The Acer Aspire 5, in many aspects, stands as a testament to what a mid-range laptop can offer. Its build quality, I/O support, and performance metrics, especially with the Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U processor and 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, are commendable. However, not everything in my Acer Aspire 5 is rosy. The display, with its low peak brightness and colour inaccuracies, is a significant letdown. This might be a deal-breaker for professionals who rely on colour accuracy for their work. Additionally, the speakers, while average for its price range, could have been better, especially given the display’s shortcomings.
In conclusion, the Acer Aspire 5 is a solid choice for those seeking a reliable work or mainstream laptop with a strong performance backbone. However, if display quality is paramount or if your tasks are heavily reliant on colour accuracy, you might want to explore other options. For everyday tasks, light multimedia consumption, and standard office work, the Acer Aspire 5 fits the bill, but professionals, especially those in graphic design or video editing, might want to tread cautiously.
Upon writing this Acer Aspire 5 review, I have a confession to make. On one hand, I so long for a work/mainstream laptop that has good I/O support, high build quality, a great keyboard and trackpad combination, and a capable yet power-efficient processor. On the other hand, whenever I use such a device as my daily driver, especially when considering it as a contender for the best laptop under Rs 60,000, I am starkly reminded why these laptops cost so less. There’s always one or the other thing that’s not the way it should be and more often than not, it breaks my heart and my hopes. Regardless, here’s the Acer Aspire 5 review that’ll tell you exactly whether and who should buy the laptop.
In all the areas mentioned above, the Acer Aspire 5 easily excels or at least is above average. Starting with the build quality, the laptop’s polycarbonate-metal body is durable, sleek, and minimalist. Two things you definitely want in a work laptop with the third one being a bonus. The laptop’s lid is made out of metal meanwhile its deck area is made from polycarbonate. Both feature the same shade of grey, at least in the case of my review unit which is grey in colour.
The rather thick bezels around the display are made out of black polycarbonate, further giving the laptop a dual-tone look. Speaking of looks, the laptop is very minimalist-looking despite featuring the company branding in more than one area. But all of it is done very cleverly so it doesn’t become annoying. Although you get a proprietary charger with the laptop you can easily switch to a USB type-C charging brick, thanks to the on-board Thunderbolt 4 port, to go along with the laptop.
Moving on to the keyboard it is a full-size one as it includes a numpad. The volume, and brightness adjustment keys on the keyboard are shared with the function keys but it is easy to switch between them. The keys have slightly rounded corners and are tactile. Although there is no mention of the official key travel anywhere, I feel it is somewhere between 1 to 1.1 mm. Needless to say, it is inoffensive but it could be better. I personally prefer 60% keyboards but I could see why a numpad would bring happiness and joy in your life. Especially if you’re someone who spends his days Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets a lot, lord bless your soul.
Moving on to the trackpad and I am as surprised as you are while saying this, is of high quality. It is properly installed and with that I mean it is at an even level. Both the left and right click on the laptop press down at the same level too. In short, the trackpad is very symmetrical and feels to have no inherent quality issue. But I can’t comment on its long-term durability. Still, I have a hunch that it will take the future wear and tear quite well.
The I/O, as I mentioned in the specification section is high in quality if not quantity. It comes with an HDMI 2.1 port, meaning it can power an external 4K Monitor at 120FPS, which is very handy if you’re a “dual monitor guy,” and because of one more reason about which I will talk in the display section of this review. Acer Aspire 5 also has a USB 3.2 port, a USB port with power-off charging, a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, and a headphone-mic combo.
The thing that really puts me off from the Acer Aspire 5 is its display. It lacks in many significant and non-significant areas which really doesn’t encourage you to buy the laptop. Firstly, the laptop’s display has a very low peak brightness. At a mere 182 nits, the laptop’s display is very dim. Furthermore, the display panel’s viewing angles are also not good.
Secondly, the screen is very colour inaccurate with an average Delta E value of 12.4. For reference, in colour-accurate displays, this figure is usually less than 3. Not only does the screen shows inaccurate colours it doesn’t even show as many of them with just 58.5% sRGB and 43.1% DCI-P3 colour space coverage. One good thing about the display is its size, which is 15.6 inches, and the anti-glare coating on its surface.
The speakers too are kind of “mid.” Not many laptops nail the speaker setup in the Rs 50,000 to 60,000 price range, so I am not surprised. But, I do think that with the screen being a letdown, at least the speakers could have been better. To summarise, get a pair of headphones too if you get the laptop.
Alright, the Acer Aspire 5 leaves no room for complaints when it comes to performance, at least for the kind of equipment it’s packing. Speaking of which, the Acer Aspire 5 gets 8GB LPDDR5 RAM running in dual-channel mode. Without going into the details, you can get the benefits of dual-channel memory in a single-channel stick if it’s the latest DDR5 or LPDDR5 RAM type. But I still think that Acer could have gone with the former type because the latter is non-upgradable. So you’re stuck with whatever RAM configuration you choose.
In my day-to-day usage, I found the 8GB RAM to be enough. But I don’t edit videos, nor do I use Photoshop. So if your workflow involves either these or an even heavier workload then go for more RAM. But considering that the Acer Aspire 5 is a mainstream laptop with an Intel Core i5-1335U series processor, why would you use it for these tasks anyways. Still, Chrome tabs can be scary, so my personal advice is to choose a variant with at least 16GB LPDDR5 RAM.
The Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U is also a slight improvement over its predecessor in terms of a higher boost clock at 4.6GHz instead of 4.4GHz. Moreover, the new also has better Multi-core and single-core performance compared to the previous gen. In terms of Iris Xe Graphics too there is a small performance uptick. Combine all that with the improved efficiency of the 1335U and the result is stellar mid-range laptop performance.
In terms of storage, the Acer Aspire 5 comes with a PCIe Gen 3 512GB SSD. Although there are PCIe Gen 4 SSDs you don’t need them unless your workload involves huge files. All in all, the 512GB SSD is comparable to other laptops in this price segment and works well.
As for the 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, I compared it with the 16GB LPDDR4 memory, and here are the results. The Infinix X3 Slim with 16GB LPDDR4 RAM and the Acer Aspire 5 with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM present distinct memory performance metrics. For Memory Read speeds, the Infinix X3 Slim registers at 59,456 MB/s, which is notably higher than the Acer Aspire 5’s 48,571 MB/s.
However, when it comes to Memory Write speeds, the Acer Aspire 5 outperforms the Infinix X3 Slim with a score of 71,378 MB/s compared to Infinix’s 66,604 MB/s. In the Memory Copy test, the Infinix X3 Slim again leads with a score of 60,315 MB/s, while the Acer Aspire 5 lags slightly behind at 56,442 MB/s. Lastly, in terms of Memory Latency, the Infinix X3 Slim has a slightly higher latency of 114.7 ns compared to the Acer Aspire 5’s more efficient 106.6 ns. In summary, while the Infinix X3 Slim demonstrates superior read and copy speeds in MB/s, the Acer Aspire 5 excels in write speeds in MB/s and offers better latency.
The Acer Aspire 5, positioned as a potential best laptop under Rs 60,000, stands out in the crowded mid-range laptop market, striking a harmonious balance between performance and cost-effectiveness. A closer examination of its features reveals a commendable build quality. The fusion of a metallic lid with a polycarbonate deck not only ensures durability but also exudes a refined aesthetic appeal. Its minimalist design, further enhanced by the dual-tone grey and black polycarbonate bezels, radiates sophistication. Acer’s branding, though present, is discreetly integrated, preserving the laptop’s elegant facade.
In the performance arena, the Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U processor, boasting a boost clock of 4.6GHz, promises brisk multitasking and adept management of routine tasks. The inclusion of 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, albeit fixed, provides a notable speed edge, especially when juxtaposed against the Infinix X3 Slim’s 16GB LPDDR4 RAM. The write speeds and latency metrics of the Acer Aspire 5 stand out, catering perfectly to users who often grapple with large file transfers or operate memory-heavy applications.
The display, however, is the Acer Aspire 5’s weak link. A rather dim peak brightness of 182 nits coupled with a Delta E value of 12.4 suggests that the screen may falter in color-critical tasks like graphic designing or photo editing. The restricted sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts further underscore this limitation. Although the 15.6-inch dimension and the anti-glare feature earn points, visual professionals might find the display wanting.
The laptop’s I/O capabilities shine, especially with the integration of a Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI 2.1 outlet (capable of driving a 4K display at 120FPS), and a USB 3.2 interface. This array of ports equips the laptop to handle diverse connectivity scenarios, from presentations to dual-monitor configurations and rapid data transfers.
Special accolades are due for the keyboard and trackpad. The expansive keyboard, complete with a numpad, offers a tactile experience with satisfactory key travel, appeasing both casual users and those engrossed in data entry tasks. The trackpad, with its impeccable symmetry and construction, is a pleasant anomaly in this price bracket, though its endurance over extended use is yet to be ascertained.
To sum it up, the Acer Aspire 5 presents a spectrum of highs and lows. While it shines in areas like build, I/O provisions, and memory prowess, the display emerges as its primary shortcoming. It’s tailored for corporate professionals, academia, and the everyday user. Yet, creatives seeking a display with color precision might need to scout elsewhere. The laptop, while offering value, does come with its set of trade-offs. Prospective buyers are advised to ponder over these nuances before committing.
