Joshua Goldman/CNET
The Acer Aspire 7 ($1,100 at Walmart) makes up for in efficiency and worth what it lacks in flashy design or cutting-edge options.
LikeGood total valueEasy entry to reminiscence and storage for upgrades
Don’t LikePoorly positioned energy jackA lot of bloatware
If you are in search of an ultraslim, light-weight laptop computer with eye-catching beauty and synthetic intelligence, this is not it. The 15.6-inch clamshell is finest fitted to life on a desk and is made for getting work completed at residence, however with sufficient muscle for gaming or content material creation — all beginning for below $1,000. Honestly, quite a lot of us are working from residence now, so you do not have to fret about having the slickest-looking laptop computer on the espresso store. I examined a mannequin with entry-level graphics chip, the Nvidia GTX 1050. You are higher off going with the marginally newer configuration utilizing Nvidia’s Geforce GTX 1650, which offers you higher efficiency now and has a bit extra headroom for the long run than the 1050. Plus, it is cheaper in the intervening time beginning at $800 mixed with a ninth-gen Core i5 or with a six-core Core i7 for $1,000. If you are within the UK, an analogous configuration to the one I examined is obtainable for £1,049 or $1,999 in Australia.
Acer Aspire 7 A715-74G-71WS
Price as reviewed
$1,149
Display dimension/decision
15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 show
CPU
2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H
Memory
16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2667MHz
Graphics
3GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Storage
512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking
802.11ac wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.2
Operating system
Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
With Ethernet, HDMI, USB-C and USB-A ports, the Aspire 7 can shortly connect with your community and equipment.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
More the place that got here fromThe 15.6-inch Acer Aspire 5 was top-of-the-line budget-friendly laptops we examined final yr. The Aspire 7 is basically a beefier model of that mannequin, each in dimension and efficiency. The Aspire 5 continues to be very a lot accessible, so in case you are extra excited by one thing skinny and lightweight it is best to undoubtedly verify that one out. With its metallic cowl and keyboard deck, the Aspire 7 goals to appear and feel pricier than it’s however is undercut by the plastic backside and a lid that collects fingerprints like a forensic scientist. At 5.2 kilos or 2.3 kilograms, it is simply the improper facet of travel-friendly, but it surely’s definitely transportable. The Aspire 7’s keyboard is backlit and has a quantity pad. Just under it’s a fingerprint reader for quick sign-ins.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
The full-HD IPS show has pleasing shade and distinction and appears high quality off-angle and the matte end helps tame distracting reflections, which is sweet since it isn’t particularly vibrant. The backlit keyboard feels a little bit comfortable, however the keys have a good pop to them and sufficient journey so you do not really feel such as you’re typing on a tabletop. The precision touchpad is a bit comfortable, too, however is in any other case clean and responsive.
The system’s audio system sound clear and do not distort at full quantity, however that is seemingly as a result of they do not get notably loud. They’re high quality for informal use, however you may most likely need headphones or exterior audio system for anything. The webcam and mics are high quality as properly so long as you are well-lit and near the show. The rear and facet vents assist preserve this cool when gaming. But the facility jack in the midst of the proper facet will get in the best way.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
Discreet gaming energyThe Aspire 7’s efficiency is basically that of Acer’s entry-level gaming laptop computer, the Nitro 5, however with out the angular physique, purple accents and its NitroSense software program with direct entry to fan controls and energy plans in addition to system monitoring. If you need extra gaming-oriented options, I counsel you take a look at the Nitro 5 or any of the opposite sub-$1,000 gaming laptops accessible as a substitute. The Aspire 7 is extra for basic use however simply occurs to be accessible with a graphics chip good for something from Fortnite to the newest AAA titles. The configuration I examined could must be dialed again to medium high quality settings relying on the sport, however the GTX 1650 can deal with extra. That stated, if you’d like extra headroom for gaming into the long run, I like to recommend in search of one other gaming laptop computer with not less than a GTX 1660 Ti or ideally a GeForce RTX 2060 — not one thing you are prone to discover at this value.
The Aspire 7 additionally has higher battery life than you’d usually get from a gaming laptop computer, although not a lot better. It reached nearly 8 hours of battery life on our streaming video check. Note, although, that the GTX 1650 configuration appears to have a barely smaller battery, so that you is perhaps taking a look at 7 hours of streaming. You’ll seemingly get about half that on the whole use. Plus, the facility jack is in the midst of the proper facet, so when it is plugged within the energy wire simply at all times appears to be in the best way. One different irritation: This factor is loaded with software program you most likely will not need. Expect to spend a while uninstalling stuff when you get it out of the field. But, that is par for the course with budget-friendly laptops like this. If you will get previous the bloatware, the Acer Aspire 7 is a stable alternative in case you’re seeking to get work completed at residence in addition to recreation, create content material or anything you’d do in your common laptop computer. Geekbench 4 (multicore)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Cinebench R15 CPU (multicore)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Streaming video playback battery drain check
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency (in minutes)
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Far Cry 5 gaming check
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency (FPS)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (fps)
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency (FPS)
System configurations
Acer Aspire 7
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core I7-9750H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,667MHz; 3GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050; 512GB SSD
Dell G3 Series 3590
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-9300H; 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,667MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 1TB HDD
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk0045cl
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,667MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Ti with Max-Q Design; 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-9300H; 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,667MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 512GB SSD
Lenovo Legion Y730
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.2HGz Intel Core i7-8750H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,666MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti; 2TB HDD + 256GB SSD