Acer Aspire 5 15 (2020) Laptop Review
The Aspire 5 15 (2020) is a Windows ultraportable laptop in the middle of the price range. It is in the Aspire line of laptops from Acer, between the entry-level Aspire 3 and the high-end Aspire 7. This model has a 15.6-inch screen and a full-size keyboard with a Numpad on the right. It comes with CPUs from Intel’s 10th Generation and AMD’s Ryzen 4000 U-series, as well as up to 32GB of memory and 512GB of storage. In addition to the built-in graphics, this laptop can also be set up with a separate NVIDIA GeForce MX350 or AMD Radeon RX 640 GPU.
We used a 15.6-inch IPS screen, an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD to test the Aspire 5. The Intel Core i3-1005G1, the Intel Core i7-1065G7, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, and the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U are some other CPUs you can choose from. You can choose between a TN panel with 1080p resolution, an IPS panel with 720p resolution, or an IPS panel with 1080p resolution.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Acer Aspire 5 A515 with a 15.6-inch IPS display, an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. You can change the screen, CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and finish. Below, you can see what you can change. But most companies, including Acer, sell this laptop as a pre-built model with a set configuration rather than letting customers choose the parts themselves. Because of this, it might be hard to find exactly the configuration you want.
Acer has also made new versions of the Aspire 5 with 14-inch and 17-inch screens and CPUs from the 11th generation of Intel and Ryzen. But their designs have been updated a little, and their CPUs have different architectures. To avoid confusion, we think of them as two different laptop models.
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Test Results
Style
The Acer Aspire 5 is easy to use and looks good in most office settings. It is made of silver-colored plastic, has a full-size keyboard with a Numpad on the right, and says “Acer” on the lid and bottom bezel. The laptop has ports on both sides, and the back and bottom have air vents.
Build Quality
The Acer Aspire 5 feels like it was made well. The body of the laptop is made of plastic, but it looks like anodized aluminium. It feels solid, and the screen and keyboard deck only give a little bit. The feet are very sticky and stick firmly to the bottom of the laptop. This helps keep the laptop stable on a desk. When the lid is closed, the only thing that stands out is that the screen isn’t perfectly lined up with the body.
Hinge
The hinge works alright. It feels strong and stable from any angle. When you type quickly, the screen moves a little bit, but it’s not bad enough to be distracting. Too much resistance makes it impossible to open the lid with one hand.
Portability
Because it is thin and light, the Acer Aspire 5 is easy to carry around. The charger is small and easy to carry.
Serviceability
The Acer Aspire 5 is easy to use and repair. It’s pretty easy to get to the insides. To remove the bottom cover, you need to take out eleven Phillips screws and undo some clips. From there, you can get to the wireless adapter, RAM, SSD, and even use the HDD upgrade kit that came with the computer to install a 2.5-inch storage drive. But installing a 2.5-inch drive requires more disassembly, including disconnecting the long I/O ribbon cable, which some people might not be comfortable doing. Here is a link to an online tutorial from Acer that you can use. The software on the laptop says there are two RAM slots, but you can only use one of them. Check out the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 if you want a laptop that works better (2020).
