMemory: 16GB LPDDR5-8533 Graphics: Intel Arc 130VStorage: 1TB solid-state driveDisplay: 14-inch 1,920×1,200-pixel contact IPS LCDPorts: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audioNetworking: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3Weight: 3.05 poundsBattery life: 18 hours, 56 minutesOperating system: Microsoft Home windows 11 HomeCNET’S shopping for adviceThe greatest a part of the Aspire 14 AI is getting a contemporary CPU that delivers the efficiency wanted for the laptop computer to behave as your main machine and never only a low cost, underpowered second system. And the environment friendly Intel Core Extremely CPU additionally permits the Aspire 14 AI to run for nearly 19 hours on a single cost whereas additionally providing a little bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities.The uninspired design and meh show are actually the one gadgets that scream “price range laptop computer.” The remainder of the bundle is extra mainstream than price range, together with the 16GB of RAM and the roomy 1TB SSD. You might be normally taking a look at 8GB of RAM and both a 256GB or 512GB SSD when purchasing for a $500 to $700 laptop computer. And this Amazon deal makes the Aspire 14 an excellent higher cut price than it usually is.In case you are keen to spend a bit extra, I’ve a few different Copilot Plus PCs it is best to take a look at. The Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 7 is a winner for its slick and durable design and superior haptic touchpad and the Asus Zenbook A14 boasts an ultralight but inflexible enclosure with a stunning OLED show. Plus, each provide even higher battery life than the Aspire 14 AI.
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