Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ Laptop Review

If there is one frontier that Acer has truly conquered in the world of laptops, it is the realm of affordable and mobile computing. Year after year, the company has come up with stylish and budget-friendly offerings that push the envelope of computing—much like the most recent 15.6” Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ.

Priced at a super-attractive $529.99, this thin and lightweight laptop is targeted at students, young professionals, and anyone with a travel-intensive lifestyle. With a weight of only 4.19lbs and a profile that measures 0.7”, it is slim and easy to carry.

But at the same time, it also packs a massive processing punch with an Intel Core i5 processor, an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, and eleven hours of battery backup.

Let us review Acer’s latest offering in detail and adjudge whether it holds water in the hyper-competitive space of all-rounder portables.

Everyday Processing With an Edge

Let us get this straight:  this Acer Aspire 5 is evidently designed for day-to-day operations. It is driven by an eighth-gen Intel Core i5-8265U processor (quad-core), 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

Although the RAM support is rather low, the storage capacity is ample for most of your regular needs. Plus, since it uses an SSD, you will be able to experience improved booting and loading times.

The i5 CPU proves to be efficient at multitasking endeavors. So, if you need a companion that lets you check your e-mail, browse the internet, complete assignments/projects for school and work, or sit back and binge-watch Netflix, you should be pretty sorted with this computer.

We love how this laptop manages to add long battery backup to the mix. On a single charge, the battery can last for as long as eleven hours. This liberates you from the need to always keep one eye on the availability of a power station. Result: improved flexibility of use, oodles of convenience!

Bright and Beautiful Display

A frequent limitation with budget laptops is a less-than-optimal display that renders your imagery shoddily and loses out on the finer nuances. Happily, this Acer Aspire cuts no corners when it comes to visual glories.

The FHD monitor uses a narrow-bezel design to limit external interference. It also generates more space for you in which to relish your multimedia content.

The monitor is intuitively fitted with an IPS panel to grant you the comfort of viewing from any angle or position of your choice, without facing a loss of detail.  Note that the screen resolution is an optimal 1920 x 1080.

Particularly laudable is the use of the Acer Color Intelligence technology that generates realistic colors for various kinds/formats of content. Interestingly, while the basic configuration supports Intel UHD Graphics 620, you can opt for a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU too.

This lets you experience exceptional A/V content and is recommended if you intend to use this laptop for creative pursuits such as multimedia editing or casual gaming. (The Acer True Harmony technology guarantees that your experience will be complemented by impressive sound with commendable clarity and volume for a laptop in this price range.)

Bonus: This computer offers the Acer Blue Light Shield—a provision to protect your eyes from strain by minimizing the blue light emitted from the screen. Workaholics and night owls, rejoice!

Upping Your Style Quotient

Style stands out from afar in this Acer laptop, what with its slim design and aluminum top cover (sandblasted). The cover is both smooth to touch and tactile, lending it a distinct aura of sophistication. Bonus: You get a plethora of color options, some of them as fascinating as a deep red and a gorgeous shade of blue.

The overall style benefits from the flexible and lean construction of the laptop. Since this device is astonishingly thin at only 0.7” (or 17.95mm) and weighs just a tad over 4lbs, you can carry it with you on your day without any hassle. It makes quite a compelling fashion statement.

• Read: 10 Best Rose Gold/Pink Laptops

Accessibility and Connectivity

Since this machine prioritizes portable use, it comes with several features to further this mission. For instance, the touchpad is more precise than you may have been used to, simplifying operation on the go. Logging in to the laptop is also more convenient with the embedded fingerprint reader (via Windows Hello).

You do not have to enter lengthy passwords when working from rickety buses or crowded trains. Perhaps, the most charming accessibility perk is the support for voice commands through Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa. There is a serene kind of freedom to be experienced from controlling proceedings merely with your voice, especially when typing is inconvenient.

Enabling internet connectivity on this laptop is 802.11ac Wi-Fi (or Wi-Fi 5) with the MU-MIMO technology (2×2). Depending on the strength of your signal, you can expect a highly consistent and speedy connection, thanks to the smart antenna placement. Also, a full gamut of ports lets you plug in any devices you may need, including external displays/monitors through an HDMI. While you can access regular USB 3.1 ports, an inbuilt USB Type-C port is notable for its high-speed data transfer.

The Verdict

As times become more challenging and things become pricier by the minute, the demand for budget-friendly laptops is expected to rise. Audiences now aspire to possess full-purpose systems that can fit multiple shoes: a workplace partner, a home-based entertainment platform, a creative comrade. The Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ adapts to several of these roles with panache, without inflating its price tag.

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Not only does the most recent Acer Aspire sport a contemporary design that you would love to show off, but it also hosts abundant processing muscle for standard computing pursuits. On the display and sound fronts, things are top-notch. Even though it is only a few dollars north of $500, this device also throws in some charming bells and whistles such as fingerprint-based login and compatibility with voice commands. Now, that sounds like a winner.