Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 Review
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 Review | Learn More | Check Price
- 10th Generation Intel Core i3-10110u Processor
- Up to 4 1GHz, 4GB DDR4 Memory, 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 15 6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display
- Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802 11Ax
- With Dual-Band 2 4GHz and HD Webcam (1280 x 720)
- And With a Backlit keyboard, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
- 1 – USB 3 1 Type C Gen 1 port 2 – USB 3 1 Gen 1 ports
- One with power-off charging 1 – USB 2 0 port & 1 HDMI Port
- Lithium-Ion Battery Up to 9 5-hours, Battery Life 3 97 lbs
- Windows 10 in S mode, System Ram Type: ddr4_sdram
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD IPS Display, 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10110U, 4GB DDR4, 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax, Backlit KB, Windows 10 in S mode, A515-54-37U3, Black
The world of budget laptops is nothing short of exciting gadgets. Gone are the days when buying a laptop on a budget meant making do with a super-slow machine that wouldn’t last a week. These days, you can get a solid laptop—like the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3, we’re reviewing—with relatively good performance and a decent keyboard, for less than $400.
This Acer Aspire 5 refreshes last year’s model Acer Aspire 5 (A515-54-30BQ) which we loved for its design, price, and attractive design. Sure, it might not be the sleekest notebook out there, but with a new 10th-gen Intel Core i3 chip and a decent battery life, the Aspire A515-54-37U3 is one of the best budget laptops out there. that you can buy.
Summary
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Processor | 4.1 GHz apple_ci3 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Hard Drive | 128 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Integrated |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 2 MB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ax |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 Hours |
Technical Details
| Brand | Acer |
|---|---|
| Series | A515-54-37U3 |
| Item model number | A515-54-37U3 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 S |
| Item Weight | 3.96 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches |
| Color | Silver |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Flash Memory Size | 128 |
| Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
| Hard Drive Rotational Speed | 0.01 RPM |
| Optical Drive Type | No Optical Drive |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium ion battery required. (included) |
Design
By 15-inch laptop standards, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 delivers a premium look, but it’s not very light, weighing in at just under 6 pounds. Most budget machines are defined by cheap, heavy materials such as molded plastics. In contrast, the Aspire 5’s exterior is made of silver aluminum, which means this notebook isn’t too lightweight but sports a sleek, modern look. However, it’s not anywhere close to the Acer Swift 5, which weighs 2.2 pounds, but it still won’t weigh you down in your backpack.
Around the edges of the display, there is some plastic but the keyboard deck and the rest of the inner surface are made of the same material used on the exterior. Even with better dimensions and better materials, you’ll notice that the base of the unit wobbles a bit, even when resting on a flat table top. There’s also some flex at the base, which doesn’t inspire much confidence in the Aspire’s durability if the body is bumped up a lot.
Display
When you open the lid, you’re greeted by a 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920-by-1,080) display with the new standard LED backlight and In-Plane (IPS) technology. When the backlight is set to its optimum level, the screen is of excellent quality with clear and vivid colors. Better still, the screen achieves this quality by using a matte finish that reduces glare from ambient light.
On the downside, Acer doesn’t offer a touchscreen option but is a marked improvement over last year’s model. Above the display, there’s a 720p webcam with decent – but slightly grainy – video quality, lacking the IR sensor that would allow you to log into your Windows 10 account using facial recognition. After all, we didn’t expect such a feature on a budget laptop.
Ports
Connectivity options are excellent, especially if you hate dongles but have plenty of peripherals and cables to plug into your laptop. The left edge houses a power connector, full-size Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI ports, and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (the one with power-off charging). The other edge houses a Kensington-style cable, two USB 2.0 ports, and a 3.5mm audio output. Wireless connectivity comes via Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802 11ax Dual-Band 2 4GHz and 5GHz 2×2 MU-MIMO technology.
Keyboard & Trackpad
Another interesting feature on the Acer A515-54-37U3 should be the backlit keyboard just above the touchpad. It’s comfortable, sturdy, and provides the flexibility you need during intense typing sessions. Then, when you hit the keys forcefully it gets very little. The keyboard has a dedicated number pad on the right, but unlike the main part of the board, its keys aren’t full-sized.
The touchpad used here doesn’t boast a built-in fingerprint reader, and it lacks dedicated left- and right-click buttons. Instead, the entire surface on the pad is clickable, though it feels pretty mushy every time you click.
Performance
While you can’t build a custom-configured Aspire, there are a variety to choose from, ranging from low-end models to top-of-the-line Core i7 models, and a Core i5 model in between. Our review unit, the Acer Aspire 5A515-54-37U3 is a new model, featuring a 10th generation Intel Core i3-10110U processor, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, 128GB NVMe SSD, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card, and Windows 10 in S. Is. mode, whereas most mainstream laptops come with Windows 10 Home OS.
With Windows 10 S Mode, you’re limited to apps found in the Microsoft Store, the same way you would with Chrome OS running Google Apps, but this version offers a lighter full Windows 10 experience. Having Windows 10 on this laptop makes a lot of sense, as it lets you perform most tasks at the limits of Chrome OS found on similarly priced Chromebooks.
As configured, the 2.1 Intel Core i3-10110U processor used here is good enough for web browsing, video streaming, word processing, and other productivity tasks you typically perform on a daily basis. This makes the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 a perfect candidate for college use or small home-office use, especially when a Chromebook isn’t a viable option.
That said, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD are a bit tight, but you can swap them out later with larger capacity storage and maybe 8GB of RAM if needed.
Battery Life
Acer claims the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3’s 47-watt-hour battery can last over 95 hours on a single charge. However, you may not get such a long run time. The Acer Aspire 5 managed over 5 hours and 21 minutes on a single charge while playing an HD video file in VLC on Loop (50% screen brightness, 50% volume with headphones plugged in). Battery life is nice (not excellent), with the notebook lasting simply over 5 hours and 21 minutes on one charge.
Our Rating | Good
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 may be a stellar sub-$500 laptop computer for school students and home-office users on a budget. Sure, it’s quite heavy and doesn’t have the most exciting screen and battery life, but it’s a decent performer, with a good keyboard and a premium design.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Sleek silver exterior
- Decent power for everyday computing tasks
Cons
- Imprecise touchpad
- Slightly bulky
Conclusion
In this Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 Review, we found that the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 Slim Laptop is a stellar sub-$500 notebook for college students and home-office users on a budget. Sure, it’s quite heavy and doesn’t have the most exciting screen and battery life, but it’s a decent performer, with a good keyboard and a premium design.
But is the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 the best option in its price range? Well, this is at least one of them. If you’re looking for the best laptop you can get for under $500, it’s worth considering the Asus VivoBook 15 (F512DA-EB51) that packs an AMD R5 CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB SSD, and more Provides strong overall performance. However, the VivoBook 15 doesn’t exactly match the Acer Aspire 5’s sleek design, and both have done away with DVD drives if that’s important to you.
That said, if your budget is under $500, you can’t go wrong with the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-37U3 laptop, especially with the backlit keyboard and 10th generation Core i3 processor, and gorgeous exterior design.
