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Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 Laptop Review: A super price for an AMD laptop, but with a hefty shortcoming

An affordable, yet underwhelming Zen+ laptop. Acer's latest budget laptop sounds excellent on paper. The Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 retails for around €500 (~$554) and comes with a Zen+ APU, a 1 TB SSD and 8 GB of RAM. However, not all is at it seems with our test device, as our review below will reveal.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057

Acer sells the Aspire 5 in various configurations, from those with a Core i3-8154U processor up to those with dedicated graphics such as the Core i7-8565U and NVIDIA GeForce MX250 model we reviewed earlier this year. Similarly, the company sells a cheaper Core i5-8265U and GeForce MX150 powered model that we have also tested. Now we have received an AMD powered version, which promises comparable CPU and GPU performance to its two Intel and NVIDIA equipped siblings, but with one chip.

Our new review unit, the Aspire 5 A515-43-R057, comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor that integrates Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics, 8 GB of single-channel RAM and a 1 TB SSD. We shall compare the device with comparably priced and equipped machines, an overview of which we have included in the table below.

The A515-43-R057 is the spitting image of its siblings that we have already reviewed. While Acer has changed the positioning of the ports and removed the SD card reader that it included in the Intel and NVIDIA powered models, it has kept the same case design, connectivity and input devices. Please see our Aspire 5 A515-52G review for our full thoughts on these areas.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW (Aspire 5 A515 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 x 2.1 - 3.7 GHz, Picasso-U (Zen+)
Memory
8 GB 
, Single-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, CEC PANDA LM156LF-CL07, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8, 1024 GB 
, 860 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combined 3.5 mm headphone and microphone jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 364 x 248 ( = 0.71 x 14.33 x 9.76 in)
Battery
48 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9 MP, 16:9 (1,280 x 720)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.8 kg ( = 63.49 oz / 3.97 pounds), Power Supply: 260 g ( = 9.17 oz / 0.57 pounds)
Price
500 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
78.4 %
11/2019
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
R5 3500U, Vega 8
1.8 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1080
79.5 %
09/2019
HP ProBook 455R G6
R5 3500U, Vega 8
2 kg19 mm15.60"1920x1080
74.7 %
09/2019
Lenovo V155-15API
R5 3500U, Vega 8
2.2 kg23 mm15.60"1920x1080
79.7 %
08/2019
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
R7 3700U, Vega 10
1.8 kg19.5 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.2 %
04/2019
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250
1.8 kg17.95 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.6 %
11/2018
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
i5-8265U, GeForce MX150
1.8 kg17.95 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case - A sturdy device that is also easy to open

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057

Size Comparison

363 mm / 14.3 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 257 mm / 10.1 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs364 mm / 14.3 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs363.4 mm / 14.3 inch 243.5 mm / 9.59 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs363.4 mm / 14.3 inch 243.5 mm / 9.59 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs359.1 mm / 14.1 inch 249 mm / 9.8 inch 19.5 mm / 0.768 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - No Type-C or a card reader, but it is not all bad

Left-hand side: Power connector, Gigabit LAN, HDMI, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-A, 3.5 mm jack
Left-hand side: Power connector, Gigabit LAN, HDMI, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-A, 3.5 mm jack
Right-hand side: USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington lock slot
Right-hand side: USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington lock slot

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +34%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
648 (626min - 667max) MBit/s +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
647 (534min - 664max) MBit/s +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
588 (564min - 603max) MBit/s
HP ProBook 455R G6
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
531 (413min - 578max) MBit/s -10%
Lenovo V155-15API
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
303 (253min - 352max) MBit/s -48%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
290 MBit/s -51%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +265%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
618 (446min - 680max) MBit/s +100%
HP ProBook 455R G6
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
614 (575min - 626max) MBit/s +99%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
522 (371min - 601max) MBit/s +69%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
309 MBit/s 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
309 (278min - 319max) MBit/s
Lenovo V155-15API
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
292 (159min - 312max) MBit/s -6%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø309 (278-319)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø588 (564-603)

Maintenance

A look at the inside of the Aspire 5 A515-43-R057
A look at the inside of the Aspire 5 A515-43-R057

Input Devices - A crisp and backlit keyboard

A look at the keyboard and trackpad
A look at the keyboard and trackpad
The backlighting switched on in a dark room
The backlighting switched on in a dark room

Display - IPS, but not as bright as the competition

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array
Our review unit suffers from backlight bleeding
Our review unit suffers from backlight bleeding

The Aspire 5 has a 15.6-inch IPS panel like the A515-52G, which also has a resolution of 1,920x1,080. However, while the latter had a display manufactured by BOE, we found a CEC PANDA panel in our current review unit. The panel in the A515-43-R057 is a downgrade in most areas, with it only reaching an average maximum of 228 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, some 19% less than the A515-52G managed in the same tests. The same applies to brightness distribution, where the A515-43-R057 is some 6% shy of its sibling at 83%.

The panel also has a lower PWM frequency than the one we measured in the A515-52G that we tested. Lower frequencies tend to affect more people than higher ones do, so the display in the A515-43-R057 may cause more people to suffer from eyestrain and headaches than the panel in the A515-52G will. Regardless, we only measure PWM with the display at 10% luminosity and below, a brightness level that will probably only be used when working on the laptop in a dark room or at night.

207
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
233
cd/m²
226
cd/m²
250
cd/m²
231
cd/m²
216
cd/m²
231
cd/m²
233
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
CEC PANDA LM156LF-CL07 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 250 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 228.2 cd/m² Minimum: 21.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 245 cd/m²
Contrast: 1220:1 (Black: 0.205 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.65 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.32 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.84% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.53% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.45
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
CEC PANDA LM156LF-CL07, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP ProBook 455R G6
LG Philips LGD05CE, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo V155-15API
AUO61ED, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
LG Philips 156WFC, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
BOE NV156FHM-N48, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-5%
-4%
-6%
0%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
39.53
37.44
-5%
38.14
-4%
37.31
-6%
40.02
1%
39.85
1%
sRGB Coverage
59.5
56.3
-5%
57.4
-4%
56.2
-6%
58.5
-2%
58.7
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
40.84
38.71
-5%
39.4
-4%
38.55
-6%
41.34
1%
41.17
1%
Response Times
5%
11%
6%
-6%
3690%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36 ?(18, 18)
34 ?(18, 16)
6%
44 ?(23, 21)
-22%
28.4 ?(10.4, 18)
21%
45 ?(23, 22)
-25%
45 ?(24, 21)
-25%
Response Time Black / White *
25 ?(14, 11)
24 ?(14, 10)
4%
14 ?(10, 4)
44%
27.2 ?(16.4, 10.8)
-9%
33 ?(18, 15)
-32%
35 ?(19, 16)
-40%
PWM Frequency
178 ?(10)
250 ?(90)
40%
20000 ?(90)
11136%
Screen
-0%
-38%
-3%
11%
12%
Brightness middle
250
262
5%
220
-12%
253.6
1%
278
11%
296
18%
Brightness
228
235
3%
200
-12%
227
0%
271
19%
268
18%
Brightness Distribution
83
83
0%
80
-4%
84
1%
89
7%
81
-2%
Black Level *
0.205
0.27
-32%
0.355
-73%
0.27
-32%
0.26
-27%
0.3
-46%
Contrast
1220
970
-20%
620
-49%
939
-23%
1069
-12%
987
-19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.65
6.34
-12%
10.36
-83%
6.05
-7%
4.73
16%
4.01
29%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.7
9.28
32%
18.91
-38%
14.03
-2%
8.38
39%
8.7
36%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.32
4.33
31%
12.49
-98%
3.2
49%
2.59
59%
0.98
84%
Gamma
2.45 90%
2.06 107%
2.3 96%
2 110%
2.38 92%
2.35 94%
CCT
7287 89%
7041 92%
12808 51%
6820 95%
6160 106%
6408 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
38
36
-5%
36
-5%
35.5
-7%
36
-5%
38
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
56
-5%
57
-3%
55.6
-6%
58
-2%
58
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.82
4.97
5.17
4
Total Average (Program / Settings)
0% / -1%
-10% / -24%
-1% / -2%
2% / 6%
1234% / 699%

* ... smaller is better

59% sRGB colour space coverage
59% sRGB colour space coverage
38% AdobeRGB colour space coverage
38% AdobeRGB colour space coverage

The A515-43-R057 has a lower black value than its sibling though, which we measured at 0.205 cd/m². This allows our review unit to not only achieve a higher contrast ratio than the A515-52G but also all our other comparison devices too. CalMAN shows that the display has a blue tint to it, but its DeltaE deviations are not overly high for a laptop at this price.

CalMAN: Colour accuracy
CalMAN: Colour accuracy
CalMAN: Colour saturation
CalMAN: Colour saturation
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Greyscale

While the A515-43-R057 has a rather dark display, its matte finish means that the device remains usable outside. The display diffuses reflections well, but bright sunlight will make it look washed out. Hence, we would recommend finding a shady spot in which to work on a sunny day, if possible.

Using our review unit outdoors
Using our review unit outdoors
Using our review unit outdoors
Using our review unit outdoors

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 53 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 178 Hz ≤ 10 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 178 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 10 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 178 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Likewise, the display has stable viewing angles, primarily because Acer has used an IPS panel. We encountered no readability issues, even at acute viewing angles, as demonstrated by the montage below.

Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance - An underperforming AMD APU

All Aspire 5 SKUs should be powerful enough for all general tasks, while those with dedicated graphics may even be suitable for some multimedia work. Our current review unit blurs that boundary somewhat, as its Ryzen 5 3500U processor should be capable of some light gaming, even though it lacks a dedicated GPU.

 

Processor

The Ryzen 5 3500U has four Picasso cores that can clock between 2.1 and 3.7 GHz. The Zen+ chip succeeds the Ryzen 5 2500U and offers improved clock speeds while being built on a smaller FinFET process. The length of time that a processor can maintain its turbo clock speeds depends on the effectiveness of the cooling system with which it has been paired though.

Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit determined that the Ryzen 5 3500U in our review unit does not perform as well as it should. While scores dropped by only around 3% after the first run-through of our looped endurance test, its multicore performance is over 30% lower than that of our Ryzen 5 3500U powered comparison devices. The A515-43-R057 does not suffer as much in the corresponding single-core benchmark, but it is rare to see Intel chips of the same age and product stack level outperforming an AMD processor in multi-core tasks.

Please see our CPU benchmarks page for more information about the Ryzen 3 3500U and its competitors.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø508 (460.33-641.41)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø505 (498.72-514.09)
HP ProBook 455R G6 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø564 (554.09-645.67)
Lenovo V155-15API AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø609 (600.38-643.97)
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U: Ø654 (639.01-676.19)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø470 (467.49-492.88)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø487 (482.49-523.51)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +74%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U
165 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
159 Points +11%
Lenovo V155-15API
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
143 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
143 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (131 - 147, n=18)
142.4 Points 0%
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
137 Points -4%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
135 Points -6%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +271%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
672 Points +9%
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
646 Points +5%
Lenovo V155-15API
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
642 Points +5%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (482 - 682, n=19)
642 Points +5%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
614 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
604 Points -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
524 Points -15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U
493 Points -20%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
143 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
604 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
39.46 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System Performance

The A515-43-R057 also underperformed in PCMark benchmarks. Our review unit finished in last place in all but one of the PCMark 10 benchmarks that we ran, although it fared slightly better in PCMark 8.

Our review unit runs smoothly in daily use, though. We experienced no micro-stutters during our tests, and applications started quickly, as was the case with accessing files.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +87%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4236 Points +21%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3960 Points +13%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3903 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3485 - 3972, n=16)
3766 Points +8%
Lenovo V155-15API
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
3713 Points +6%
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
3691 Points +6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3496 Points
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +56%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
8233 Points +23%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7692 Points +15%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6690 - 8300, n=16)
7533 Points +13%
Lenovo V155-15API
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
7363 Points +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7348 Points +10%
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
7298 Points +9%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
6690 Points
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +55%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7212 Points +29%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
6469 Points +15%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5859 Points +4%
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
5835 Points +4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5456 - 6074, n=16)
5774 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
5610 Points
Lenovo V155-15API
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
5456 Points -3%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +177%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3581 Points +16%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3548 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3475 Points +12%
Lenovo V155-15API
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
3459 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2989 - 3526, n=16)
3337 Points +8%
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
3205 Points +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3089 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +53%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4220 Points +27%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3725 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3316 - 4235, n=13)
3600 Points +9%
Lenovo V155-15API
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
3524 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3504 Points +6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
3317 Points
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
3316 Points 0%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5272 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4924 Points +8%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (4436 - 5039, n=12)
4707 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
4570 Points
HP ProBook 455R G6
Vega 8, R5 3500U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
4559 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4429 Points -3%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3317 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4570 points
PCMark 10 Score
3496 points
Help

Storage Devices

Acer has equipped our review unit with a 1 TB Intel 660p SSD, which is currently one of the faster drives that OEMs include in their laptops. Correspondingly, the A515-43-R057 performed well in AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark and averaged faster transfer speeds than all but the WDC PC SN520 in the A515-52G of our comparison devices.

If 1 TB of storage is not enough, then you could either swap out the pre-installed drive for a larger capacity model or add a 2.5-inch drive. The latter would probably the cheaper option, but both would be just as easy to do.

Please see our HDD/SSD benchmarks page for more information about the Intel 660p SSD and other drives that we have tested.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
HP ProBook 455R G6
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
Lenovo V155-15API
Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Average Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-6%
-58%
-18%
8%
-46%
29%
Write 4K
114.9
126.4
10%
72.4
-37%
105.9
-8%
130.1
13%
78.4
-32%
144.5 ?(103.2 - 214, n=17)
26%
Read 4K
52.7
40.45
-23%
27.84
-47%
36.56
-31%
27.64
-48%
25.99
-51%
54.1 ?(49.8 - 63.8, n=17)
3%
Write Seq
1361
702
-48%
145.1
-89%
1165
-14%
1438
6%
390.9
-71%
1445 ?(1264 - 1776, n=16)
6%
Read Seq
1385
1129
-18%
496
-64%
423.2
-69%
1319
-5%
482.6
-65%
1446 ?(1410 - 1693, n=16)
4%
Write 4K Q32T1
181.1
298.6
65%
129.6
-28%
332.1
83%
323.3
79%
205.5
13%
427 ?(402 - 644, n=17)
136%
Read 4K Q32T1
340.5
344
1%
200.9
-41%
229.3
-33%
359.9
6%
227.9
-33%
456 ?(329 - 600, n=17)
34%
Write Seq Q32T1
1519
801
-47%
146.4
-90%
1460
-4%
1454
-4%
502
-67%
1650 ?(1733 - 1802, n=17)
9%
Read Seq Q32T1
1515
1723
14%
522
-66%
472.5
-69%
1740
15%
526
-65%
1728 ?(1616 - 1970, n=17)
14%
AS SSD
-16%
-76%
-4%
43%
-51%
9%
Seq Read
1358
1503
11%
480.8
-65%
398.9
-71%
1557
15%
490.6
-64%
1456 ?(1038 - 1778, n=16)
7%
Seq Write
1300
712
-45%
135.8
-90%
884
-32%
1237
-5%
390.2
-70%
1404 ?(938 - 1637, n=16)
8%
4K Read
44.88
36.63
-18%
23.55
-48%
34.54
-23%
42.56
-5%
19.47
-57%
48.7 ?(25.6 - 57.8, n=16)
9%
4K Write
77.5
89.3
15%
47.43
-39%
82.1
6%
127.2
64%
72.2
-7%
131.6 ?(77.5 - 167.9, n=16)
70%
4K-64 Read
586
524
-11%
186.5
-68%
647
10%
1034
76%
236.2
-60%
586 ?(576 - 592, n=16)
0%
4K-64 Write
738
334.3
-55%
86.8
-88%
985
33%
1186
61%
276.7
-63%
788 ?(584 - 875, n=16)
7%
Access Time Read *
0.057
0.118
0.072
0.077
0.07236 ?(0.036 - 0.165, n=14)
Access Time Write *
0.057
0.041
28%
0.132
-132%
0.047
18%
0.028
51%
0.063
-11%
0.07731 ?(0.038 - 0.128, n=16)
-36%
Score Read
767
711
-7%
258
-66%
721
-6%
1233
61%
305
-60%
780 ?(730 - 819, n=16)
2%
Score Write
945
495
-48%
148
-84%
1155
22%
1437
52%
388
-59%
1060 ?(820 - 1182, n=16)
12%
Score Total
2115
1540
-27%
529
-75%
2279
8%
3291
56%
850
-60%
2252 ?(1990 - 2421, n=16)
6%
Copy ISO MB/s
862
1313
321.3
1469 ?(836 - 1736, n=14)
Copy Program MB/s
457
334.6
141.7
484 ?(310 - 600, n=14)
Copy Game MB/s
902
684
239.4
997 ?(571 - 1411, n=14)
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-11% / -11%
-67% / -68%
-11% / -10%
26% / 27%
-49% / -49%
19% / 18%

* ... smaller is better

Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
Sequential Read: 1406 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1367 MB/s
512K Read: 934 MB/s
512K Write: 1257 MB/s
4K Read: 49.49 MB/s
4K Write: 91.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 318 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 172.8 MB/s

Graphics Card

The Radeon RX Vega 8 does not have dedicated VRAM like the GeForce MX150 and GeForce MX250, but it can run close to their levels of performance if running in dual-channel mode and with a decent cooling system that prevents it from throttling. Sadly, the A515-53-R057 possesses neither of these traits and fell well short of expectations in 3DMark. While adding a second RAM module would help performance, it would not overcome the lacklustre cooling solution that Acer has included.

Please see our GPU benchmarks page for more information about the Radeon RX Vega 8 and how it compares against other graphics cards.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points +609%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4633 Points +79%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8265U
4558 Points +77%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
4165 Points +61%
Lenovo V155-15API
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3742 Points +45%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points +34%
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3085 Points +19%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2582 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points +404%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
21545 Points +88%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8265U
21120 Points +84%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
20784 Points +81%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points +34%
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
12696 Points +11%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
11453 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points +709%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3616 Points +116%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8265U
3613 Points +116%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
2999 Points +79%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points +33%
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1903 Points +14%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1673 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (622 - 17620, n=87, last 2 years)
5121 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
1090 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8265U
1057 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
852 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (523 - 790, n=23)
673 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
2686 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9110 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1496 points
Help

Gaming Performance

While the A515-43-R057 underperforms in most metrics, it matched the equally-equipped HP ProBook 455R G6 in our gaming tests. However, both devices are only powerful enough for playing older games such as "Bioshock Infinite". Even then, the game is only playable at 1,280x720, while our review unit is incompatible with 1,366x768 for some reason.

Please see our gaming benchmarks page for more examples of how the Radeon RX Vega 8 performs and how it compares against other GPUs.

BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
183.9 fps +121%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
180.2 fps +116%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
123.7 fps +48%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (68.9 - 122.8, n=29)
100 fps +20%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
83.4 fps
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
82.7 fps -1%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
34.8 fps +139%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
33.7 fps +132%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
21.3 fps +46%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7.6 - 28, n=30)
17.6 fps +21%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
14.55 fps
HP ProBook 455R G6
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
14.03 fps -4%
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Multimedia
  (36 - 428, n=63, last 2 years)
198.8 fps +543%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
63.5 fps +105%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
58.8 fps +90%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
53.8 fps +74%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (22 - 50.7, n=18)
34.7 fps +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
30.94 fps
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Multimedia
  (11.2 - 290, n=89, last 2 years)
90.1 fps +790%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
20.4 fps +102%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
19.3 fps +91%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
18.8 fps +86%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6.7 - 18.3, n=14)
12.5 fps +24%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
10.12 fps
Thief
1024x768 Very Low Preset
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (25.2 - 45.9, n=3)
34.9 fps +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
33.7 fps
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5.9 - 14, n=3)
9.87 fps +2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
9.7 fps
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 83.4 14.55
Thief (2014) 33.7 9.7
The Witcher 3 (2015) 30.94 10.12

Emissions - Cool, quiet and balanced speakers

Fan Noise

Fan characteristics
Fan characteristics

A single fan cools the A515-43-R057, which not only runs quietly but also too aggressively for our liking. While it peaks at only 30.2 dB(A) when idling, we noticed it turning on even when we launched a web browser. The device never really gets loud though, as the fan reaches a maximum of 39.5 dB(A) and averages 34.8 dB(A) under sustained load. Overall, you should have no issues with using the A515-43-R057 in quiet environments, but we would not recommend using it in a noise-sensitive one.

Noise Level

Idle
30.2 / 30.2 / 30.2 dB(A)
Load
34.8 / 39.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.631.433.83531.6253232.635.933.3323133.631.530.134.833.6403028.929.932305030.731.230.333.130.76328.329.328.628.828.38026.926.727.226.926.910025.127.325.827.425.112524.925.225.124.824.91602524.123.825.3252002423.922.823.42425023.523.122.522.923.531524.722.721.621.824.740024.522.320.720.824.550025.322.319.219.625.363023.221.118.51923.28002622.518.218.526100028.824.917.817.928.8125028.725.117.51828.7160029.425.317.117.729.4200031.525.917.417.431.5250031.623.917.217.531.6315027.220.917.617.527.240002319.417.717.423500023.419.317.817.623.463002218.717.917.722800019.318.11817.819.31000018.218.317.917.718.2125001817.917.817.7181600017.91817.917.617.9SPL39.534.830.230.339.5N32.11.41.43median 24.7median 22.5median 17.9median 17.9median 24.7Delta2.12.91.51.52.1hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW

Temperature

System information during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test
System information during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test

Our tests certify that the Aspire 5 manages its surface temperatures reasonably well. Our review unit remains at around 25.8 °C (~78 °F) when idling, while only one hotspot marginally exceeds 30 °C (~86 °F). Equally, the palm rest stays cool under sustained load, and the hottest area peaks at just 36.1 °C (~97 °F) . Hence, the laptop should only ever feel lukewarm, and you should encounter no issues with resting it on your lap even while gaming.

We also subjected our review unit to a stress test to determine how well it performed under extreme conditions. We left the test running for an hour, which we conducted using FurMark and Prime95. By the end of the test, CPU clock speeds had dropped to 1.3 GHz, 800 MHz shy of the CPU's 2.1 GHz base clock.

You should not experience this level of thermal throttling in daily use, though. We have designed our stress test to push devices to their limits, something that even heavy gaming fails to replicate.

Max. Load
 32.7 °C
91 F
34.8 °C
95 F
33.1 °C
92 F
 
 30.7 °C
87 F
35 °C
95 F
28.2 °C
83 F
 
 25.9 °C
79 F
24.7 °C
76 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 35 °C = 95 F
Average: 30.2 °C = 86 F
30.2 °C
86 F
36.1 °C
97 F
30.1 °C
86 F
26.8 °C
80 F
31 °C
88 F
29.4 °C
85 F
24.3 °C
76 F
24 °C
75 F
24.8 °C
77 F
Maximum: 36.1 °C = 97 F
Average: 28.5 °C = 83 F
Power Supply (max.)  48.1 °C = 119 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.1 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.7 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.3 °C / 81.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+1.5 °C / 2.7 F).
Heatmap of the top of the device at idle
Heatmap of the top of the device at idle
Heatmap of the bottom of the device at idle
Heatmap of the bottom of the device at idle
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The speakers in our review unit are rather quiet, but they do deliver relatively balanced sound. Hence, while they are good enough to listen to music in quiet environments, we would recommend using headphones or external speakers in all other scenarios.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.73531.72534.233.334.23137.234.837.24037.13237.15031.633.131.6633128.8318026.726.926.710027.627.427.612527.224.827.216030.225.330.220033.323.433.325044.222.944.231549.121.849.140053.920.853.950053.419.653.463059.61959.680062.318.562.3100061.117.961.1125056.21856.2160059.317.759.3200061.717.461.7250061.217.561.2315057.917.557.9400061.317.461.3500063.117.663.1630061.317.761.380006017.8601000058.217.758.21250051.817.751.81600051.817.651.8SPL72.330.372.3N29.91.429.9median 57.9median 17.9median 57.9Delta9.11.59.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WWApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (63.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 80% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - A frugal laptop with acceptable runtimes

Power Consumption

The A515-43-R057 consumes relatively little power, as our comparison table below demonstrates. The device consumed between 3.7 and 43.1 W during our tests, while averaging 6.2 W at idle and 31.1 under sustained load. None of our comparison devices can match both these values, although the HP ProBook 455R G6 consumes averages slightly less under load.

Acer includes a 45-W power supply in the box, which our tests certify is powerful enough to keep the device charging even when the system is being pushed to its limits.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.16 / 0.27 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.7 / 6.2 / 8.4 Watt
Load midlight 31.1 / 43.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
R5 3500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP ProBook 455R G6
R5 3500U, Vega 8, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo V155-15API
R5 3500U, Vega 8, Union Memory RTOTJ128VGD3EYX, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
R7 3700U, Vega 10, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
i5-8265U, GeForce MX150, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
-16%
-14%
-5%
-34%
-32%
-29%
-117%
Idle Minimum *
3.7
4.8
-30%
4.7
-27%
4.2
-14%
4.4
-19%
3.8
-3%
5.68 ?(3.7 - 11.5, n=42)
-54%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
-97%
Idle Average *
6.2
7.6
-23%
7.4
-19%
6.8
-10%
6.9
-11%
6.3
-2%
8.75 ?(5.86 - 21.8, n=42)
-41%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-90%
Idle Maximum *
8.4
10.9
-30%
8
5%
7
17%
9.9
-18%
9.6
-14%
10.1 ?(6.36 - 22.2, n=42)
-20%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-74%
Load Average *
31.1
30.2
3%
40.7
-31%
36.5
-17%
55
-77%
59.5
-91%
37.8 ?(24.1 - 55.3, n=42)
-22%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
-149%
Load Maximum *
43.1
42.2
2%
42
3%
44
-2%
63.4
-47%
64.4
-49%
46.2 ?(26.5 - 65.6, n=42)
-7%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
-177%
Witcher 3 ultra *
37.9

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The A515-43-R057 has a 48 Wh battery, which lasted for 7:46 hours in our practical Wi-Fi battery life test, a runtime that outperforms all our comparison devices. The same applies to our other battery life tests, where the A515-43-R057 also excels. None of our comparison devices can match its idling runtime, either.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
17h 41min
WiFi Websurfing
7h 46min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 10min
Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
HP ProBook 455R G6
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 45 Wh
Lenovo V155-15API
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 36 Wh
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
R7 3700U, Vega 10, 42 Wh
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, 48 Wh
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
i5-8265U, GeForce MX150, 48 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
-28%
-40%
-22%
-16%
-15%
-6%
Reader / Idle
1061
526
-50%
856
-19%
773
-27%
846
-20%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
-12%
WiFi v1.3
466
461
-1%
279
-40%
421
-10%
414
-11%
450
-3%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
20%
Load
130
87
-33%
81
-38%
117
-10%
101
-22%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
-25%

Pros

+ sturdy design
+ good maintenance options
+ solid input devices

Cons

- mediocre choice of ports
- poor CPU and GPU performance
- no memory card reader

Verdict - It could have been so much more

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 laptop review. Test device courtesy of Acer Germany.
The Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 laptop review. Test device courtesy of Acer Germany.

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 is a missed opportunity. Theoretically, the device should be a bargain at €500 (~$554), with it offering a more powerful CPU and more storage than many competing devices. Our review unit has decent input devices, is sturdy and has comparatively good battery life too, which makes its CPU performance even more frustrating.

If you are looking for a reasonable and affordable laptop, then the Acer Aspire 5 515-43-R057 will probably fit the bill. However, its performance could have been so much better had Acer made a few tweaks.

In short, the Ryzen 5 3500U in the A515-43-R057 falls hopelessly short of expectations in most scenarios. Enabling dual-channel mode by adding a second RAM module would improve performance slightly, but an underpowered cooling system is probably the root of the problem here. Overall, while the Acer Aspire A515-43-R057 is a solid budget laptop, it could have been so much better had Acer equipped it with a better cooling solution.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW - 12/14/2019 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
80 / 98 → 82%
Keyboard
77%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
43 / 80 → 54%
Weight
65 / 20-72 → 87%
Battery
78 / 95 → 82%
Display
79%
Games Performance
54 / 90 → 60%
Application Performance
80 / 90 → 88%
Temperature
94%
Noise
96 / 95 → 100%
Audio
52%
Camera
32 / 85 → 38%
Average
71%
78%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 Laptop Review: A super price for an AMD laptop, but with a hefty shortcoming
Mike Wobker, 2019-11- 7 (Update: 2019-11- 8)