Aluminum cover, plastic housing.

Left side ports – Ethernet cable, HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Headphone jack.
Right side ports – Kensington computer lock port, USB 2.0.

Notably missing – no port for SD cards at all.

Not a touch screen, but nice in color and clarity. (Opinions on screens and keyboards tend to vary widely – what suits me perfectly may seem to be junk to you, so YMMV).

The speakers on the front underside – the sound is O.K. (for an inexpensive laptop) but volume is lacking.

Power supplied through a proprietary Acer plug, not through a USB-C port. Cord can only attach to the laptop on the left side (as seen by the user at the keyboard).

Windows “S” is installed; it is limited to running apps available only in the Microsoft Store.

Suggested upgrade – move up to Windows 10 Home. It’s a free upgrade – with the caveat that you cannot return to “S” version.

To upgrade to Home version (instructions as of the date of this review; I assume/accept no responsibility if things go awry. You may want to Google instructions to verify):

Go to Settings.
Then select Update & Security.
In the left sidebar, click Activation.
Then click “Go to the Store.”
Press the “Get” button under the “Switch out of S Mode” section and in a very short time you’ll be assigned the Windows Home version.

Suggested upgrade – if you want to encrypt your laptop you may want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise. These upgrades are not free, check Microsoft for current pricing.

The Aspire 5 has a TPM chip so encryption will not require a boot password (not your Windows password).

If you want to set a boot password for the computer (not your Windows password) you can set that in BIOS. Don’t forget it – resetting a boot password on a laptop can be a pain and a half (or impossible) to rectify. See below on how to get into BIOS.

The included 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD drive is (for me) large enough to hold Windows 10 Enterprise and the applications I use and is quick enough to run them. I’m in I.T. support (although semi-retired) and don’t use the Aspire 5 for computer games. YMMV.

Suggested upgrade – add an additional SSD to the computer (screws are in the box, housing and cable required are inside the Aspire 5). You can Google videos on how to perform the upgrade. A second internal drive allows you to separate your data from your operating system and applications; if Windows ever has to be completely re-installed your data won’t be affected. If you keep your data in the Cloud you can set the second drive as the sync drive and not fill up “C:” drive.

The chip, an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, does pretty well for my purposes. Again, gamers may have a different opinion so YMMV. I’ve had no issues when viewing training or YouTube videos.

The battery life won’t get me through a typical support day without at least some recharge time – Acer claims up to 7 1/2 hours but, of course, that depends on what you’re doing. Watching videos will eat more power than writing a project proposal in Word. YMMV, but I bought a second power cord to take with me to client offices while leaving the cord at my home office plugged in. I seem to be getting 5 hours, maybe a bit better, with the screen set to maximum brightness.

The machine doesn’t get overly warm in use (again, I’m not a gamer), but I use a laptop board most of the time when the laptop isn’t on a hard surface, so there is nearly always some airflow under the machine.

The included 4gb of included RAM is really the absolute minimum to think about with Windows 10.

Suggested upgrade – add a single 4gb RAM chip in the empty slot (Google for videos on that) to bring the total to 8gb RAM. After installing the additional 4gb the computer will report 8gb installed with “5.94gb usable”. The ‘missing’ RAM is being commandeered by the Radeon software for the display. If you need/want more the machine can support up to 32gb (1 16gb chip in each slot, discarding the 4gb already installed). 16gb would require 1 8gb chip in each slot, discarding the 4gb already installed. For business purposes (Office, Chrome and You Tube videos) I’m finding the 8gb (5.94 available) to be acceptable. YMMV.

How ‘easy’ the RAM and hard drive upgrades are depends on how comfortable you are working with computers. I found them quite simple. Be careful not to crack the plastic housing when removing the bottom cover. Using the correct plastic spudge is helpful, you can search Amazon for a selection of tools. (spudge = type of plastic or rubber pry bar). Google the ‘how-to’ videos first.

“Bloatware” included with the computer isn’t completely over-the-top, but it does take a few minutes to delete all of the junk. The “Microsoft Office” included with the Aspire 5 is a 30-day trial version, not a full license.

After uninstalling the bloatware I installed Microsoft Office365 with Access, Adobe Photoshop Elements, DIA (a program for diagramming), AllwaySync (a backup program), Google Chrome, Splashtop Business and Personal (remote access software), VLC Media Player and a couple of network utility applications. I have 78gb of free space left on “C” drive.

The three small stickers showing Ryzen chip, Aspire 5 inclusions, and Radeon graphic chip that are stuck onto the hand rest part of the computer can be easily peeled off and leave no residue (I was able to rub the remaining adhesive off easily with my thumb). I don’t know why the stickers are there – presumably if you’ve bought the machine you know what the details are without seeing sticky notes on the keyboard surface. If they’re for advertising purposes in the store it might be more cost effective to print advertising to be placed by the machine rather than label every machine on the production line. I also found the “Full 1080 HD” sticker on the screen bezel easy to take off. So I did. If Acer is interested in putting relevant data on stickers, how about putting the Make, Exact Model Number, Serial Number, and Date of Manufacture on a sticker? THAT one I would leave in place. As it is you need to flip the machine upside down to see the manufacturer’s information. (Sorry – this is a pet peeve of mine).

A couple of quick notes for those who are new to Windows laptops – if the keyboard fails to light up, check the F8 key – it can toggle the light on/off. If you suddenly lose your WiFi connection check the F2 key – that toggles “Airplane Mode” on/off. Note that the “function” keys are set to use the little icons (F1 is sleep, F9 is mute, etc.). To use them as traditional function keys you need to hold down the “Fn” key simultaneously. Fn+F9, for instance, will cause the Outlook application to re-sync when you’ve got that desktop app open. If you prefer the traditional function key usage (not having to hold down the Fn key to use the keys within applications) you can toggle that in BIOS. To get into BIOS, reboot the computer and immediately start tapping the F2 key (no Fn key required).

For me the ‘sweet spot’ of laptops is in the 14″ range (11″ for road trips). That being acknowledged I don’t find the extra width or weight of the Aspire 5 to be onerous – the thin screen bezel allows the claim to the 15.6″ screen while not unduly expanding the overall size of the laptop. At nearly 4 pounds it’s a bit heavier than the under-three-pounds-sweetness that I prefer but it’s not too bad. Especially after removing the weight of those ridiculous stickers. YMMV.

If you need more power than this machine has, Acer does offer a similar package with upgrades to the Ryzen 5 chip, 8gb of RAM, and 250gb of hard drive space as well as some other goodies:

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-A515-44-R41B-Hexa-Core-Processor-Graphics-dp-B087N4ZRXV/dp/B087N4ZRXV/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

HTH

Regards,

Jim

My 12-year-old SONY Vaio “died” this summer and I found myself in a position of needing a new laptop but also needing to be really budget conscious due to COVID job constraints. I read over 131 Amazon reviews of this Acer, read two other independent consumer review sites (PC Magazine, Tech World), and asked some tech people in my world what they thought. This laptop came out in the top three for quality for the price. The price was $359 when I put it in my cart. I waited ONE MORE DAY and that was ONE DAY TOO LONG and by the next day, the laptop was no longer available by Amazon, only from independent Marketplace sellers. I contacted Amazon who could not tell me when/if the Acer would be in stock again. The NEXT day, I read that the Acer would NOT be restocked by Amazon. So I didn’t wait and bought it from the Marketplace for $460. Grr…. BUT!!! I am TOALLY PLEASED and happy that I got it when I did. Please note that this Acer IS back on Amazon and you can buy it for less. What a deal.

The advice of many reviewers was perfect for my set up. I actually took notes and in the end, set up was incredibly simple and pain-free, and performance has been fantastic. I literally have NO complaints.

Based on reviews, I purchased an extra 4G memory stick. ($20) Know what? I still haven’t installed it!! I keep forgetting. AND IT HASN’T MADE A DIFFERENCE. To that end, based on reviews, I decided that I would purchase additonal hard drive, but I haven’t gotten around to that. Honestly, I may not purchase it at all because I have an external hard drive and I have cloud space. I’m content with knowing that I have the option if I want to purchase more hard drive space if I want. So I have NOT yet had the experience of removing the back of the laptop to install more memory or hard drive. There are plenty of youtube vids that will guide you through the process should you need to do this and I will install the additional memory. Maybe after writing this.

Almost no one wants “S” mode. There are a few protocols for switching out of “S” mode. Here’s what I did: I plugged the laptop in, and it began set up. VERY QUICK SET UP. It will automatically be in “S” mode: 1. open settings 2. go to “update & security” 3. In the “switch to” win home or win pro section, select “go to store.” If you see “update your edition of windows” section, do NOT click the “go to store” that appears there. 4. Once in the store, you should see a “switch out of S mode” or some kind of similar message. Select “get”. You should get a confirmation message that you’ve been switched out. SIMPLE and QUICK procedure. I read that some people had trouble with this, but it was a snap for me.

List of what I did in total:
1. Took out of box, plugged it in. Set up began.
2. Got out of “S” mode.
3. Got rid of a lot of bloatware.
4. Downloaded Google Chrome.
5. Downloaded Avast Premium Security
6. Downloaded Office 365
7. Downloaded iTunes

Even with all of that, this computer is FAST and as mentioned, I still haven’t added additional memory.

Powering up/down takes seconds. SECONDS.
Navigation is super fast.

The computer itself feels solid and I haven’t experienced anything with the touchpad that feels chincy or flimsy, as some reviewers noted. . I know what some reviews mean by the bottom corners of the touch pad feeling ‘loose’. What it is, is that there are no ‘buttons’ on the touchpad for “left or right mouse” and the lower corners are a tad “floaty”, as they need to be able to depress independently. I don’t use the touchpad a lot, I prefer a desktop mouse, so this doesn’t matter to me.

The keyboard backlight is great and I’ve checked with Acer and there’s no way to extend the length of time it stays on. It stays on for about 30 secs. This is not an issue for me, as it’s on long enough for me to orient myself on the keyboard if it’s dark, and then I’m good to go. When typing steadily, the keyboard stays on steadily. Note: one of my cats walked across the keyboard and ‘turned off’ the backlight. I found that by hitting “FN + F8” and holding for 10 secs, you can turn the backlight back on.

I LOVE the keyboard. The keyboard feels both solid and smooth. I’m a typist so the “feel” of a keyboard and typing is very important to me. My fingers fly over this keyboard! The letters appearing as I type appear to be flowing as words form.

The little numeric pad to the right is great. Yes, the keys are a little smaller, so larger fingers may not care for this, but it’s great when doing a lot of numeric work. I also love that the “backspace” button is larger- not like some keyboards I’ve had when it’s the same size as a letter key.

Odd that there’s no light showing “Caps Lock On”- other reviewers have noted this. Nor is there a “Num Lock” light, but that doesn’t really interfere with my work. It just takes a moment to figure out what’s going on if I accidentally leave the Caps Lock on.

The power button isn’t a hard press button like I’ve been used to. It’s a “key”, which is interesting.

The sound is a big topic on reviews. I’ve found the sound to be a little low on volume, but it’s been ok for youtube vids. Plus, I like using headphones, which make this a non-issue. I’ve examined the sound settings and done what reviewers have suggested to augment the sound. One reviewer spoke of switching from “music” to “gaming” mode to increase overall volume, but I haven’t even found the setting to do that. No matter, I’m ok with the way it is.

The picture/screen is fantastic. Clear and sharp!

USB ports– there are enough for me. I will be purchasing a dvd reader/writer, as this laptop does not have that feature, which makes it lighter and slimmer. In researching dvd drives, I’ve found highly reviewed ones for around $20. Very reasonable.

I have NOT tested battery life yet. I generally keep the laptop in one spot and keep it plugged in. Also, the battery in my SONY Vaio died 2 yrs into owning it and I never replaced it so I’m not even used to moving my laptop around and using a battery. The one time I DID bring this laptop into another room, the battery lasted at least the four hours I had the laptop open.

All in all, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this laptop. I’ve loaded it up and used it CONSTANTLY for two months, haven’t installed extra memory yet, and it hasn’t given me ONE SECOND of regret or “hmm” or concern. It looks great, it’s fast, it’s light weight, and it can be built up to serve your computer needs. Do NOT worry about “S” mode, that’s an easy thing to let go of. I have no doubt this laptop will last me years and will serve my needs admirably. If anything else comes up as I continue to use it, I’ll be sure to update my review! Despite paying more than what Amazon is currently selling it for, it was STILL a deal. I literally have no complaints at all. I recommend registering it and keeping note of Acer’s toll free number in case you need support.

Good luck and enjoy! It’s a great purchase!

UPDATE: It’s nearly one year since I’ve been using this Acer laptop and I STILL love it. It has not given me one second of issue or regret. I ended up installing my additional memory after I posted my review but I haven’t purchased additional hard drive. I’ve loaded a LOT more software and apps and it’s still fast, crisp and spot on. One of the best purchases ever!