The Acer Aspire 5 is one of Acer's most balanced models . It offers a nice design, thin and light, but without giving up some very interesting technical characteristics. Along with a 15.6-inch screen with reduced bezels, it includes an 8th generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics. A technical set that will allow us to run applications and some games without too many problems. Plus, it offers superb connectivity, SSD storage, and Acer TrueHarmony audio. In short, a very complete laptop that we can use for both professional and educational tasks as well as for leisure. I have had the opportunity to test the Acer Aspire 5 for a few weeks and I will tell you what I think. The unit tested is priced around 800 euros and features a 256 GB SSD plus a 1 TB hard drive. I will tell you how it has behaved.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G datasheet
screen | 15.6 inches with FHD resolution, Acer Color Intelligence technology |
Processor and RAM | Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB DDR4 RAM |
Internal memory | 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD |
Graphic card | Nvidia GeForce MX250 2GB + Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Battery | 4-Cell, about six hours of normal use |
Operating system | Windows 10 |
Connections | USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm Jack, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Design | Metal housing, colors: black, silver, blue and red |
Dimensions and weight | 36.3 x 24.6 x 1.7 cm, about 1.9 kg |
Featured Features | Acer TrueHarmony Audio |
Release date | Available |
Price | 800 euros (unit analyzed) |
Discreet design with good connectivity
The new Acer Aspire 5 has a very similar design to its predecessor, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G. It is a fairly discreet design, ideal to take to the office or to class. At least if we choose a dark color, because the model in red looks quite striking.
The top cover is sandblasted aluminum , while the bottom case is plastic. To the touch, both the top and the bottom offer a smooth and elegant finish.
The Acer Aspire 5 is a fairly manageable device. It is only 17.95 millimeters thick , with a weight of 1.9 kg . It is not the lightest computer on the market, but it is easily transportable in a backpack or briefcase.
On the right side we have the 3.5 mm jack connector, a USB 2.0 port and the hole for the Kensington lock. The opposite side is where we have most of the ports, with a Gigabit Ethernet connector, an HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports and a USB Type-C port . Also on this side is the battery charging connector.
At the wireless level we have Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 802.11ac MU-MIMO 2 × 2 . In addition, as Acer has told us, the antenna is located at the highest point of the screen to maximize wireless coverage.
Full HD display
When we open the lid of the Acer Aspire 5 we find a 15.6-inch LCD screen . It has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and various technologies to achieve better image quality.
If we look at its design, we will see that it has quite narrow side frames (1.3 centimeters). Larger are the upper and lower frames, at 1.6 cm and 2.5 cm respectively.
In the upper frame we have a small webcam, very well integrated . So much so that you can hardly see it. And at the bottom we only have an Acer logo in shiny silver.
The hinge that connects the screen to the body of the computer sports the Aspire logo on the front. In addition, it allows the panel to be positioned at an angle of up to 180 degrees .
Regarding image quality, it has produced two disappointing feelings. On the one hand, when we play quality video the screen looks really good . The color reproduction is very good, being a very interesting screen to view multimedia content.
However, to work it has not seemed so comfortable . I think it is due to the viewing angles. While the horizontals are pretty good, the verticals not so much. When you put the screen at the "wrong" vertical angle the brightness shoots up and the screen doesn't look as good as it should. Otherwise, the screen looks pretty good, has a good resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate.
Good performance for day to day
The Acer Aspire 5 is available with multiple hardware configuration options. The unit I have tested was equipped with an Intel Core i5-8265U processor . It is a processor manufactured in 14 nm, with 4 cores and 8 threads, with a speed of between 1.6 and 3.9 GHz.
Accompanying the processor the computer includes 8 GB of RAM and two storage units. On the one hand, a 256 GB SSD so that the system works more fluidly. On the other hand, a 1 TB HDD unit , which we can use to store data or install less demanding applications.
The truth is that the computer works very well for daily tasks. Both for office automation and schoolwork is more than enough. In addition, it includes an Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics with 2 GB of memory . This complements the Intel UHD Graphics 620 and kicks in when needed, like in games for example.
It is not that with this laptop we can play very demanding games, but it will help us to take an occasional game. Less demanding games work well, although it is not a computer designed for gamers.
For lovers of numbers, I leave you on these lines the results obtained in some of the most important tests. As you can see, it is not a computer designed for very complex tasks or demanding games. However, in normal use we will not have problems .
Sound, keyboard and autonomy of the Acer Aspire 5
The Acer Aspire 5 is equipped with Acer's TrueHarmony sound system . This system is designed to deliver deeper bass and increased volume. And the truth is that the result is quite good.
The integrated speakers offer a fairly high volume of reproduction , also without distortion. The sound is clear and the truth is that to listen to a YouTube video, music without many features or a series if we do not have headphones is more than enough.
As for the keyboard, we have a full keyboard, with the numeric keyboard located on the far right . The test unit had an English keyboard, but the layout is more correct. The only key that I see "out of place" is the power button. It is located on the far right, but as if it were one more. This can cause some unintended keystroke. It would have cost nothing to put it "off" the keyboard.
But otherwise, the keyboard works quite well . The size of the keys is correct, as well as the spacing of the keys. In general it is comfortable to use . Of course, the test unit did not have a backlit keyboard , something that today seems essential to me. It is possible that some models include it, so we must make sure before purchasing the equipment.
The Acer Aspire 5 has a very good autonomy . According to the manufacturer's figures, it can reach a maximum of eleven hours of use. In our tests, however, we have been able to work between five and six hours continuously keeping the brightness at “normal” values.
Conclusions and price
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G, with the proven configuration, offers a good price-performance balance . I think it is a more than acceptable setting for everyday use.
With a moderate price we have a large screen with FHD resolution, 8th generation Intel processor, 8 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics and a combination of SSD + HDD storage.
We also have good sound and very good connectivity, both wired and wireless. In addition, as I have said, the autonomy is also at a great level . The design is sober, but if we want to be a little more daring we can opt for the red model.
Of course, it has some points where it could improve . For example, I think all models should already include the backlit keyboard. In addition, given the price of the equipment, it should come with 16 GB of RAM as standard. And finally, I also think the screen can be improved, especially at viewing angles.
You can get the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G with the analyzed configuration with a price of 800 euros .