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[Review] Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS: Ultimate Student Laptop

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS: review
Pros
  • 15.6-inch antiglare screen
  • Core i5 CPU (11th generation)
  • Backlit QWERTY keyboard
  • Integrated fingerprint sensor
Cons
  • It does not have an SD slot
  • 256GB storage (upgradeable)
The Acer Aspire 5 series brings together elegantly designed notebooks, equipped with the hardware you need to cover your daily computing tasks no matter where you are, as they also boast a high focus on mobility.

And in this review of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS we set our sights on a Core i5 model of reasonable price, whose excellent impressions by its buyers only solidify our own opinion that this is an overall powerhouse.



Index


Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS Technical Specifications


Make modelAcer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS
Dimensions14.3 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
Weight4.19 pounds
PanelLCD | IPS | Anti-glare | 15.6 inch
ResolutionFull HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
ProcessorIntel Core i5-1135G7 | 4 cores | Up to 4.20 GHz
RAM8GB (DDR4)
Graphic ControllerIntel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage256 GB (SSD)
Drums3 cells (Lithium)
Operating systemWindows 10 Home
ConnectivityWi-Fi 6 
Bluetooth 5.0 
RJ-45 
USB-A 2.0 
USB-A 3.2 (x2) 
USB-C 3.2 
HDMI 
Audio combo connector 
HD webcam 
Digital microphone 
Fingerprint reader


Who's it for?


This Acer laptop is perfect for those looking for a conventional size computer, which they can use both to work on various tasks, as well as to enjoy day-to-day multimedia entertainment.

And, in addition to ensuring a fluent multitasking performance, thanks to its Core i5 processor and SSD disk, this model allows you to access Windows just by placing your finger on the reader located on the touchpad.

However, if you prefer a laptop with similar features, but cheaper and with an SD card reader, then the HP 15-dy2021nr could be an excellent alternative, considering that its 8 GB RAM cannot be expanded.


Design

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS: Core i7 laptop with SSD disk, Windows 10 Home and fingerprint reader
Thanks to its elegant silver aluminum cover, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS offers you that elegance and durability that you are looking for when buying a laptop, without the need to access top-of-the-range models.

Its thickness of 0.70 inches and weight of only 4.19 pounds, at first, show how manageable this equipment is in relation to other 15-inch models on the market.

Keyboard and Trackpad

In contrast to the silver finish of your work area, the chiclet keyboard boasts an elegant black color, as well as a very convenient path for writing and editing spreadsheets, with the help of the number block on the right side.

Likewise, its backlight function - very well weighted by its buyers - allows you to work in totally dark rooms, and its multi-touch clickpad offers full compatibility with the most used touch gestures under the Windows environment.

Panel

This section benefits from a 15.6-inch anti-glare screen, whose IPS technology offers you more than enough field of view to work and surf the Internet, without losing the quality of detail.

Its Full HD resolution, meanwhile, allows you to watch recent multimedia content in high definition and wide panoramic format ( 16: 9 ), with a more than acceptable colorimetry, although not outstanding.

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS debuts with the Intel Core i5-1135G7 chipset, drawn from the 11th generation of Intel processors, with 4 real cores and a turbo frequency of up to 4.20 GHz.

It also has 8 virtual cores, to manage multiple applications with ease, a minimum TDP of 12W, an 8 MB smart cache, and 8 GB RAM, divided between two 4 GB DDR4 modules, one of them being soldered in the motherboard.

With a performance not too distant from the Core i7-1165G7 -integrated in the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX435EG-XH74 ultrabook already reviewed-, this laptop allows you to perform the most varied tasks, including programming, virtualization, multimedia editing, CAD design and the typical housework (office automation, video calls, streaming, etc.)

Although its capacity is only 256 GB, the truth is that the built-in SSD will allow you to improve your daily productivity, by turning on the laptop, starting Windows, opening applications, and rendering projects in less time than an old HDD would. 

Ports and Connectivity

From the outset, this notebook has the latest generation Wi-Fi 6 connection, to allow you to surf the web, watch streaming and play online with a speed up to 3 times higher than the Wi-Fi 5 standard.

It also has Bluetooth version 5.0, an RJ-45 network port, a reversible USB-C 3.2 input -with a transfer speed of up to 5 Gbps-, an HDMI video output , 3 USB-A inputs, and a connector 3.5mm headphone jack.

At the sound level, the integrated speaker system - with Acer TrueHarmony technology - offers excellent quality, being also compatible with Cortana through the built-in digital microphone.

For the rest, highlight the incorporation of a webcam with HD resolution, ideal for online video conferences, and a fingerprint sensor implemented on the touchpad to enable the login via Windows Hello.

What Are Customers Saying?


What are customers saying about the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS? Well, overall, customers have expressed positive feedback about this laptop. Many have found it to be a great all-around device with an affordable price tag. The laptop's performance and features have been appreciated by users, making it a suitable choice for everyday use.

One customer mentioned that the laptop is well-equipped and performs smoothly, except for the presence of Acer 'bloatware.' Another customer was satisfied with the laptop's aesthetics, keyboard, and lightweight design. They also praised the laptop's speed and responsiveness, highlighting its efficient performance for tasks like web browsing and document creation. The addition of a backlit keyboard was also well-received by a customer who enjoyed using it in low-light conditions.

While there were some negative points mentioned, they were relatively minor. One user expressed disappointment with the lack of a keyboard backlight, as the F8 key did not function as expected. Another customer reported an issue where the laptop failed to shut down when the lid was closed, resulting in battery drainage. These issues seemed isolated and did not overshadow the overall positive experience.

To summarize, customers have generally praised the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS for its performance, affordability, and suitability for everyday tasks. While there have been a few minor issues mentioned, they do not outweigh the positive aspects of the laptop. Overall, it appears to be a reliable and well-rounded device that offers good value for the price.

Autonomy

With a performance very similar to that of other laptops in this section, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS ensures an autonomy of 8 continuous hours , as long as you use the equipment for such basic tasks as: office automation, internet and casual multimedia.

Can the RAM / Storage of the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS be increased?

The RAM memory of this laptop supports its expansion up to a maximum of 20 GB, after replacing the 4 GB non-soldered module with another 16 GB. And as for the storage, say that the additional free slot allows you to install another 2.5 '' SSD disk.

Conclusion: Is the Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-50RS worth buying?

For a very reasonable price, this Acer laptop allows you to work on your daily computing tasks with the performance you need, offering multitasking performance superior to what we could expect from a model in this range.

Its anti-reflective screen allows you to work comfortably, regardless of the light conditions in your environment; and its backlit chiclet keyboard will do the same even in the darkest of spaces.

At the level of autonomy, the integrated battery offers results typical of a mid-range laptop, and the connectivity brings together cutting-edge and super useful solutions to cover your daily needs wherever you go.