This Acer laptop is affordable, sure, but I'm disappointed in its piddly upgrades

Price When Reviewed

$429

Best Prices Today: Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025)

Acer has a knack for churning out new machines with minor updates to prior fashions virtually to the purpose the place it’s arduous to inform the distinction. Such is the case for the Acer Aspire Go 15, which updates among the insides of the 2024 Aspire Go 15, however not a lot you’d discover from a cursory look on the outdoors.

Unfortunately, the interior upgrades have include a bump in worth that sees this new mannequin begin at $429. It’s nonetheless decidedly a budget PC, nevertheless it verges on the harmful $500 mark the place I’ve seen many extra thrilling laptops dip all the way down to with offers. Acer might have the low-end market cornered with its MSRP, and it no less than has a usable pc on its arms with the Acer Aspire Go 15, however anybody with time to attend for a reduction will in all probability need to just do that and reel in a greater various.

Acer Aspire Go 15: Specs and options

• Model quantity: AG15-51P-51OU
• CPU: Intel Core i5-1334U
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
• Display: 15.3-inch 1200p IPS
• Storage: 256GB PCIe Gen4 SSD (Kingston OM8SEP4256Q-AA)
• Webcam: 1080p with Windows Hello facial recognition
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 , 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio
• Networking: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 or larger
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition
• Battery capability: 53 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 13.6 x 9.6 x 0.78 inches
• Weight: 3.72 kilos
• MSRP: $429 as-tested ($429 base)

At the time of writing, there was just one configuration of the Acer Aspire Go 15 accessible. It’s a easy, low-end system fitted with an older CPU, a paltry 8GB of reminiscence, and little storage. It lands with an MSRP of $429, which feels somewhat steep for among the parts and construct high quality, however it could be the results of tariffs. The storage on this mannequin is an improve over final 12 months’s UFS storage, because it’s a user-upgradeable M.2 SSD. That stated, the reminiscence is just not upgradeable and more likely to severely restrict the long-term utility of this laptop computer. 

Acer Aspire Go 15: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Mark Knapp

Nothing concerning the Acer Aspire Go 15 is shaking issues up for the product line. This mannequin has all of the basic appears to be like of its predecessors — thicker plastic bezels, the up-firing exhaust just under the show, a black and grey colorway, and an odd mixture of arduous angles and mild curves. It’s not an thrilling machine to take a look at, nevertheless it’s not terribly objectionable both. 

This is undeniably a price range, utilitarian machine, so it’s no shock that it will get a plastic chassis, which reveals a good bit of flex right here and there. It doesn’t really feel too cheaply constructed, nevertheless it’s not premium within the least. On the intense facet, Acer claims to make use of 30 p.c recycled plastic within the chassis. 

The Acer Aspire Go 15 is somewhat weighty, tipping the scales at 3.72 kilos. That’s not absurdly heavy for a 15-inch laptop computer, however remembering that this can be a low-end mannequin with out a lot high-performance {hardware} occurring, there’s much less motive for it to be so heavy because it doesn’t depend on an enormous cooling system. Between the show and bigger bezels, the Acer Aspire Go 15 finally ends up somewhat giant as nicely. At least Acer stored the depth to simply 0.78 inches, which is skinny sufficient to nonetheless slip simply into laptop computer sleeves. 

Acer Aspire Go 15: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Mark Knapp

You get the fundamentals with regards to inputs for the Acer Aspire Go 15, supplying you with all that you have to interface with the system however not doing something additional. The keyboard is past underwhelming. It’s practical, with passable stabilization, however the virtually convex keycaps give little in the best way of helpful tactile suggestions to assist information finger placement. It’s merely not a nice keyboard to make use of. On the intense facet, it does embody a skinny quantity pad off to the facet, nevertheless it’s somewhat cramped and doesn’t embody the arithmetic keys of their traditional place, so it’s going to take some adjusting when you’ve got muscle reminiscence for a standard quantity pad. The keyboard is simple sufficient to see in daylight with its black keys and white keycaps, however there’s no backlighting, so it’s a wrestle to make use of at midnight. 

The trackpad is centered beneath the primary portion of the keyboard, however this leads to it truly being skewed to the left of the laptop computer itself. If you mouse round along with your proper hand, this makes it an ungainly attain to make use of and, in my case, has led to me usually right-clicking once I intend a left-click. 

Acer Aspire Go 15: Display, audio

IDG / Mark Knapp

Even with machines twice the price of this, I’ve seen shows uncared for. So it’s little shock to see that the Acer Aspire Go 15 has an underwhelming display screen. It’s sharp sufficient with a 1920×1200 decision at its 15.3-inch measurement and the 1,200:1 distinction helps preserve that sharp look. But past that easy utility, it’s not a looker.

The show solely covers 69 p.c of the sRGB coloration house — I’d name 95-100 p.c protection the minimal you’d need for a handsome show. It’s arduous to disregard what number of OLED laptops are available on the market providing up considerably higher visuals, and the way usually I see them on sale for round $500. The show additionally solely reaches 289 nits at its brightest. Thankfully, it doesn’t must run at full brightness to be seen because the matte end on the show helps forestall extreme glare. 

The audio system on the Acer Aspire Go 15 are additionally simply sufficient to get the job achieved. They emphasize the vocal vary, which might make for nice sufficient music and clear sound for podcasts or shows. They’re loud sufficient to listen to from close by or in a quiet room, however they don’t transcend that. 

Acer Aspire Go 15: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The webcam on the Acer Aspire Go 15 is okay. It bumps as much as 1080p, giving it an edge over the 720p fashions nonetheless frequent in price range laptops. But that decision received’t imply an excessive amount of if lighting circumstances aren’t exceptionally brilliant, because the webcam footage will seem grainy. The digicam no less than balances lighting nicely, avoiding crushed shadows or blown out highlights. The largest perk of the digicam is that it integrates Windows Hello facial recognition, which permits for fast sign-ins with no password.

The mics on the Acer Aspire Go 15 aren’t significantly good. Even talking instantly at them in a quiet room from lower than an arm’s size away, my voice sounds pretty distant. At least it sounds clear, nevertheless it could possibly be a lot better.

Acer Aspire Go 15: Connectivity

IDG / Mark Knapp

You’ll discover modest connectivity on the Acer Aspire Go 15. While it’s unlucky that there’s no USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 for prime bandwidth transfers, the system no less than has an honest number of ports. The left edge consists of two USB-C ports that provides 10Gbps switch speeds and charging for the laptop computer. There’s a USB-A 5Gbps on both facet of the system. Acer additionally features a full-size HDMI 2.1 port on the left edge and a 3.5mm jack on the precise. These would have been properly complemented by a microSD slot for extra storage. 

For wi-fi connections, the Acer Aspire Go 15 will get Wi-Fi 6, which has offered quick and secure connectivity in my testing. But it doesn’t make the leap to Wi-Fi 6E for entry to the 6GHz band or to Wi-Fi 7 for higher future proofing.

Acer Aspire Go 15: Performance

The Acer Aspire Go 15 will get some under-the-hood upgrades which have improved efficiency significantly over its Core i3-N305-powered predecessor from 2024. That stated, it’s nonetheless not a really speedy machine. It presents modest efficiency that may sustain with informal use looking the net, and its PCMark 10 rating of somewhat over 5,000 factors traces up with that kind of efficiency. However, its lack of reminiscence can shortly turn into a problem. Even only a handful of tabs open in Chrome is sufficient to replenish its small 8GB capability, and there’s no upgrading that soldered-on reminiscence down the road. 

The CPU itself isn’t a horrible performer. It combines two quick cores and eight environment friendly cores, which provides it each excessive single-core speeds and first rate multi-core speeds. 

It doesn’t lag too far behind the Acer Aspire 14 AI‘s Intel Core Ultra 5 226V in any of our Cinebench tests, and it shows a nice lead over the Acer Aspire 3 15’s AMD Ryzen 5 7520U. But it’s not a lot competitors for the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS within the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED. It even has the benefit over the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 discovered within the Dell Inspiron 14 5441 when that CPU depends on emulation. 

Unfortunately, it falls aside within the graphics division. Between its restricted reminiscence, which is break up between the system and built-in graphics and its reliance on older Intel UHD Graphics, the Acer Aspire Go 15 merely doesn’t sustain with extra fashionable graphics options. It can keep forward of Qualcomm’s chip in some circumstances, main in 3DMark’s Time Spy take a look at however falling behind in Night Raid. But it doesn’t stack as much as AMD’s Radeon 780M graphics or Intel’s Arc 130V graphics, neither of that are essentially the most spectacular built-in graphics choices. 

Despite the decrease energy parts, warmth continues to be a priority, and never even the place I’d count on it to be coming from. In informal use, looking, the left fringe of the laptop computer had an disagreeable hotspot that sat proper on my left leg. Popping open the lid, this hotspot corresponded with the placement of the SSD — a element you don’t need failing. 

Acer Aspire Go 15: Battery life

The Acer Aspire Go 15 leaves quite a bit to be desired with regards to battery life. Even although it’s working a decrease efficiency processor, it’s not conserving a lot energy. Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD have stepped issues up just lately with regards to energy effectivity, however the dated 13th Gen Intel Core processor within the Acer Aspire Go 15 isn’t the beneficiary of any of these upgrades. 

With a runtime of just a bit over seven hours, the Acer Aspire Go 15 falls means behind its contemporaries in our video playback battery take a look at and even shaves off runtime in comparison with the 2024 mannequin. Aside from Acer’s personal various within the Aspire 3 15, the competitors right here presents up greater than double the battery lifetime of the Acer Aspire Go 15. While the processor doubtless bares among the blame, the show may be a offender.

To attain the brightness stage of our take a look at, the Acer Aspire Go 15 needed to run its show at 88 p.c brightness. It might not be working very effectively at that stage, as many electronics endure diminishing returns when dialed as much as the max. That stated, as a result of the Acer Aspire Go 15 has an anti-glare show, it’s a little simpler to make use of the laptop computer with its brightness at decrease ranges to preserve energy. Still, in day-to-day use, the Acer Aspire Go 15 struggles to achieve 6 hours of runtime even with the show brightness diminished.

Acer Aspire Go 15: Conclusion

The Acer Aspire Go 15 isn’t one thing to get enthusiastic about. In reality, it’s merely a extra inexpensive machine aimed toward customers who’ve minimal wants from their pc. Most of the system hits the mark of being “usable” however no factor of it reaches greatness. While its worth definitely lands it in price range territory, it’s not essentially providing as a lot worth as it will want to face out. While we haven’t examined many laptops at this worth level that may beat the Acer Aspire Go 15, there are many dearer methods that see frequent, main reductions.

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED talked about above, as an example, is somewhat dated and certain will see some reductions sometimes, very like its personal predecessor has. A barely lower-spec model of the Asus Vivobook S 14 we just lately examined was on sale for simply $449 (down from its traditional $949) at Best Buy and would provide marked upgrades over the Acer Aspire Go 15 in nearly each respect. So, when you can look forward to a deal, you’ll be able to land a a lot better system on your cash.