The high-end laptops were once perceived as a reserve for the lucky few, but in the recent past some manufacturers are slowly making this a staple for the mid-range laptops. Case in point: the Acer Aspire E15 (E5-575G-53VG), a mid-range laptop that comes into the competition with high end features including the latest 6th generation Intel Core i5-6200U processor, 8GB memory, 256 solid-state-drive (SSD) storage, a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics card and a Full HD (1080p) display.
The laptop comes pre-installed with windows 10 which makes the operations easy and fast. The Acer packs high performance features to cater for all users ranging from the casual users, those interested in video and photo editing, albeit light, to those after playing games, it literally combines everything under one roof.
Design and Features
The Acer sports an obsidian black color with a solid plastic finish and a nice texture that ensure it is not magnetic to fingerprints. It measures 15 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches and weighs 5.3 pounds. Being a desktop-replacement laptop, the weight is not far from what we expected. It can be carried around to school or to the office and back to the house. The system includes a large 2800 mAh 6-cell lithium ion battery that lasted 8 hours and 56 minutes on our rundown test, which is better than what we saw in the Lenovo Edge 15 (5:39).
The 15.6-inch Full HD comes with a resolution of 1920×1080 and a 16:9 image aspect ratio that has a Comfy-view LED backlit LCD display which features Acer BluelightShield that minimizes the blue light emissions from the screen to reduce the straining of the eyes and any other problems associated with staying in-front of the screen for long. It however lacks the IPS display for wide viewing angles but then it still has a sharp picture quality just like its counterparts such as the Lenovo Edge 15 that costs more.
It is also important to note that the display is not touch enabled, this is not a setback since the inclusion of a touchscreen would only make it more expensive. Windows 10 makes it possible to navigate through the system easily without the need for a touchscreen unlike in windows 8 that majorly worked well with a touchscreen. You may want to consider the cheaper Acer Aspire F 15 F5-571T-569T if you are so much into a touchscreen but be ready to sacrifice the fast SSD and a powerful processor.
The laptop comes with a backlit keyboard which will allow you to work even in dim-lit areas. The keyboard is spacious for easy navigation and the touchpad is great with the help of Acer precision that makes the touchpad accurate. Navigation through your photos and web pages is possible by swirling, flicking and pinching the touchpad.
It also features dual stereo speakers that produce a good audio quality thanks to Acer’s True Harmony High Performance Sound System that prevents the distortion of audio sound with a wide range of bass and a high volume that can be heard around the room. The webcam included in this laptop is of high definition with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and supports High Dynamic Range thus making it ideal for Skype chats with friends and family.
Connectivity
Connectivity is healthy, with a good collection of I/O ports: The system includes one USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port for extending the display to larger screens like HDTVs, projectors and monitors, a VGA port, a headset jack, an SD card Reader, and an Ethernet port. The Acer goes against the grain and includes a built-in DVD drive for fast read and write speeds of your CDs and DVDs.
For internet connectivity, the Acer is equipped with 802.1ac wireless that features MU-MIMO technology that is fast compared to the previous versions. If you use 802.11ac MU-MIMO based router, then the performance shall be 3x faster making it more reliable when streaming video and playing games online. There is also Bluetooth 4.0 for easy and faster transfer and sharing of files and documents with compatible devices.
Performance
Under the hood, the Acer Aspire E15 houses a sixth-generation Intel Core i5-6200U processor clocked at 2.3GHz that can run up to 2.8GHz with Turbo Boost Technology. Add to this, 8GB DDR4 system memory and you get a system that delivers a speedy performance and is power efficient. The system yields enough power to run software such as video and image editing applications, Adobe Photoshop, play modern games although at enthusiast levels, stream videos online, browse the internet and enjoy media content in Full HD.
The system features a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB DDR5 graphics that offers up to 4x performance when gaming, streaming videos and movies. The system runs well with moderately demanding games at medium quality and produces playable frames per second.
Storage comes in way of a 256GB SSD, which is quite standard nowadays. Unlike mechanical hard drives, SSDs suffice for snappy booting, faster read and write times among other advantages. The storage space is enough for you to keep all your favorite photos, music, videos, movies, files and other documents. This is one of the few laptops we’ve reviewed recently with good upgradability.
An easily accessible panel at the bottom gives you access to an unused 2.5” SATA port where you can easily add in another SSD like the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO, or a cheaper drive with plenty storage. There are also 2 DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, meaning that the 8GB memory can be upgraded to 32GB. Finally, here is a laptop that offers “workstation-like” upgradability, without breaking the ceiling price for midrange laptops.
The Bottom Line
The Acer Aspire E15 is a mid-range desktop replacement laptop with a solid quality and high performing capabilities that does not hit your wallet hard. Despite the fact that the system cannot play most of the titles at high settings and demanding games, it is an affordable option several dollars less compared to specialized gaming laptops that provides value for money.
The laptop offers a detailed crisp display and generous speeds at a midrange price. If you are in the market after a laptop capable of multitasking and running most demanding applications without stuttering, then the Acer Aspire E15 (E5-575G-53VG) should make it to your shopping list.
