Acer Aspire 5: Unboxing and Review of AMD Ryzen 5500U Model

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Home Hardware Acer Aspire 5: Unboxing and Review of AMD Ryzen 5500U Model

Acer Aspire 5: Unboxing and Review of AMD Ryzen 5500U Model

Acer Aspire 5 is a 15.6-inch laptop powered by the latest Ryzen 5000 series processor from AMD. In this article, we will dive deep into its features, performance, and overall user experience. From unboxing the device to discussing its display quality, build quality, performance, gaming capabilities, battery life, keyboard and trackpad, IO ports, and upgradability, we will cover everything you need to know before considering this laptop as your everyday companion.

Unboxing Experience

Upon unboxing the Acer Aspire 5, we find a standard packaging with the laptop, charger, power cord, and some paperwork. The laptop itself features a sleek silver finish and comes with a charger that has a rather small barrel connector. Let's now move on to reviewing the different aspects of this laptop.

Display Quality

The Acer Aspire 5 boasts a large 15.6-inch Full HD IPS panel that offers crisp and vibrant visuals. While the viewing angles are decent, the color accuracy falls slightly short with an sRGB color gamut of around 63 percent. However, the display is anti-glare, making it suitable for outdoor use. Although it doesn't get excessively bright, it's still a perfect choice for consuming content for extended periods.

Build Quality and Design

The build quality of the Acer Aspire 5 is commendable. The lid is made of aluminum with an elegant silver Acer logo, while the rest of the chassis combines plastic and metal. The silver color gives it a premium look, and it doesn't attract fingerprints. The hinges are sturdy, and there are no signs of creaks or bends. The bezels are thin on the sides but Chunky at the top and bottom. On the back, you'll find rubberized feet, speaker grilles, and heat vents. Despite its 15.6-inch size, the laptop weighs less than 1.8 kg, making it quite portable.

Performance

Thanks to AMD's latest Ryzen 5000 series processor and 16 GB of RAM, the Acer Aspire 5 offers exceptional performance. The Ryzen 5500D processor with its 6 CPU cores and base clock speed of 2.1 GHz delivers outstanding performance across various tasks. Whether you're a heavy Chrome user or a multitasker, this laptop ensures a smooth experience without any signs of slowing down. For programming or video editing enthusiasts, it is highly recommended to upgrade the RAM to 16 GB. The laptop also features the latest Wi-Fi 6 module for enhanced internet speeds.

Gaming Experience

While the Acer Aspire 5 may not be the ultimate gaming machine, it does offer a decent gaming experience for casual gamers. Equipped with Radeon Vega 7 graphics and 512 MB of VRAM, this laptop can handle games like GTA 5 on low to medium settings without any issues. However, for more demanding games, it may not deliver optimal performance.

Battery Life

The battery life of the Acer Aspire 5 is above average, lasting around 6 to 7 hours for regular usage. Considering its 15.6-inch size, this is quite decent. However, it's worth noting that the laptop cannot be charged via USB-C port, and it requires the provided ancient barrel charger. With the provided charger, it can fully charge the laptop in less than 3 hours.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The Acer Aspire 5 features a full-sized backlit keyboard that offers a great typing experience. The key travel is decent, and the keyboard has a soft and mushy feel, which many users prefer. The trackpad, although not made of Glass and slightly off-center, provides smooth gliding and supports Windows 10 gestures.

IO Ports and Upgradability

In terms of IO ports, the Acer Aspire 5 offers a Kensington lock slot, USB 2.0 port, headphone jack, charge port, Ethernet port, HDMI 2.0 port, two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, and a USB-C port (without power delivery support). The laptop also provides upgradability options, allowing you to expand the RAM up to 24 GB and the storage up to 2 terabytes with the additional slot for a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD.

Final Thoughts

The Acer Aspire 5 is an impressive laptop that offers excellent specifications and performance at an affordable price range. With its powerful Ryzen CPU, adequate RAM, and a large display, it caters to both power users and regular home or office users. The build quality is commendable, and the keyboard typing experience is great. Though it lacks a fingerprint sensor and USB-C charging capability, these are minor drawbacks compared to the overall features and value this laptop provides. If you're in the market for a 15.6-inch laptop with good specs, the Acer Aspire 5 should definitely be on your list.

Highlights:

Acer Aspire 5, powered by AMD's Ryzen 5000 series processor, offers exceptional performance.
The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display provides crisp visuals and anti-glare technology.
The build quality is solid, with a sleek silver finish and Durable hinges.
Gaming experience is decent with Radeon Vega 7 graphics and 512 MB of VRAM.
Battery life is above average, lasting 6 to 7 hours with regular usage.
The full-sized backlit keyboard and smooth trackpad enhance the user experience.
Upgradability options include expanding RAM up to 24 GB and storage up to 2 terabytes.
The laptop offers a variety of IO ports and features the latest Wi-Fi 6 module.
Affordable pricing makes the Acer Aspire 5 a top recommendation for users on a budget.

FAQ:

Q: Can the RAM be upgraded in the Acer Aspire 5? A: Yes, the RAM in the Acer Aspire 5 can be upgraded to up to 24 GB.

Q: Does the Acer Aspire 5 support USB-C charging? A: No, the Acer Aspire 5 cannot be charged via the USB-C port. It requires the provided ancient barrel charger.

Q: Is the keyboard backlit in the Acer Aspire 5? A: Yes, the Acer Aspire 5 features a full-sized backlit keyboard.

Q: What is the battery life of the Acer Aspire 5? A: The battery life of the Acer Aspire 5 is around 6 to 7 hours for regular usage.

Q: Does the Acer Aspire 5 have a fingerprint sensor? A: No, the Acer Aspire 5 does not have a fingerprint sensor.

Q: Is the display color accurate in the Acer Aspire 5? A: While the Acer Aspire 5's display offers vibrant visuals, the color accuracy falls slightly short with an sRGB color gamut of around 63 percent.

Q: Can the storage be expanded in the Acer Aspire 5? A: Yes, the storage in the Acer Aspire 5 can be expanded up to 2 terabytes with an additional slot for a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD.

Q: Does the Acer Aspire 5 support Wi-Fi 6? A: Yes, the Acer Aspire 5 comes with the latest Wi-Fi 6 module for enhanced internet speeds.

Q: What are the gaming capabilities of the Acer Aspire 5? A: The Acer Aspire 5 offers a decent gaming experience for casual gamers, thanks to the Radeon Vega 7 graphics. It can handle games like GTA 5 on low to medium settings.

Q: Is the Acer Aspire 5 suitable for content consumption? A: Yes, the large 15.6-inch display of the Acer Aspire 5 is perfect for consuming content for hours on end.