Acer Aspire 5 Review: A Ryzen-Powered Budget Laptop That Looks Good and Feels Fast

I want to preface this Acer Aspire 5 review by saying that it’s not the most powerful or most attractive laptop on the market; in fact, it’s quite average in both respects. However, if you’re just looking for a decent budget laptop that you can use to get some work done and play some basic games, then this Acer laptop has everything you need and more at a very affordable price point of less than $400.

Acer Aspire 5 Specs

The Acer Aspire 5 is a budget gaming laptop that's powered by AMD's Ryzen 3 3350U quad-core mobile processor. It has a 15.6 Full HD IPS display, 4GB of DDR4 memory, and a 128GB NVMe SSD. WiFi 6 is supported, as is Bluetooth 4.2. You also get a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, Amazon Alexa support, and Windows 11 Home in S mode.

In The Box, Design & Ports

The Acer Aspire 5 comes in a simple brown box with the Acer logo in the center. The laptop itself is a matte black with a silver Acer logo in the center of the lid. There are two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack on the left side of the laptop. On the right side, there is a Kensington lock slot, an SD card reader, and another USB 3.0 port.

Screen Quality & Hardware Performance

The Acer Aspire 5 has a 15.6 Full HD IPS display, which is pretty standard for a budget gaming laptop. The AMD Ryzen 3 3350U quad-core mobile processor is where this laptop shines. It's a great budget processor that can handle most games on low to medium settings. The 4GB of DDR4 RAM is also decent for a budget gaming laptop. The 128GB NVMe SSD is fast, but it might fill up quickly if you're planning on downloading a lot of games.

Software & Connectivity

Acer laptops come with a variety of software options to choose from, including Windows 11 Home in S mode. You can also find Acer laptops with Alexa, which is a voice assistant that can help you with a variety of tasks. The laptop also has WiFi 6, which is the latest standard for wireless connectivity. You can also find Acer laptops with a backlit keyboard, which is great for working in low-light conditions. Finally, the laptop has a fingerprint reader, which is a great security feature.

Backlit Keyboard and Fingerprint Reader

The Acer Aspire 5 comes with a backlit keyboard, which is a nice touch. The fingerprint reader is located on the right side of the palm rest, and it works well. I found that the keyboard was comfortable to type on, and the keys had a good amount of travel. The trackpad is large and responsive, and I like that it supports Windows Precision drivers. Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is a great budget laptop that looks good and feels fast.

Battery Life, Sound & Verdict

The Acer Aspire 5 offers great value for a budget laptop. It's well-built, with a comfortable keyboard and a decent screen. Plus, it has very good performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen 3 3350U quad-core processor. The only downside is that the battery life could be better. But overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is a great choice for a budget laptop.