The market has some powerful laptops today, but sometimes you need something simple with solid performance and affordable. The Acer Aspire Go 15 checks all those boxes since it costs just under $300 and is a step above a Chromebook. Plus, it has a lightweight profile and stellar battery life, which makes it a great choice for work or school.
Our review unit is the Aspire Go AG15-31P-3947, which for a very affordable price, packs an Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB flash storage, and a Full HD screen. It’s a fantastic laptop that looks nice but pretty far from premium.
There are a few corners here and there, but those are aspects that Acer considered to make the Go affordable. However, it does the job it’s supposed to do for the majority of users looking for a value laptop.
Also, it comes with a few handy features such as built-in Copilot AI, which, despite being a Microsoft thing, comes with its own processing unit as well as a physical button on the keyboard to activate it. The multi-gesture touchpad and comfortable keyboard are nice additions.
About the Acer Aspire Go 15
The Acer Aspire Go 15 is a budget laptop that doesn’t look or feel like it. Beyond its sub-$300 price tag, this laptop doesn’t have anything fancy, but I believe that’s enough reason to buy it if you’re on a tight budget.
Here are the key specs on the AG15-31P-3947 in this review:
- OS: Windows 11 Home in S Mode
- CPU: Intel Core i3-N305
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 128GB
- Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080)
- Battery: Up to 11hrs 47 mins
- Ports: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone jack
- Size: ‎14.29 x 0.74 x 9.44 inches
- Starting Weight: 3.86 pounds
Well, this is a simple laptop that isn’t necessarily very fast or upgradeable and the 720p webcam is underwhelming. But for under-$300, this Aspire Go bounces with a comfortable keyboard that’s good enough for writing away college assignments or office reports, and it’s got all the connectivity you need for school, work, or home use.
What We Like
A comfortable keyboard is a winner
We’ve reviewed Acer’s Aspire 5s but the keyboards on those laptops don’t get as good as it does on the Aspire Go 15. We’re looking at a surprisingly spacious and comfy keyboard that’s a joy to type in, which is good considering that this laptop isn’t so powerful for much apart from basic productivity and very simple gaming. That means you’ll be doing most of the typing on this notebook above anything else, thus, a nifty keyboard and touchpad wouldn’t be ideal.
Having a nice keyboard here is impressive again because this is a cheap laptop through and through, yet it gives a typing vibe that easily rivals more expensive laptops including the Dell XPS 16 and Asus ZenBook 14. The Dell XPS 16 and ZenBook 14 cost over ten times the Aspire Go, yet the Aspire has a nearly comfortable keyboard that’s a joy to use.
Particularly, the rounded keys on the Aspire AG15-31P-3947 are well-spaced on the keyboard deck, with enough wiggle room between them, making it possible to type without having to look at them. This allows you to place your hands in a comfortable typing position and type away a document without looking, and that makes a whole difference from the mediocre keyboard on most budget laptops.
Lots of useful ports
Laptops keep getting thinner and thinner with every newer model, and ports keep disappearing. It’s no longer surprising to find some USB-C ports and a headphone jack on a lap3top, and the rest has to be done via extra dongles. Despite being thin and portable, Acer managed to squeeze some genuinely useful ports on the Aspire Go 15: a pair of USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an HDMI out, and a headphone jack.
While we’ve seen better ports including Thunderbolt 4 on more expensive laptops, having all those on a laptop this cheap isn’t a small achievement. The simple idea of packing both USB-C and USB-A ports means that you can use your existing peripherals without needing an extra dongle unless you need it urgently. Having an HDMI out port gives you room to connect the laptop to a monitor or a TV and use either as an external display.
Stellar battery life
Acer’s budget laptops have very good battery life, and the Aspire Go shines bright here. Lasting just over ten hours, that’s something even the best Windows laptops fail to achieve, lasting around 8-9 hours or below. The Asus VivoBook Go we just reviewed, for example, lasts 11 hours and 13 minutes; while the more expensive Dell XPS 14 only lasts 9 hours 24 minutes.
That said, the Aspire Go 15 can’t compete with the best MacBooks that last anything above 15 hours depending on use, but the Aspire is still power-efficient enough to last you an entire day at work or school without needing to carry the charger in your backpack.
What We Don’t Like
Basic performance and specs
The Acer Aspire Go AG15-31P-3947 comes with a low-powered Intel Core i3-N305, which while better than the Celeron chips on most budget laptops, doesn’t deliver much in terms of processing power. Sure, the 8GB and 128GB storage are enough to run most productivity tasks, but they don’t match today’s demanding tasks. So, if you’re getting this laptop, ensure your needs are just basic and nothing complex like image editing or gaming.
Also, the 128GB of Universal Flash Storage is a cheap form of flash memory that you normally find on phones and tablets, it doesn’t do anything to boost processing speeds as a true Solid-State Drive (SSD) would. In our review unit, there’s only 47GB of space left after installing Windows 11, some basic apps, and some 3-5 games. If you need to expand your storage, the only option is an external drive via USB, which is not a bad idea.
The Core i3 CPU and 8GB of RAM are still decent enough that you can browse the web, and run light apps like Microsoft Word or Evernote, but you won’t be able to open lots of Google Chrome tabs or run demanding apps, like video editing suites. If your laptop needs are nothing out of the ordinary, this is easily the right choice for you.
For complex tasks, you might have to look at more expensive alternatives like the Acer Aspire 5 (2024 model) or the Asus TUF Gaming A15 if you need to run AAA games when not working. The 720p webcam doesn’t help things, either; while you don’t have problems connecting to videocalls it looks washed-out and grainy at best. The built-in microphone does a good job capturing voices but it’s less clear compared to what you get on higher-end laptops.
Acer Aspire Go 15 Review: Verdict
Having reviewed and tested lots of budget laptops from Acer, Asus, HP, and the rest, I feel there’s something unique with what Acer is offering this time around. This Acer Aspire Go 15 doesn’t feel like a cheap laptop at all. If you don’t get to see the price first, you’d think it costs almost double its MSRP, which is a good thing.
Even with a few drawbacks like the grainy 720p camera and lack of muscle to run complex tasks, I still find it hard to fault this machine. After all, it’s a budget laptop and it manages to punch above its weight to include a better Core i3 processor, a premium design, a comfortable keyboard, and stellar battery life, which its budget rivals and Chromebooks fail to deliver.
That said, you need to be aware of your needs to determine whether Aspire’s limitations will affect your productivity. First and foremost, it only has 8GB RAM and 128 GB of storage, so you can’t count on having a lot of extra storage or running complex apps out of the box. If your needs are demanding more than writing and watching online movies and videos, you should expect things to move rather slowly.
But if you’re comfortable with those limitations, the Acer Aspire Go 15 AG15-31P-3947 is a lovable workhorse that will fit into your tight budget. It’s our newest Editor’s Choice for budget laptops.
Recommended Configuration
Acer Aspire Go 15 Slim Laptop | 15.6" Full HD IPS 1080P Display
$199.99 in stock
The Review
Acer Aspire Go 15
The Acer Aspire Go 15 AG15-31P-3947 is a value laptop that offers steady performance, comes with helpful features, a comfortable keyboard, and amazing battery life. The display would be better and the 720p is average, but they are all functional and get the job done.
PROS
- Inexpensive laptop
- Solid performance for what it offers
- Amazing battery life
- Decent amount of ports
CONS
- Basic performance
- Poor webcam
Review Breakdown
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ARS SCORE
