Pros
- Stylish and professional design
- Full HD 15.6-inch display
- Up to 10-hour battery life
- Windows 10 pre-installed in S mode (can be easily removed)
Cons
- No USB-C input or SD slot
- Limited storage (64GB eMMC)
Not everyone needs a high-end laptop with state of the art graphics, a killer design, and enough RAM to multitask as if you were in a Christopher Nolan movie.
Not everyone wants to spend a ton of money in order to buy a laptop that will essentially be used to edit spreadsheets, stream music, watch movies, browse the internet, and have zoom meetings (R.I.P Skype). If you're reading this review then you're probably aware of this.
That's why most manufacturers have a tendency to produce a whole lineup of laptops that are designed with different users in mind. And that's exactly where the Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 comes in. A model of Acer's "casual user" line - that's not the official designation, just ours-.
Today we're going to dive into the A115-31-C2Y3, figure out why it's so beloved by its buyers and see if it's even worth its - honestly very cheap - price point.
Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 Review
Index
- For whom is it?
- Technical specifications
- Design and Panel
- Processor and RAM
- Storage and Graphics
- Autonomy and Connectivity
- Bottom Line: Is theAcer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 a good laptop?
For whom is it ?
The Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 is perfect for students, casual users, and office workers who use light programs (ie: browse the web, email, zoom, youtube) but are interested in a laptop that they can take with them both in terms of general portability as well as battery life.
It's also a great laptop for those who don't really need a laptop in their day-to-day lives but appreciate having one around for when they feel like doing something more intensive than surfing the web, feel more comfortable with a physical keyboard, and don't want to spend a bundle on a MacBook Air to have it lying around the house unopened for days at a time.
Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 Specs
| Make model | Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 |
| Dimensions | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.78 inches |
| Weight | 4.2 pounds |
| Panel | LED | 15.6 inch |
| Resolution | Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) |
| Processor | Intel Celeron N4020 (2 cores at 2.80 GHz) |
| RAM | 4GB (DDR4) |
| Graphic Controller | Intel UHD Graphics 600 |
| Storage | 64GB (eMMC) |
| Drums | 45 Wh (Lithium) |
| OS | Windows 10 (In S mode by default) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 4.1 RJ-45 USB 2.0 (x2) USB 3.1 HDMI 3.5mm audio jack HD webcam Digital microphone |
A classic and convenient design for daily transport
Back to the A115-31-C2Y, despite being a 15-inch model, the truth is that it's relatively lightweight of 4.2 pounds and thickness of 0.78 inches, translate into a comfortable equipment to carry around, being the ideal solution for those who plan on taking it with them.
The comfortable typing experience provided by its QWERTY keyboard is defined by the correct spacing between its island keys, and the fluidity that its multi-touch touchpad guarantees when navigating between applications.
Screen-wise we've got a 15.6 inch diagonal with a 1080p resolution that features a matte finish to reduce glare when using it outdoors; while its LED backlighting translates into greater energy savings compared to conventional LCD panels. Again, this is an entry-level laptop so don't expect the display to be comparable to that of a high-end model or you'll be sorely disappointed.
Performance
The hardware of this notebook is powered by the entry-level chipset, Intel Celeron N4020, operating at frequencies ranging between 1.10 and 2.80 GHz, through its pair of integrated cores.This processor is complemented with a discrete 4 GB of RAM (DDR4), whose capacity cannot be expanded, since it is soldered onto the motherboard and does not have an additional slot to carry out such an operation.
Thanks to this set of components, this computer allows you to enjoy quick access and fast boot up to your applications and daily tasks, without lags that hinder the user experience. In fact, this is perhaps the feature clients have most boasted about on their reviews; the speed of the laptop.
All in all, you can perform tasks as varied as office editing, email writing, multi-tabbed web browsing, social media management, high-definition multimedia viewing, and online video conferencing, amongst others.
What about videogames? Nah, not gonna happen. This laptop can manage the tasks mentioned above and that's about it. If you're expecting to use this laptop for software development or anything that could be CPU-intensive or RAM intensive then you should probably look elsewhere.
Storage you can easily expand
Storage is very limited on the Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 and can't be upgraded internally. Specifically, we're looking at 64 GB of eMMC storage. For those unfamiliar with this type of storage, it's faster than your regular hard drive unit yet slower than your standard SSD.That said, most entry-level notebooks or cloud books feature this particular type of storage due to the lower cost to implement by the manufacturers and the fact that the laptop is not intended to be used in a manner that would require an SSD.
So, what do you do if you want to have more storage?
Well, if storage is a big deal for you but you're still interested in buying an affordable laptop then you could easily use an external drive and just set it up so that it's used as internal storage within the system, having apps, files, and multimedia stored onto the external drive. I know, it sounds complicated, but it's very easy to do.
Among the connectivity options, we highlight the Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 wireless solutions , the RJ-45 network port, the HDMI video output and a 3.5 mm jack for headphones and microphone.
In addition, 2 USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.1 type, a webcam with HD resolution and digital microphone, and a pair of stereo speakers are incorporated , whose sound quality can be improved through external solutions.
In closing this review of the Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 we face the million-dollar question: Is it worth it? Well, that depends on what you're planning to do with it. However, if we've managed to adjust your expectations and you're just looking for a laptop for casual or lightweight usage then you should be fine with this model.
An exceptional battery performance
Aside from featuring a fast boot up, another feature that has owners of this laptop very happy is battery life.
Specifically, while Acer claims up to 10 hours of battery life, our extensive experience says that you should assume 30% less than the manufacturer's claims and that's a roughly realistic battery life depending on your usage. In any case, that gives us a solid 6-7 hours which is still quite good, all things considered.
The ideal connections for your peripherals
Among the connectivity options, we highlight the Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 wireless solutions , the RJ-45 network port, the HDMI video output and a 3.5 mm jack for headphones and microphone.
In addition, 2 USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.1 type, a webcam with HD resolution and digital microphone, and a pair of stereo speakers are incorporated , whose sound quality can be improved through external solutions.
Bottom Line: Is it worth it?
In closing this review of the Acer Aspire 1 A115-31-C2Y3 we face the million-dollar question: Is it worth it? Well, that depends on what you're planning to do with it. However, if we've managed to adjust your expectations and you're just looking for a laptop for casual or lightweight usage then you should be fine with this model.
It's not the laptop we would recommend for power users or even for everyday users who need sufficient RAM to do decent multitasking but it's definitely the laptop we would recommend students, casual users, elderly people and just people who's life does not revolve around their computing needs.