Acer has done it again. The company has launched a very compelling ultrabook under the name Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B.
Pros
Cons
With an excellent price-quality ratio, which benefits us above all with outstanding performance thanks to the latest AMD Ryzen 5 processor, a light and solid design, a bright 15.6-inch screen diagonal and a backlit keyboard. This laptop embodies everything we need for remote work, school as well as an entertainment center.
What's more, Acer has even added excellent features for video calls (with an HD webcam and integrated audio enhancements), a factor that is becoming increasingly necessary during these troubled times. Today we dig into everything there is to know about this ultrabook in this review of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B .
Who's it for?
It's a computer designed for intense use and multitasking, with a six-core processor and 8 GB of RAM (upgradeable), which is best suited for office gruntwork, design programs, as well as your run of the mill tasks (browsing, streaming, social media apps, etc.) without issues.
Overall, it's the perfect laptop for both students and professionals: its large and bright screen is ideal for long days of study or work without damaging your eyesight (thanks to its IPS panel), as well as making presentations, taking on virtual meetings, and tackling online courses thanks to its HD webcam and its two integrated microphones with Acer Purified technology, which suppress noise and clarifies the voice.
Technical specifications
- Make / Model Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B
- Dimensions 36.34 x 25.04 x 19.55 centimeters
- Weight 5.7 pounds
- IPS LED panel | 15.6 inch
- Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
- AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor | 6 cores | Up to 4.0 GHz
- 8 GB RAM (DDR4)
- AMD Radeon Graphics Controller
- Storage 256 GB (SSD)
- 2-cell battery (Lithium)
- Windows 10 Home Operating System
- Wi-Fi 5 connectivity Bluetooth 5.0 USB 2.0 (Type-C) USB 3.2 (x2, one with charging capability) HDMI Audio combo jack HD webcam (720p) Digital microphone
Design and Display
A modern, premium-looking design
Slim and elegant, thanks to its aluminum chassis, the Acer A515-44-R41B is very light, despite its large 15-inch screen. An advantage not shared by its competitors, which are heavy and bulky in their plastic chassis.
The elegance of silver aluminum extends to the keyboard base and the rest of the interior surface, offering a professional and robust profile. The keyboard is responsive, with a good distance between the keys, and it's backlit with a soft white light. The trackpad, also made of aluminum, is wide, with good traction and response.
It is ideal for professionals who work in environments related to multimedia production or who have a great need for mobility: it weighs just 5.7 pounds, with a thickness of only 0.7 inches.
A bright and delicate screen with your eyes
Regarding the panel of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B it has a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a Full HD resolution. It also boasts clear and bright colors thanks to its LED backlighting and its IPS panel technology, as many customers have already been witness to.
It is an excellent quality screen that combines a good level of light with a matte finish that reduces glare. Its slim bezels are very up to date with what you'd expect from a laptop launched in 2020.
It should also be pointed out that in an effort to reduce eye fatigue, Acer has equipped the A515-44-R41B with Color Intelligence and BlueLightShield technology that automatically regulates its LED backlight according to the surrounding lighting, much like what we've come to expect from the displays on phones and tablets.
Let's talk about the key components
Zippy performance
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B places itself among the leaders of its segment thanks to its six-core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor, which works at an average speed of 2.3 GHz and can reach up to 4.0 GHz when necessary. A fast and diligent processor that tolerates multitasking and design programs well.
This Ryzen 5 processor has been developed with Boost 2 technology, which consists of a series of sensors that analyze the environment and performance, and automatically optimize the speed of the system and applications.
As far as memory is concerned, the new ultrabook features your standard 8 GB DDR4 unit or RAM.
It's good enough for most users but for those who are deep into multitasking or work with very complex systems they will be pleased to know that RAM is upgradeable through an empty slot available on the device which will allow you to also extend the life cycle of the laptop.
When it comes to the A515-44-R41B's storage, we have a 256 GB NVMe-type SSD. In case this storage capacity seems scarce then you should know that it is possible to expand the storage with a second SSD unit or through a conventional hard drive (HDD).
That said, if you come from a computer that used a hard drive instead of an SSD then you should know that you will notice a radical speed increase in tasks as common as turning on / off the computer, rendering files, downloading files, and basically everything you do. since the SSD drive is up to 10 times faster than the conventional hard drive.
Overall, when you take all the key components into account you can see that the Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41B is no small potato. This laptop was clearly built not only to consume content but also to create it and therefore is well suited for professionals as well as students that need a complete device that will get the job done - as many clients have already confirmed - without emptying their accounts.
Graphics & Battery life
While it's clear that Acer's new laptop is well equipped to deal with demanding consumers, it is not a gaming laptop. Specifically, this laptop comes with an integrated Radeon Graphics card which is well suited for streaming high-quality video, doing some amateur video editing, and even some very light gaming (ie: Fifa 2020 or the sorts) but it's not a laptop that was built with gamers nor graphical designers in mind.
Battery life is advertised as lasting up to 10 hours. In our extensive experience with this category of products, you should never trust the manufacturer's battery estimate with the exception of those given by Apple to its MacBooks which are typically the ones closest to reality.
With that in mind, you would be wise to adjust your expectations and not expect much more than 6 hours of battery life on standard usage.
Very complete connectivity, with charging options
Its connectivity is excellent, especially if you have a lot of peripherals. The left side has a power connector, Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI ports, a USB Type-C port, and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (one of them with charging capacity) ideal for those times when you forget the charger.
On the right side of the laptop there is a connector for the Kensington-style security cable, one USB 2.0 ports, and a 3.5 mm audio output.
Wireless connectivity is very complete: Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MU-MIMO support, this is also known as WiFi 5 connectivity.
Verdict: Is it worth it?
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R41 is an ideal computer for school and the office, with high-end features (good display, solid processor and backlit keyboard) at a competitive price. It is the type of equipment that gives day-to-day work in the office or remote work a touch of elegance, thanks to its aluminum chassis and its light and robust design. Overall, a great option for most users.