What exactly is an all-round laptop? As far as we are concerned, this includes cheap devices with a solid system performance, good display, large storage solution and an entry-level graphics card for casual gaming. For years, the Acer Aspire 5 series has been proof of the manufacturer's ability to produce budget laptops with solid components.
Most recently, we reviewed the 8th generation Whiskey Lake i7-8565U-based Aspire 5 A515-52G with the entry-level GeForce MX250 one year ago.
Since then, the manufacturer has not only upgraded to Intel's 10th generation Comet Lake architecture but also redesigned the chassis. Today, we will take a look at Acer's new Aspire 5 A515-54G model, which has been popular and most likely will be again thanks to its customizability both in terms of the price and the hardware. The price ranges from 690 to 1,000 Euros (~$746 to ~$1,081).
The competition includes 14- and 15-inch devices that are also equipped with a matte Full HD display and a MX250 or MX230.
| Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 % | 04/2020 | Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G-56XE i5-10210U, GeForce MX250 | 1.7 kg | 17.9 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 |
from EUR
|
| 82 % | 01/2020 | Lenovo Ideapad S540-15IML i5-10210U, GeForce MX250 | 1.9 kg | 17 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 |
from EUR 800
|
| 85 % | 04/2019 | Asus VivoBook 14 F412FJ-EB084T i5-8265U, GeForce MX230 | 1.5 kg | 19 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 |
from EUR 800
|
| 83 % | 04/2019 | HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng i5-8265U, GeForce MX250 | 1.9 kg | 18 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 |
from EUR 1100
|
| 80 % | 08/2019 | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 R7 3700U, Vega 10 | 1.8 kg | 19.5 mm | 15.6" | 1920x1080 |
Alternative specs INR 59 984,00
|
Chassis & Features
Rigidity is not a strength of the lightweight plastic chassis. The base unit can be twisted by a fair amount and the same holds true for the lid. The hinges hold the latter firmly in place and prevent any teetering. Opening the laptop one-handed is just barely possible. The palm rests and the bottom plate yield under pressure in a few areas.
Regardless, the 15-inch laptop is well-built with even clearances and no protruding excess materials.
Acer has not only equipped its device with a wired networking interface (Gigabit LAN) but also brand-new AX Wi-Fi 6. In our test, the Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 achieves good transfer rates of up to 929 MB/s and 837 MB/s for receiving and sending data, respectively.
With these transfer rates, the Acer outperforms most of its competitors that still rely on the older Wi-Fi AC.
Regrettably, there are not only upgrades and instead, Acer has also downgraded a few things. For example, there is no more integrated card reader or TPM. Meanwhile, the USB Type-C port supports neither charging nor DisplayPort via USB Type-C.
While there is no maintenance hatch on the Acer laptop, the entire bottom plate can be removed entirely. The RAM slot, Wi-Fi module, fan and the M.2 SSD slot are then exposed.
The included HDD mounting frame is a nice extra, since it allows users to install an additional, internal 2.5-inch drive (SATA SSD or HDD).
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