Page 57 - PCWorld (September 2019)

$350 (at press time) for a
dual-core AMD Ryzen 3

3200U-powered model with
a bare-bones 4GB of RAM

and a 128GB solid-state
drive, all the way to a
considerably beefier quad-

core Core i7-8565 model
with a hefty 12GB of RAM, a
512GB SSD, and dedicated

Nvidia GeForce MX250
graphics that cost about

$850 at the time of this
The Core i5-powered version of the Acer Aspire 5 comes with an
writing. Most Aspire 5 impressively slim and trim shell.
versions boast a 15.6-inch

display (although I spotted at least one UHD Graphics 620 chip, and a full-HD
14-inch model), with a mix of 1080p and (1920x1080) 15.6-inch display.
720p resolutions. On paper, that all adds up to a relatively

The configuration we’re reviewing here is sturdy workhorse for everyday computing
a middle-of-the-road model, complete with a chores like web browsing and composing

quad-core Core i5-8265U CPU, a Whiskey Office documents, Intel’s integrated UHD
Lake processor that debuted in late 2018 as a 620 will let you do a little light gaming, but
modest upgrade (mainly a slightly faster boost think Minesweeper more than Fortnite.

clock speed) to 2017’s Core i5-8250U Kaby If you’d prefer to spend a little less money,
Lake Refresh chip. Comparable to a Core i7 check out our review of this $399 Aspire 5

processor from a couple of generations prior, (go.pcworld.com/bq) with a dual-core Core
the i5-8265U is a solid workhorse that can i3 processor, which lacks the Core i5’s quad-
hold its own when it comes to CPU-intensive core power but still packs a punch when it

tasks like video editing. comes to day-to-day desktop tasks.
Also on board: a reasonable 8GB of RAM,

which helps to smooth out performance DESIGN
when running multiple programs at once; a The laptops in Acer’s Aspire 5 line do a nice
256GB SSD, a decent amount of storage for a job of feeling thinner and lighter than they

speedy solid-state drive; an integrated Intel really are. This particular model of the Aspire

SEPTEMBER 2019 PCWorld 57