Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-576G-81GD) Review

The new Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-81GD laptop is a fantastic device with a plethora of features. The system includes a 15.6-inch full-HD display, an 8th-generation Core i7 processor, a dedicated GeForce MX150 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. It hits a sweet spot in terms of pricing for all of these. If you’re on a tight budget, the Aspire E 15 (E5-576-392H) is a good choice; however, if you’re replacing an aging desktop and need serious power, the E5-576G is a better choice.

The new model outperforms its predecessor from last year, and it features an Intel chip from the latest generation, as well as a long battery life (just over 10 hours). So, do we agree that it’s a good idea? Unless, of course, you’re looking for a lightweight ultraportable for your daily commute.

Design and Build

Acer’s Aspire E15 Series has had a consistent design for the past two years. This design, on the other hand, is unremarkable. All you get is a sturdy construction that is ideal for a low-cost system but does not feel cheap. With the exception of brushed patterns on the lid and keyboard deck, which add a touch of glitz to an otherwise simple design, it’s entirely made of plastic.

It measures 15 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches and weighs 5.3 pounds. Although not particularly portable, it is within the category’s dimensions range. It’s small enough to fit into a school or work bag, but not as small as the Asus ZenBook UX330UA-AH54 (0.5 inches, 2.6 pounds). There are two audible speakers capable of filling a medium-sized room, as well as an HDR webcam with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels for Skype or video calls with family and friends.

Display and Keyboard

Backlit keyboards are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in this price range, and this keyboard is no exception. A 15-inch system, such as the Aspire E15, has enough room for a full keyboard deck with well-spaced keys for easy navigation. Acer precision technology and a similarly concise touchpad facilitate photo and web page navigation. Because it allows you to virtually double your typing speed, the keyboard is useful for college papers and office reports.

The Aspire E15’s 15.6-inch LCD display has a 1920-by-1080 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s an IPS display, so it has wider viewing angles and better picture quality than Twisted-Nematic (TN) panels. Nonetheless, it lacks the same In-Plane Switching technology as the Lenovo Edge 15, which costs a little more and has a true IPS display. It isn’t touch-enabled, but the pre-installed Windows 10 Home OS, which was designed for touch screens, functions perfectly without it. If you require a touchscreen, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin has one, though you will miss out on the fast speeds of an SSD.

Ports and Storage

The connectivity is excellent. On the left, there is a DVD-RW drive and a USB 2.0 connector, and in the front-left corner, there is an SD memory reader. An Ethernet port, VGA and HDMI connectors for connecting to larger screens such as HDTVs and projectors, dual USB 3.0 ports, and a single USB Type-C port are located on the left. The Acer has Bluetooth 4.1 for internet connectivity as well as 802.1ac wireless, which includes MU-MIMO technology and is faster than previous generations.

For storage, there’s a 256GB M.2 SATA solid-state drive (SSD), which offers faster writing speeds and boot times than traditional spinning hard drives. Although not as large as traditional hard drives, the space is adequate for storing images, music, videos, movies, data, and other documents.

Performance

Aspire E5-576G-81GD With an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 8GB system memory, and 256GB SSD, it has enough power for day-to-day multitasking. One of Intel’s newest products is the CPU, which has a base clock speed of 2.5GHz but can reach 3.1GHz in Turbo mode. This setting allows you to open multiple Chrome tabs and watch 1080p movies without causing your computer to slow down.

The system’s dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX150 (2GB) graphics card allows for moderate gaming, but not as smoothly as a GTX 1050-equipped PC. At medium resolution (1920×1080), the system achieves 51 frames per second on Dirt 4, 44 frames per second on Prey, and 72 frames per second on Titanfall 2, putting it slightly ahead of devices with Intel HD 620 graphics in the same category. Increasing the quality settings, on the other hand, causes the system to slow down, but it performs better for casual gaming.

Battery Life

Most 15-inch notebooks in this category don’t last long on a single charge. The system lasted 10 hours 37 minutes in our rundown test, about an hour longer than the HP Spectre x360 (8:45). Last year, the Acer Aspire E15 lasted 9 hours 35 minutes due to the increased drain from the Intel Core i5 processor balancing the power savings from the 1,920-by-1,080-resolution screen.

Final Thoughts

The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-81GD is the pinnacle of a high-performance laptop that never fails to impress. With a set of useful features and strong hardware, the latest generation outperforms its predecessor, the Aspire E 15 (E5-575-57D4), while the latter has a brighter screen and nearly 3 hours more battery life on a single charge. The Aspire E15’s processor and graphics card have been upgraded from a 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200U CPU and Nvidia 940MX graphics to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU and Nvidia MX150 graphics.

Of course, there are even less expensive options that require some sacrifices and setbacks along the way. The Aspire E5-576G-81GD is our top recommendation if you’re looking for a system that offers a good balance of price and features.