Review and testing of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-43 laptop

Acer Aspire 5 - technical specifications

Acer Aspire 5 laptops are available in the market in many configurations, which also differ in price. The parameters can be easily adapted to specific needs. Whether you want to watch movies comfortably, surf the web or work.

Acer Aspire 5 Specifications (most powerful configuration)

All laptop models on the market come with Windows 10 Home operating system pre-installed. Users have access to convenient tools for managing and restoring software.

Results

As a result, the Acer Aspire V5 is a compact 11.6-inch laptop that, depending on the hardware configuration (and of course cost), can replace your home netbook or a mobile work laptop for business trips.

I liked it + nice design, several color options + existence of a version with an IPS screen + a full set of connectors (3xUSB, RJ45, D-sub, HDMI) + removable battery, hatch for upgrade

Didn’t like it - performance in initial configurations - arrow block too small

The product was provided for testing by Acer, www.acer.ua

Specifications

Acer Aspire 5 – available configurations

A quick glance at the table above shows that we're dealing with a laptop that won't handle the most demanding specialized programs, but works very well as an all-around piece of equipment for work, school, and play.

Of course, a lot depends on which configuration of the Acer Aspire 5 laptop we choose. The processor can be from the Intel Core i7 or i5 series. In the first case, we can use a quad-core and eight-core Intel Core i7-10510U chip . Its clock frequency in base mode is 1800 MHz, and in turbo mode it can reach 4800 MHz. This provides useful flexibility so that the hardware can handle a wide range of application needs. Additionally, there is 8MB cache and 15W TDP.

Intel Comet Lake-U series processors bring with them more cores and threads, as well as higher clock speeds. All this while maintaining a constant TDP, so we can say that these are low voltage systems. The i7 processor provides more than decent performance, which will be quite sufficient for the above-mentioned applications.

Diagnostic tests demonstrate this perfectly. In Cinebench R15, it received a single-threaded score of 185 and a multi-threaded score of 741. These results are on par with many older gaming processors. We can rest assured about productivity.

An alternative processor installed on the Acer Aspire 5 motherboard the Intel Core i5-10210U , also quad-core and eight-thread. In his case, however, we can talk about slightly lower frequencies. They are in the range of 1600-4200 MHz. The cache is also smaller (6 MB). However, TDP remains unchanged. Although it is a weaker processor, its performance is capable of supporting similar programs. In Cinebench R15 tests, it scored 166 and 616 points, respectively. So there is no significant difference here.

The memory of the Acer Aspire 5 also deserves attention. The manufacturer decided to use DDR4 with a clock frequency of 2400 MHz . They provide fast performance, ideal for the specified laptop use. The offered configurations are equipped with 8 GB or 16 GB of memory .

We can also count on the choice of storage type. The manufacturer has released laptops with HDD and SSD drives, as well as with both of these drives. Thanks to this, we can rely on more capacity, a faster operating system, or both.

We only have one component left in the Acer Aspire 5 laptop. The video card here has a dedicated format. The choice fell on the Nvidia GeForce MX350 video card with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. The premiere took place in February 2020, so we can talk about very fresh equipment. It provides slightly higher performance than most general-purpose cards, so owners of the Acer Aspire 5 laptop can count on comfortable operation of both office and multimedia programs, as well as games.

Acer Aspire V5-552G laptop review

Aspire V5-552G is equipped with quite powerful hardware

.
The amount of RAM
(4-8 GB) depends on the configuration (there are several of them sold in Russia), in ours it was
4 GB
.
But all the other components in them are the same as ours: the AMD A8-5557M processor with its integrated Radeon HD 8550G graphics card and the discrete AMD Radeon HD 8750M graphics card with 2 GB of video memory
, as well as

500
GB
hard drive , and these are the most will affect the performance of the system.
And it, I must say, is very good: the laptop can cope with simple tasks like office applications and working with a browser, and with modern games (although, of course, not at the highest settings). Note that there is at least one very similar model, the Aspire V5-552G-10578G1Takk. It features a more powerful AMD A10-5757M processor and a guaranteed 8 GB of RAM and 1 TB of hard drive. The discrete video card is the same. This laptop costs on average 3 thousand rubles more, that is, 24 thousand rubles. If your budget allows you to spend a little more, then this configuration may be a good choice. Don't be fooled by the high maximum frequency ( up to 3.1 GHz
) and
four cores
of the AMD A8-5557M: our benchmarks show that its performance is roughly on par with low-voltage dual-core Intel Core i3s, such as the Core i3-4010U.
In terms of the number of cores and clock speed, only processors of the same architecture can be compared, and in this regard, AMD has clearly been losing to Intel for several years now. But AMD processors are also cheaper, so in the end we get the same performance for the same money, and uninformed buyers are satisfied with the knowledge that they have a quad-core processor in their laptop. As we have already said,
the system
performance is very good
and replacing the hard drive with an SSD will certainly increase the overall performance of the system - the processor definitely limits it much less than a slow (and compared to SSDs, they are all like that) hard drive.
Actually, we couldn’t resist experimenting and carried out such a replacement (any 2.5-inch SATA drive with a thickness of 7 mm will do)
, using our Crucial RealSSD C300 64 GB instead of a standard hard drive. The PCMark 7 benchmark showed results that were 70% better than with a standard hard drive, and the system felt much more pleasant to work with.

If you are not going to make a replacement (there are no configurations of the V5-552G with SSD by default), then a 5400-rpm

Seagate Momentus
500
GB
hard drive .
CrystalDiskMark measured read speeds
of
83.28 MB/s
, while HDTune showed an average
transfer speed
of
83.8 MB/s
.
Compared to modern SSDs with their 300-550 MB/s, this is very slow, but for a hard drive it is quite normal. And in terms of price-volume ratio, SSDs with hard drives still cannot compete. As soon as they can, hard drives will disappear from laptops (and desktop PCs) forever. The laptop uses the AMD Dual Graphics
: as in the SLI/Crossfire configurations, it uses two video cards, but not two identical discrete ones, but a discrete one in combination with one built into the processor.
In this case, these are AMD Radeon HD 8750M and AMD Radeon HD 8550G. Dual Graphics can be disabled
, leaving only the built-in card, and sometimes you will have to do just that.
We've long noted that Dual Graphics rarely delivers frame rates higher than the card alone. Experiment
- in some games Dual Graphics behaves better than just the built-in card (unfortunately, you can’t leave only the discrete one), and in some games the built-in card itself produces better results.
all depends on the support of
Dual Graphics
by specific games
- perhaps the new API from AMD called Mantle, designed to replace DirectX and allow games to better interact with AMD video cards on the GCN architecture and has already proven itself well in Battlefield 4 (performance increase of up to 40%), will improve situation in the future.
But you shouldn’t count on this - either be satisfied with the current performance of the V5-552G (see detailed benchmarks for different games below)
, or pay attention to alternatives that are more suitable for gaming. In principle, for such a cheap laptop, the Aspire V5-552G handles games quite well, the “HD” (1366 by 768 pixels) screen helps here, because rendering games at such a low resolution requires less graphics power than HD+ or Full HD.

Acer Aspire 5 – laptop case

The laptop was supposed to provide versatility not only in terms of performance and available components, but also in the way it could be used. Consequently, the dimensions of the Acer Aspire 5 are quite compact . The hardware hasn't been cut down in any way compared to most 15-inch devices and we can talk about a nice design.

This should ensure comfortable work and high mobility. Moreover, the Acer Aspire 5 weighs less than 2 kilograms . Using your laptop on the sofa, in bed, on a bench, in a restaurant or on a train will be a very pleasant experience. It is also worth noting that the design is really solid. The use of aluminum makes the body rigid and very durable. Loops should also be considered a plus.

As for the set of ports and connectors, there is a certain standard in this category. The HDMI connector and 3 USB ports are enough to comfortably work with the Acer Aspire 5 laptop. The backlit keyboard is definitely an addition that will prove very useful. Same as TPM encryption module or Kensington Lock port. The only drawback of portable equipment is the lack of a memory card reader.

The laptop is available in different colors, so everyone can choose a device to suit their style. Acer Aspire 5 is available in red, silver, white and black. So there is plenty to choose from.

Dock station

Acer Iconia Tab W510 model will be supplied to the Ukrainian market only complete with a docking station; “mono-configurations” of the tablet exist, but they will not be officially supplied to the local market. Unfortunately, we got our hands on just such a tablet, so we could only evaluate the docking station in absentia. The docking station is made in the format of the lower part of the laptop case, that is, it is equipped with a hardware keyboard, touchpad and additional ports and, when assembled, turns the tablet into a netbook. Note that its internal space is used wisely; it houses exactly the same battery as in the tablet itself - a two-section lithium-polymer unit with a capacity of 27 Wh (3540 mAh; 3.7 V). At the same time, the weight of the 10-inch Acer Iconia Tab W510 is 580 grams, the docking station weighs 100 grams more, so the total weight of the kit will be 1260 grams.

Judging by the photo, the docking station turned out to be no less “designer” than the tablet itself. The locking hinge is made of textured plastic; at the far edges of the working panel there are a pair of protrusions, one of which has a full-size USB port integrated into it. The second and last connector on the docking station is a proprietary port, with which you can not only charge batteries, but also use proprietary adapters for standard ports. The docking station has another interesting feature - its hinge rotates to an unnatural position for a regular laptop, as a result the keyboard dock turns into a multimedia dock. In this case, the keyboard faces the table, and the front part is supported by the same protrusions along the edges of the working panel.

Acer Aspire 5 – laptop cooling

The components installed in individual laptop configurations are low voltage, so they don't put too much strain on the cooling system. The prepared system does a good job of keeping temperatures relatively low , even under full load.

Equally important, the Acer Aspire 5's cooling is quiet. The fan can be heard when we are working on programs that are particularly demanding in terms of hardware, but it is not a noise that can significantly interfere with work.

The battery of the Acer Aspire 5 is also well rated by users. It allows you to work for several hours without connecting your laptop to AC power.

Acer Aspire 5 – laptop screen

Each laptop model is equipped with a 15-inch screen supporting Full HD resolution. The Acer Aspire 5 matrix is ​​made using IPS , therefore it provides decent color reproduction and high contrast.

However, some users have complained that the maximum brightness settings are too low, meaning the Acer Aspire 5's screen may appear too dark. Of course, we can count on the matte finish, thanks to which working in sunlight should not be a problem.

Acer Aspire 5 – performance

As we've already mentioned, the laptop in question is an extremely versatile piece of equipment that works well both in the office and while studying or gaming. First of all, this is due to the installation of 10th generation Intel processors, as well as fast RAM. The Acer Aspire 5 also uses a new dedicated graphics card.

Nvidia GeForce MX350 graphics card can handle slightly more demanding programs, but will force you to spend too much money. Its parameters are sufficient for simple graphics processing or video editing. In diagnostic tests conducted in the GPU 3DMark 11 Performance program , the device scored 6143 points, while in 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme Graphics it scored 79699 points. These are very decent results.

Acer Aspire 5 – is it suitable for gaming?

For many people interested in purchasing this laptop, the good news is that it also supports gaming. In the case of games, which are the most demanding in terms of hardware, we can only count on very low graphical detail, but going down a shelf we will be very comfortable.

Virtual joy

Use the convenient Acer Games portal to enjoy the many games preloaded on the Aspire V5. 2 Shop till you drop! Amazon 1Button 2 puts numerous online shopping utilities and great special offers at your fingertips. It also gives you instant access to Amazon Cloud Player, so you can conveniently store and stream all your devices' music.

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Compact 11.6-inch laptops don't make it into our testing lab very often. Average users for the most part choose 15.6-inch models; more experienced and prepared ones, as a rule, prefer 13.3-inch laptops, and the smallest representatives of the class are the last thing they remember. And yet, such models have a very harmonious model of use, in which in the office or at home you connect an external monitor to your laptop, providing yourself with a full-fledged workplace, and on the road or a business trip you take it with you in a minimal configuration, saving space and weight in hand luggage.

The Acer Aspire V5 family of laptops includes models in three form factors - compact 11.6-inch ultraports and 14-inch and 15.6-inch medium format laptops. Moreover, processors from Intel and AMD can be used as a hardware platform, so you should pay special attention to the choice of a specific laptop configuration. This review will focus on the 11.6-inch Acer Aspire V5-123 on an energy-efficient platform from AMD.

Acer Aspire 5 – is it worth buying a laptop?

Versatile laptops are very popular among both individual customers and companies. Especially when they provide such high levels of performance as the Acer Aspire 5.

User opinions also focus on efficient low-voltage components that allow you to go a little above the standard.

The Acer Aspire 5 is not too expensive. All this makes it a very interesting choice. Even despite some shortcomings, including the lack of a memory card reader or the low brightness of the maximum matrix.