The Aspire series of laptops from Acer is designed as casual devices for everyday laptop users. While most of the household laptop models come with basic specifications, such as low-end processors that deliver just enough performance for everyday tasks, and equally low-end integrated graphics that prevent you to engage in graphics-intensive tasks including gaming, the new Aspire 5 A515-51G-89LS laptop from the brand comes powered by a latest powerful Intel Core processor.
And it doesn’t end there, this particular laptop comes as a refreshed model from many of its predecessors, and boasts some interesting and useful specs for the money you are required to pay. For a laptop with a mid-range price tag, this Aspire 5 model from Acer seems to come packed with quite some exciting features for everyday laptop users, students, professionals, and even beginner gamers.
The Acer Aspire 5 Review
Design
This particular Acer Aspire 5 laptop has undergone a design upgrade from the other Acer devices. The laptop comes in an all-black chassis with silver accents that are the highlighting aspects on the design front. The stripe pattern on the chassis gives the laptop’s overall design a bold, modern, and unique look. As always, the Acer logo is present at the center of the lid, in gleaming silver, and the silver hinge of the laptop adds a touch of sophistication to the machine. The Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-89LS weighs 4.4 pounds and has a thickness of 0.8 inches, which means this is a device quite portable as an everyday laptop.
Display
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-89LS comes with a 15.6-inch full HD ComfyView widescreen LED-backlit display, with screen resolution 1920 x 1080. Firstly, the Full HD screen resolution of the display is able to present vibrant colors on the screen, with crisp and clear visual output. In fact, watching certain visuals on the screen bring about a highly defined output, with emphasis on even the smallest details, which is something you wouldn’t find on many laptop displays.
Even the brightness level of this laptop’s display can be mentioned as above average. The ComfyView technology used on the screen basically refers to its anti-glare coating, which cuts down the otherwise annoying reflections you encounter, especially when you use the device under bright light. Despite its decent display, this Aspire 5 model doesn’t come with ultrathin bezels, which is typically the trend right now.
Hardware Performance
Powering up this Acer Aspire 5 device is the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor, the maximum clock speed of which is 4 GHz. This is a quad-core processor from Intel, belonging to the higher end, packing great power to let you perform multitasking with ease. Despite its power, this processor doesn’t require really large cooling systems, nor does it consume a lot of power. As a result, in addition to everyday multitasking, the processor’s power will also be sufficient to perform video editing and other similar demanding tasks.
In terms of system memory and storage space, what you get is an 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD respectively. While the 8 GB RAM may not be sufficient for many users, with this device, however, you get to upgrade your memory and storage based on your requirements, which is a definite plus. When it comes to heat buildup, the Acer Aspire 5 has an efficient cooling system, which enables the device to stay cool even during intense activities. However, fans seem to be a bit loud.
Gaming
For gaming purposes, the device comes equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card, which has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. Of course, this is not a high-end gaming chip; however, it is still capable of providing a decent and enjoyable gaming experience. While you will be able to play many popular game titles at 1080p, you cannot expect the frame rates to be high. The same applies to photo and video editing as well.
Connectivity
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-89LS comes with a sufficient number and variety of ports for both casual as well as business use. It has 1 x USB 3.1 Type C Gen 1 port, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x HDMI port, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x Ethernet port, and 1 x combo microphone / headphone-in jack.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Offered in a matte finish, the Acer Aspire 5’s keyboard comes with a full-size number pad. The keys are spaced right and are therefore easy and pleasant to type on. As a result, you will be able to type long documents and the like easily and comfortably without much finger fatigue. Though the key travel is a tad bit short, it doesn’t really affect typing in any way. The touchpad is also smooth and is really responsive to gestures.
Audio
Audio output from the device is produced by the Acer TrueHarmony speaker design, which is known to reduce audio distortion while delivering audio that fills the room. Though this is what the brand claims, it does stand to be true because the speakers are indeed loud enough to fill up a room. However, lack of bass is one downfall to the laptop’s audio.
Battery Life
With its 4-cell Li-ion battery, the Acer Aspire 5 comes with up to 7-hour battery life claim. In our tests, the claim was indeed met, because the laptop lasted for about 6 hours and 30 mins on a single full charge.
Conclusion
Boasting the latest and powerful 8th gen Intel Core processor, an NVIDIA graphics card that enables proper gaming, good FHD display, and a variety of connectivity choices, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-89LS is one laptop that can easily get your job done. In addition to its attractive aesthetics, the laptop is also able to perform equally well, perfect for a wide range of users and tasks. With very few downsides, this is a solid option for those looking for a mid-range high-performance device.
