Acer Gaming Laptop: Aspire 3 Laptop in Affordable Price Offering With Excellent Battery Life and a Below-Average Display
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Hi there, I’m Esha, from digitaltherm.com. Today I’ll give you a review about a laptop that provides a good performances in gaming. The Mendocino-based AMD Ryzen 5 7520U-powered Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 targets the entry-level market with its affordable price tag. It features a 15.6-inch TN panel, a 512GB NVMe SSD, 8GB of soldered LPDDR5 RAM, and a 40Wh battery. Is it worth sacrificing a few features to save a few bucks? Read on for more info.
It’s been a while since AMD introduced its Mendocino line of processors. Low-power SKUs were meant for entry-level offerings and started appearing in laptops from HP and Lenovo. Even Acer got in on the act with the Acer Aspire 3.
Now let’s see how the Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315 performs in the real world. It’s the first Mendocino laptop we’ve reviewed. While the Ryzen 5 7520U looks like a last-gen CPU, Mendocino actually uses Zen 2 cores.
Our review unit has 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, a 512GB Micron SSD, and a 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) TN panel. It costs Rs 45,999 ($502) on Acer’s official website https://store.acer.com/en-in/acer-aspire-3-amd-ryzen-5-7520-u-quad-core-processor-8-gb-512-gb-ssd-windows-11-home-a315-24-39-6-cm-15-6-inches-fhd-display-1-78-kg.
This puts the Acer Aspire 3 in a precarious position, as the Zen 2 architecture is quite dated and can’t hold a candle to current-gen offerings.
However, it does have an advantage thanks to its Radeon 610M iGPU, which AMD claims can play e-sports titles at 720p 60 FPS. But can it really?
Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3: full review. Elegant design, Full HD display, smooth performance and long-lasting battery. Find out if Acer Gaming Laptop is the perfect laptop for you!
Are you looking for an affordable and versatile laptop for work and leisure at home? The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23 could be the perfect choice for you. This computer offers a stylish and durable design, a high-quality Full HD display, an efficient AMD Ryzen 5 processor and a long-lasting battery.
In this review, we present you in detail the features of the Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K and help you decide if it is the right laptop for your needs. And let’s start from the basis that it is an “Aspire”. Historically, this line of computers (and currently notebooks) has presented us with a balanced bet between efficiency, design and accessibility.
From the old Aspire models of the 90s for desktop, to the remembered ultra-portable “netbooks” that many took to university, the Aspire series has been evolving towards powerful computers, without losing the essence of the practical, fluid and powerful that characterizes its equipment. This Aspire 3, accessible due to its offer, is proof of that.
Design and build
Case: Standard plastic body
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 comes with a standard plastic chassis with a dull grey finish. Sticker enthusiasts will find the back of the laptop to their liking, as it is devoid of any branding save for a small Acer logo scrawled on the top edge.
There are, however, AMD Ryzen and Radeon stickers on the front. There is also a visual representation of the laptop’s features, such as USB 3.2, HDMI 2.1, and LPDDR5 memory.
The Acer Gaming Laptop weighs 1.78kg, which puts it on the heavier end of the spectrum for a device of its class. Its lid needs two hands to open due to its stiff hinge. There are four rubber feet, but they do little to hold the laptop in place.
The Acer Gaming Laptop has an exhaust vent on the back, which is enough for its single fan to expel excess heat. Acer has included a power and charging LED on the side, right next to the 3.5mm audio jack.
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K has a sleek, understated design with a beautiful finish, and we tested it in blue. With a thickness of just 19.55 mm, it is quite thin and light for a 15-inch laptop. The chassis is made of plastic, making it sturdy and durable.
The keyboard on the Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K is a chiclet type keyboard that offers comfortable and accurate typing. The keys are full-size and well-spaced. The separate numeric keypad is ideal for working with numbers. The touchpad is multi-touch and has a smooth surface that makes it easy to control the cursor.
Connectivity: Covers only the basics
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3’s I/O is a bit sparse, with most of it concentrated on the left edge. There’s a USB Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a USB 3.2 Type-C port next to the comically small barrel pin connector. On the other side, there’s a USB Type-A port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.
The lack of an SD card reader, RJ45 Ethernet jack, and other I/O isn’t surprising, given that the laptop falls at the affordable end of the segment. That said, the USB-A and HDMI ports are a bit far apart. There could be some potential interference if someone is using a USB device and an external monitor together.
The laptop has an exhaust vent on the back, which is enough for its single fan to expel excess heat. Acer Gaming Laptop has included a power and charging LED on the side, right next to the 3.5mm audio jack.
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 sports a MediaTek MT7663 Wi-Fi chip. It doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6E or even Wi-Fi 6, which isn’t surprising for a budget laptop. However, it holds up pretty well to the wireless standards it supports.
Its performance (upload and download) in iPerf3 remains consistent across the board. All in all, the laptop can be relied upon for stable wireless connectivity, but it can’t take full advantage of gigabit connections. That said, it easily achieved speeds of up to 4.5 MB/s while downloading games from Steam.
Webcam
Even high-end laptops often come with subpar webcams that muddy the overall experience. TheAcer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 does surprisingly well in this regard with its 720p unit. While it can reproduce most colors accurately, it struggles with blue, as the attached reference image confirms.
Also, content recorded from the webcam will suffer from a loss of quality when zooming in. Still, it should be sufficient for basic tasks like video conferencing.
Security
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 lacks any form of biometric authentication such as a fingerprint reader or Windows Hello. The absence of the latter is understandable, but it would have been nice to see the latter, given how common they are in 2023. A TPM 2.0 module is present along with a Kensington lock slot.
Input Devices: Keyboard Flex Plenty
The laptop comes with a standard chiclet keyboard and a mid-sized trackpad. While it’s comfortable to type on, it lacks backlighting, which is fairly common on budget laptops.
Keyboard
Number pad lovers rejoice: The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 includes a full numeric keypad, though you may have to reprogram your muscle memory a bit due to the tiny keys. Its keys are a bit mushy and have minimal travel. That might bother someone used to mechanical keyboards, but casual users should be fine.
Finally, there’s a not-so-insignificant amount of keyboard flex around the center. You can blame it on the plastic chassis, but it would have been nice if it were a bit stiffer.
Touchpad
The trackpad is nothing out of the ordinary and does its job well enough, although its accuracy drops off at the edges. Palm rejection works well as long as you don’t put too much pressure on it.
Multi-touch gestures like three- and four-finger swiping work well. It can easily be used alone, but we recommend a mouse for serious work.
Display
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K’s display is 15.6 inches with a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080). The image is sharp and bright, with vivid and accurate colors. The display also features Acer Blue Light Shield™ technology, which reduces blue light emission to protect your eyes.
When it comes to gaming, combined with its audio, the long-awaited immersion is achieved. We remind you that it is not a high-performance computer, however it is the perfect balance for someone looking for a computer to study or work and spend a few hours of entertainment. The key? Its processor. The computer worked smoothly, without any problems.
Acer incorrectly markets the Aspire 3’s panel as IPS. Our testing determined it to be TN and reconfirmed by our previous review of the Acer Extensa 15, which also used the same panel from AU Optronics.
As you can see in the image below, the laptop’s display doesn’t have the best backlighting, which bleeds a lot. Its subpixel arrangement shows large gaps between columns, probably to compensate for a 1080p resolution on a 15.6-inch display.
Brightness distribution could have been better. 79% is too low, even for a budgetAcer Gaming Laptop. Also, its contrast ratio is just 642:1, well below the 1000:1 offered by most current laptops.
As expected, the Acer Aspire 3’s panel isn’t one of the most accurate on the market. It covers just 55% of the sRGB color space, 36.6% of the Display P3, and 37.8% of Adobe RGB, making it unsuitable for color-sensitive work. Tasks like web browsing should be fine, but even something as trivial as watching a movie feels like a chore after a while.
Out of the box, the panel’s colors are uneven. Its average and maximum delta E values sit at 21.1 and 10, respectively. Again, its blues stand out, and not in a good way.
A little work with the X-rite i1Basic Pro 3 spectrophotometer and Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software puts ColorChecker’s delta E values at 4.5 (average) and 16.45 (maximum).
Black-to-white response times on the Acer Aspire 3 are surprisingly low at 9.3 milliseconds. To put things into perspective, the Acer Extensa 15 with the same panel is 21ms. The gray-gray ratio, on the other hand, sits at 38.05 milliseconds. It may not be the most accurate panel, but it could be salvaged with some work.
Performance
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 7520 processor, 8GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD). This configuration offers smooth performance for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, working with documents, editing photos and videos, or watching movies.
We tested this with intensive use over several days. We played games via Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and other platforms, but performance remained good and stable, within what is expected given the specifications of the device and its segment.
Graphics and gaming performance:
The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K is not designed for playing demanding games, but it can run light and classic games without any problems. The RDNA2-based Radeon™ Vega 8 iGPU (610M) offers decent performance for games like:
DOTA 2: 61 FPS
League of Legends: 84 FPS
CS:GO: 97 FPS
Connectivity and additional features:
Connectivity: The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K allows you to connect up to 4 monitors at once thanks to its HDMI and USB-C ports. It also features Wi-Fi 6e, which offers greater speed and bandwidth than Wi-Fi 5.
Battery: The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K’s long-lasting battery can last up to 12 hours on a single charge.
Memory: The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K uses LPDDR5 memory, which is 40% faster than the LPDDR4 memory found on Intel laptops in the same segment.
Security: The Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K is equipped with Microsoft Pluto, a security chip that helps protect your device from malware and cyber-attacks.
Comparison with Intel:
In terms of performance, AMD Ryzen 5-series processors offer better performance than Intel Core processors in most tasks. Here is a comparison of some models:
Athlon Gold MDC vs Pentium Gold TGL: The Athlon Gold is 8-51% faster than the Pentium Gold, depending on the test.
R3 MDC vs I3 TGL: The R3 is 21-94% faster than the I3, depending on the test.
R5 MDC vs I5 TGL: The R5 is 10-55% faster than the I5, depending on the test.
In summary, the Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 3 A315-23-R70K is an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable and versatile laptop for work, study and leisure at home. It offers a stylish and durable design, a high-quality Full HD display, smooth performance, long battery life and a wide range of additional features.
Pros:
- Stylish and durable design
- High-quality Full HD display
- Smooth performance
- Long-lasting battery
- Competitive price
- Laptop Technical Specifications:
Operating System: Windows 11 Home SL
Processor:
Manufacturer: AMD
Type: Ryzen™ 5 4-core (model 7520U)
Generation: 7th Generation
Speed: 2.80 GHz (4M Cache, up to 4.30 GHz)
Number of cores: 4
Memory: standard 8 GB
Quantity: 8 GB
Technology: LPDDR5
Frequency range: 3200 MHz
Storage:
Capacity: 512 GB SSD
Drive type: PCIe NVMe
Display:
Size: 15.6 inches
Type: LCD
Backlight technology: LED LCD
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Video card:
Radeon™ Graphics (Integrated Graphics Memory)
Audio:
Speakers: Stereo
Microphone: Yes (x2)
Webcam: 720p
Connectivity:
WiFi: Yes (WiFi 6 – 802.11ax)
Bluetooth: Yes
Ports:
HDMI: 1
Audio Jack: Headphone / Microphone Combo Port
Kensington Lock Slot: 1
Battery:
Type: Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)
Number of cells: 3
Capacity: 40 Wh
Autonomy: Up to approximately 12 hours
Dimensions and weight:
Thickness: 18.90 mm
Width: 362.9 mm
Depth: 237.5 mm
Maximum weight: 1.78 kg
Keyboard:
Spanish, Numeric Keypad
Mouse:
Multi-gesture Touchpad
Accessories:
Charger + Power Cable
Color and material:
Blue
Additional information:
This laptop has an elegant and durable design.
It offers a high-quality Full HD screen.
It has a fluid performance.
It has a long-lasting battery.
It is a good option for those looking for a laptop with a good quality-price ratio.
Within its category, as an easily accessible notebook, with a fair price and for average student or work use, we give it a rating of 8/10.
Acer has kept the contents of the Aspire 3’s box to a minimum. The cardboard box comes with a 45-watt external power adapter and nothing else. By default, the laptop comes with a one-year warranty.
Maintenance
Users can access the Acer Aspire 3’s innards by loosening eleven T5 Torx screws, one of which is hidden under a “warranty voided if broken” sticker. Storage expansion is possible through the use of a standard SSD. Memory, on the other hand, is not because it is soldered onto the motherboard. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the laptop benefits from faster LPDDR5 modules.
Acer Gaming Laptop Aspire 5: A Comprehensive Review
When searching for a laptop that combines affordability with productivity and efficiency, the Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5 emerges as a standout choice. Renowned for its sleek design and commendable performance, this budget-friendly device offers features that make it suitable for everyday computing tasks. Let’s delve into the specifications, performance, and usability of the Acer Aspire 5 to determine if it’s the right laptop for your needs.
Design and Build Quality
The Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5 sets itself apart from many budget laptops, which are often criticized for being bulky and unattractive. This model boasts a sleek and compact design, measuring 14.3 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches and weighing just 3 pounds 13 ounces. The aluminum lid not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also contributes to its durability.
A distinctive feature of this gaming laptop is its ability to open slightly beyond 180 degrees, allowing it to lie completely flat—a useful feature for collaborative work or presentations. Its 15.6-inch display features impressively thin bezels on the sides, which, combined with the black keyboard and silver frame, create a visually pleasing contrast.
The display uses IPS technology, which ensures vibrant colors and wide viewing angles. Sharing the screen with a neighbor is seamless, as the display maintains clarity until the angle exceeds roughly 45 degrees. Acer gaming laptop’s anti-glare ComfyView design is another notable feature, effectively minimizing reflections and enhancing usability in bright environments.
Keyboard and Audio
The Aspire gaming laptop 5’s backlit keyboard is both functional and stylish. The keys provide a firm, responsive feel with a springy rebound, though the key travel could be slightly improved. A dedicated numeric keypad is included, though its thin design may make the keys feel cramped for some users.
As for audio, the Acer gaming laptop’s speakers are adequate for casual use, such as streaming videos or participating in virtual meetings. While they can reach respectable volume levels, their bass-free sound profile falls short of providing an immersive audio experience. For richer sound quality, external speakers or headphones are recommended.
Performance Overview
Under the hood, the Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor, which offers desktop-class performance while maintaining excellent battery efficiency. This dual-core processor, capable of reaching up to 3.5 GHz with Precision Boost, is well-suited for everyday computing tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and light photo editing.
In performance benchmarks, the Aspire 5 holds its own among similarly priced laptops. While it ranks lower on intensive tests compared to pricier models, it excels in delivering smooth performance for basic tasks.
- PCMark 8 Tests: The Aspire 5 achieved an average score of 3000, indicating its capability to handle day-to-day computing needs efficiently.
- Cinebench Scores: The laptop scored 318, slightly outperforming comparable dual-core Intel Core i3 systems. However, quad-core laptops naturally lead in multi-threaded tasks.
- Gaming Performance: Equipped with integrated Radeon Vega 3 graphics, the Aspire 5 achieves scores between 3500-3900 on 3DMark Sky Diver. While it supports casual online gaming, it struggles with AAA titles due to its limited graphical capabilities.
Pros and Cons of Acer gaming laptop
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight: Ideal for students and professionals on the go.
- Sleek design: Aluminum lid and thin bezels enhance visual appeal.
- Reliable everyday performance: Handles basic tasks efficiently.
- Affordable: Offers great value for the price.
Cons:
- Limited gaming and multimedia capabilities: Integrated graphics fall short for heavy gaming or video editing.
- Cramped numeric keypad: Might not suit users who rely heavily on data entry.
- Average speakers: Lacks depth and bass for an immersive audio experience.
Who Should Consider the Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5?
The Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5 is an excellent choice for students, casual users, or professionals who primarily need a laptop for lightweight tasks like document editing, video conferencing, and online research. Its portability, affordability, and efficient performance make it well-suited for these purposes. However, if your needs extend to gaming, intensive video editing, or multitasking with demanding software, you may need to consider a more powerful alternative.
The Acer gaming laptop Aspire 5 is a testament to how budget laptops can deliver style and functionality without breaking the bank. Its sleek design, efficient processor, and affordability make it a worthy contender in the entry-level laptop market. While it may not cater to power users or gamers, it does a commendable job of fulfilling the needs of those looking for a reliable and portable everyday device.
For users seeking laptops with higher performance and better multitasking capabilities, exploring premium models or business-class laptops could be a better option. However, for anyone prioritizing cost-effectiveness and reliability, the Acer Aspire 5 remains a solid choice.
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