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Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G (7200U, MX150, FHD) Laptop Review

Arduous all-rounder. Acer's brand-new multimedia all-rounder is equipped with an IPS panel, an SSD+HDD combo, and a GPU suitable for gaming. In addition, it surprised us with its very long battery life.

For the original German review, see here.

The Aspire 5 A515-51G is Acer’s first model of a brand-new series of 15.6-inch multimedia notebooks. Our review unit was equipped with an Intel Kaby Lake CPU and Nvidia’s brand-new GeForce MX150 GPU, thanks to which the device is capable of running current games smoothly. The Aspire’s competitors are devices like the Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB, the Dell Inspiron 15 5567, and the HP Pavilion 15t.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL (Aspire 5 A515 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-7200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1683 MHz, Memory: 1502 MHz, GDDR5, 64-bit, ForceWare 384.76, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2132, dual-channel, one slot (used), 4 GB soldered onto motherboard
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN06.1, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH, 128 GB 
, + WDC WD10SPZX (1TB, 5,400 rpm), 1020 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek HD Audio
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo jack, Card Reader: SD, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21.6 x 381.6 x 259 ( = 0.85 x 15.02 x 10.2 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 3220 mAh Lithium-Ion, 15.2 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, MS Office 365 (trial version), Norton Security (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.1 kg ( = 74.08 oz / 4.63 pounds), Power Supply: 318 g ( = 11.22 oz / 0.7 pounds)
Price
899 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Our review model’s case was completely black and made of plastic, save for the upper part of the base unit, which is made of brushed metal. The exterior cover on the lid is slightly grooved, and the bottom cover of the base features two maintenance flaps granting access to the single RAM slot and the 2.5-inch hard disk drive. The battery is not user-replaceable.

The case is well-made overall, with even gaps and no noticeable juts. The stability is decent as well, although we would have preferred the base unit to be a little bit more rigid. As is very common on consumer notebooks, the lid is much more flexible than the base, but we were unable to warp it or witness the infamous ripple effect on the display regardless of force applied to the back of the display. The lid can be opened up to around 150 degrees, and the hinges are solid. The lid can be opened one-handed.

In regards to size, the Aspire 5 is roughly on a par with its competitors, but it is a bit lighter than some of them.

Size Comparison

390 mm / 15.4 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 23.3 mm / 0.917 inch 2.3 kg5.06 lbs382 mm / 15 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 29.2 mm / 1.15 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 2.1 kg4.59 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg4.98 lbs381.6 mm / 15 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 21.6 mm / 0.85 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs379 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

There were no surprises in terms of connectivity. The notebook features 3 USB Type-A ports (2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Gen. 1), a single USB Type-C port (USB 3.1 Gen. 1), and HDMI-video output. The ports are positioned towards the rear on both sides thus leaving the front next to the palm rests free of clutter.

Left: Kensington lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 (Type-C), HDMI, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 (Type-A), SD-card reader
Left: Kensington lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 (Type-C), HDMI, USB 3.1 Gen. 1 (Type-A), SD-card reader
Right: 3.5 mm audio combo jack, 2x USB 2.0 (Type-A), power
Right: 3.5 mm audio combo jack, 2x USB 2.0 (Type-A), power

SD-Card Reader

The Aspire’s SD-card reader is decently fast. Copying large blocks of data, it managed transfer speeds of up to 84.7 MB/s, and our usual transfer of 250 JPEG files, around 5 MB each, was performed at 64 MB/s. The SD card used was our reference card, a 64 GB Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC UHS-II.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
64 MB/s
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
60.9 MB/s -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
59 MB/s -8%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
52.6 MB/s -18%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
 
24.2 MB/s -62%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.2 MB/s -64%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
88.4 MB/s +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
84.7 MB/s
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.9 MB/s -4%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
 
27.5 MB/s -68%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.5 MB/s -68%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.9 MB/s -71%

Communication

The 3168 Wi-Fi chip is made by Intel, and it supports the whole nine yards of Wi-Fi standards: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. Tested under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices nearby, short distance between notebook and server) it performed very well. A full-sized and fast Ethernet port powered by a Realtek RTL8168/8111 chip is available as well.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
332 MBit/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
319 MBit/s -4%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
56 MBit/s -83%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
350 MBit/s +18%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
297 MBit/s
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
52.9 MBit/s -82%

Webcam

The integrated webcam is equipped with a 1280 x 720 sensor, and photos taken with it were somewhat washed-out.

Accessories

There are no accessories in the box save for the usual suspects (quick-start guide, warranty booklet).

Maintenance

The Aspire’s bottom cover features two maintenance flaps granting access to the single RAM slot and the 2.5-inch hard disk drive. In order to access the SSD, the bottom cover has to be removed. Both maintenance flaps and the 2.5-inch drive have to be removed in order to access all screws necessary. Once they have all been removed as well, the cover can be unfastened with a thin spudger or a plastic spatula. This will grant access to the SSD, the fan, and the Wi-Fi module.

Warranty

In Europe, the Aspire is sold with a two-year warranty while in the US, Acer’s consumer notebooks are generally sold with a one-year limited warranty. Warranty extensions can be purchased separately. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The Aspire is equipped with a non-backlit chiclet keyboard. The main keys are slightly concaved while the function and numpad keys are completely flat. All keys are slightly roughened. Key travel is rather short, and feedback is very firm and precise. While typing, the keyboard flexes a bit in the middle but not disturbingly so. All things considered, the keyboard is decent and suitable for long-lasting typing sessions. It lacks a backlight though.

Touchpad

Equipped with a 10.5 x 7.9 cm large multitouch ClickPad, the touchpad is amply sized and suitable for performing gestures. It is slippery and smooth, and it is capable of detecting input up to its very edges and corners. As with the keyboard, the integrated buttons travel is rather shallow but their feedback is decently firm.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

On the one hand, the matte 15.6-inch Full HD display (1920x1080) features a fairly high contrast ratio of 1,381:1. On the other, its maximum brightness of only 236.1 nits is too dim. Taking the notebook’s price into consideration, a brightness of more than 300 nits would have been appropriate. At least we found no evidence of PWM-flickering whatsoever.

252
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
250
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
217
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN06.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 261 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 236.1 cd/m² Minimum: 18.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 235 cd/m²
Contrast: 1382:1 (Black: 0.17 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.69 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.34 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
57% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.57% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
57.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.63
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
AH-IPS, WLED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
11%
1%
3%
-5%
13%
Display P3 Coverage
38.3
42.66
11%
38.57
1%
39.48
3%
36.24
-5%
43.27
13%
sRGB Coverage
57.6
64.1
11%
57.4
0%
59
2%
54.6
-5%
64.9
13%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
39.57
44.08
11%
39.89
1%
40.81
3%
37.44
-5%
44.71
13%
Response Times
-35%
7%
10%
21%
-16%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
41 ?(18, 23)
51 ?(18, 33)
-24%
39 ?(21, 18)
5%
36 ?(13, 23)
12%
43 ?(18, 25)
-5%
42 ?(13.2, 28.8)
-2%
Response Time Black / White *
26 ?(15, 11)
38 ?(8, 30)
-46%
24 ?(19, 5)
8%
24 ?(8, 16)
8%
14 ?(6, 8)
46%
33.6 ?(7.6, 26)
-29%
PWM Frequency
50 ?(10)
50 ?(50)
198.4
Screen
-0%
-62%
-49%
-82%
-29%
Brightness middle
235
291
24%
176
-25%
291
24%
145
-38%
186.5
-21%
Brightness
236
265
12%
169
-28%
270
14%
144
-39%
174
-26%
Brightness Distribution
80
86
8%
91
14%
85
6%
90
13%
69
-14%
Black Level *
0.17
0.23
-35%
0.47
-176%
0.38
-124%
0.49
-188%
0.18
-6%
Contrast
1382
1265
-8%
374
-73%
766
-45%
296
-79%
1036
-25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.69
4.78
-2%
8.83
-88%
8.6
-83%
9.27
-98%
5.7
-22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.9
9.51
-20%
14.01
-77%
17.39
-120%
16.9
-114%
22.5
-185%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.34
3.49
-4%
8.97
-169%
8.5
-154%
12.28
-268%
4.4
-32%
Gamma
2.63 84%
2.58 85%
2.43 91%
2.31 95%
2.03 108%
2.35 94%
CCT
6801 96%
6013 108%
10234 64%
6184 105%
10732 61%
6963 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36
40
11%
36.8
2%
32
-11%
35
-3%
44.71
24%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
57
64
12%
57.3
1%
59
4%
55
-4%
64.95
14%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / -3%
-18% / -40%
-12% / -31%
-22% / -53%
-11% / -19%

* ... smaller is better

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 not detected

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.

Aspire vs. sRGB
Aspire vs. sRGB
Aspire vs. AdobeRGB
Aspire vs. AdobeRGB

Color accuracy was not too shabby out of the box, with a DeltaE deviation of 4.69 (ideal: less than 3). There was no detectable tint, and we were able to improve its accuracy somewhat through calibration. DeltaE deviation dropped to 3.52 and grayscales were much more balanced as well. Color-space coverage is at 57% sRGB and 36% AdobeRGB.

Since multiple different panels within a single series are quite common make sure that your panel matches ours when using the ICC profile available for download in the box above. Otherwise you might end up achieving the exact opposite of what you were aiming for.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - saturation (calibrated)

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
26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 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. » 57 % 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
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 23 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. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The display’s viewing angles were superb thanks to its IPS panel. It remained readable even at very acute angles, but its outdoor visibility was limited due to its dim backlight.

Outdoors, bright and sunny, in direct sunlight
Outdoors, bright and sunny, in direct sunlight
Outdoors, bright and sunny, sun behind the display
Outdoors, bright and sunny, sun behind the display
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The Aspire 5 A515-51G is a 15.6-inch multimedia all-rounder capable of running the most common games smoothly. Our review unit sells for around 850 Euros (~$997) in Europe. In the US, the cheapest SKU (i5-7200U, 940MX, 1 TB HDD) can be purchased for $600. US prices for this particular SKU have yet to be announced.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon

Processor

Equipped with a Core i5-7200U Kaby Lake dual-core ULV CPU (15 W), our review unit featured a mid-range processor from Intel’s current line-up and was decently equipped for a multimedia notebook. While SKUs featuring the faster i7-7500U are also available, most users will be fine with the cheaper model; the minor gain in performance is not worth the hefty price premium.

The Core i5 processor runs at a base clock speed of 2.5 GHz and turbo boosts up to 3.1 GHz on both cores. However, turbo boost is only applied when running on mains, not on battery. Accordingly, all benchmarks ran at a steady 2.5 GHz when performed on battery, and we found no way to change this behavior in the notebook’s BIOS setup.

By running Cinebench R15’s multithread test in a 30-minute loop, we were able to determine whether or not the full turbo boost is maintained throughout periods of sustained load. For the Aspire 5 A515-51G, we can affirm that it is: performance at the end of the test was no worse than at the beginning.

Single-thread (on mains)
Single-thread (on mains)
Multithread (on mains)
Multithread (on mains)
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

Overall, the benchmark results were comparable to similarly equipped notebooks and faster than notebooks featuring the i5-7200U’s Skylake predecessor, the i5-6200U. This advantage is achieved mainly through Kaby Lake’s higher clock speeds since there are no architectural differences between these two generations.

Users who require more performance can always pick a notebook featuring one of Intel’s mobile quad-core processors. However, a quad-core processor can only improve performance in applications supporting more than two threads, thereby utilizing more than two cores. Since most applications still don’t do this, real-world performance scaling when going from a dual to a quad-core CPU is rather poor.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
4015
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
11247
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5007
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
52.9 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.69 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.48 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
84.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
330 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
129 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points +23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
148 Points +15%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
148 Points +15%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
142 Points +10%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
141 Points +9%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
130 Points +1%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
129 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
129 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
686 Points +108%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
511 Points +55%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
345 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points +2%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
331 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
330 Points
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
300 Points -9%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.54 Points +104%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.78 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.75 Points +2%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
3.7 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
3.69 Points
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
3.33 Points -10%
CPU Single 64Bit
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.77 Points +20%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.67 Points +13%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.66 Points +12%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
1.48 Points 0%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
1.48 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
1.48 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
18304 Points +63%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
12161 Points +8%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
12043 Points +7%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
11301 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
11247 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
11211 Points 0%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
10562 Points -6%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
5687 Points +14%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
5670 Points +13%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
5624 Points +12%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5502 Points +10%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
5022 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
5007 Points
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
4907 Points -2%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
9752 Points +44%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
7635 Points +13%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
6766 Points
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
6370 Points -6%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
3526 Points +14%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
3195 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
3094 Points
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
2888 Points -7%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
8237 Points +14%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
8085 Points +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
7218 Points
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
6760 Points -6%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
4291 Points +15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
3727 Points
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
3626 Points -3%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
3387 Points -9%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
8081 Points +7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
7544 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
3809 Points
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
3387 Points -11%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
263.8 Points +23%
Acer Aspire VX15 VX5-591G-589S
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
247.5 Points +16%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Intel Core i7-7500U
244.6 Points +14%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Intel Core i7-7500U
240.3 Points +12%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Intel Core i7-7500U
233.1 Points +9%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Intel Core i5-7200U
220.8 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Intel Core i5-7200U
213.8 Points
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Intel Core i7-6500U
195.5 Points -9%

System Performance

Overall system performance was very solid thanks to the SSD and the fast Core i5 processor. Accordingly, PCMark 8 results were decent. Gaming is smooth thanks to the powerful GPU, and we found no way to further improve the system performance.

PCMark 7 Score
5413 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3650 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4443 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4590 points
PCMark 10 Score
3075 points
Help
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
3978 Points +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
3778 Points +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
3650 Points
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3424 Points -6%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Phison 128GB PS3109-S9
3266 Points -11%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3162 Points -13%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
5033 Points +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
4590 Points
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Phison 128GB PS3109-S9
4498 Points -2%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
4340 Points -5%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
4047 Points -12%
PCMark 10 - Score
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
3075 Points

Storage Devices

The 128 GB M.2-2280 SSD our review model was equipped with was made by Kingston. Out of the box, we had around 90 GB of usable space. Transfer speeds were decent. In addition to the SSD, the notebook was also outfitted with a regular 1 TB 5,400 rpm 2.5-inch hard disk drive.

The SSD is used for the operating system and the applications
The SSD is used for the operating system and the applications
Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
Sequential Read: 407.5 MB/s
Sequential Write: 283.5 MB/s
512K Read: 282.4 MB/s
512K Write: 72.7 MB/s
4K Read: 26.81 MB/s
4K Write: 73.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 294.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 89.6 MB/s
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
Liteonit CV3-DE256
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
Phison 128GB PS3109-S9
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
Toshiba MQ01ABD100
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
74%
-87%
-16%
88%
-83%
Read Seq
407.5
469.2
15%
95.3
-77%
433.2
6%
502
23%
109.5
-73%
Write Seq
283.5
431.5
52%
85.6
-70%
131.9
-53%
458.1
62%
105.2
-63%
Read 512
282.4
338.3
20%
29.32
-90%
250
-11%
382.8
36%
34.08
-88%
Write 512
72.7
297.9
310%
25.93
-64%
90.6
25%
385.7
431%
40.02
-45%
Read 4k
26.81
28.68
7%
0.366
-99%
30.69
14%
29.25
9%
0.429
-98%
Write 4k
73.7
66.8
-9%
0.726
-99%
51.2
-31%
55.9
-24%
1.008
-99%
Read 4k QD32
294.8
364.7
24%
0.647
-100%
112.2
-62%
285.2
-3%
0.81
-100%
Write 4k QD32
89.6
245.9
174%
0.722
-99%
73.2
-18%
239.6
167%
0.893
-99%

Graphics Card

Equipped with the GeForce MX150, the Aspire comes with a brand-new GPU based on Nvidia’s GeForce GT 1030 core. It supports DirectX 12, runs at up to 1,683 MHz, and it is capable of addressing up to 2,048 MB of GDDR5 VRAM. In our 3DMark benchmarks, the MX150 performed slightly better than a GeForce GTX 950M.

Since it supports Optimus, the Aspire alternates between the dedicated MX150 and the CPU’s integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU. Generally speaking, the more efficient Intel GPU is used for those applications that don’t require the MX150’s oomph. The system automatically switches between the two based on current demand.

GPU soldered onto the motherboard
GPU soldered onto the motherboard
3DMark 06 Standard Score
19415 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
14144 points
3DMark 11 Performance
4506 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
51765 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9837 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3114 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
1637 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1124 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
5388 Points +18%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
4685 Points +2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
4575 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4502 Points -2%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-6500U
4350 Points -5%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
4251 Points -7%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
2556 Points -44%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
2436 Points -47%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, Intel Core i7-7500U
2208 Points -52%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
23434 Points +21%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
22439 Points +16%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21594 Points +12%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
21533 Points +11%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-6500U
20061 Points +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
19333 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, Intel Core i7-7500U
9617 Points -50%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
9297 Points -52%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
3759 Points +5%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
3673 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
3576 Points
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
3574 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
3252 Points -9%
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-6500U
3102 Points -13%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
1750 Points -51%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, Intel Core i7-7500U
1579 Points -56%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
283.9 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
229 fps -19%
T-Rex Onscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
200.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
59.7 fps -70%
GFXBench 3.0
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
148.7 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
92.2 fps -38%
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
111.5 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
27.9 fps -75%
GFXBench 3.1
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
111.5 fps
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
92.1 fps
GFXBench
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
75.4 fps
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
63.1 fps
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
769 Samples/s +72%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
456 Samples/s +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
483 Samples/s +8%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
446 Samples/s
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
422 Samples/s -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
394 Samples/s -12%
Sala GPUs-only
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1451 Samples/s +84%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
805 Samples/s +2%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
987 Samples/s +25%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
918 Samples/s +16%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
790 Samples/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
774 Samples/s -2%
Geekbench 4.0 - Compute OpenCL Score
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
45746 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
43771 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
41516 Points -9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
18977 Points -59%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
40018 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
19678 Points -57%
Geekbench 4.4 - Compute OpenCL Score
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
46097 Points
Unigine Heaven 2.1 - 1280x1024 high, Tesselation (normal), DirectX11 AA:off AF:1x
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
56.9 fps
Unigine Heaven 3.0 - 1920x1080 DX 11, Normal Tessellation, High Shaders AA:Off AF:Off
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
41.8 fps
Unigine Valley 1.0 - 1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
16.8 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
16.4 fps -2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
AMD Radeon R7 M445, Intel Core i7-7500U
6.6 fps -61%

Gaming Performance

Gaming is smooth thanks to the Aspire’s powerful hardware. Most games in our gaming database ran perfectly fine at 1366x768 and medium details. Less-demanding games can be enjoyed in higher resolutions or with higher details. While the MX150 scored higher than the GTX 950M in the 3DMark benchmarks, real-world gaming experience shows that it is outperformed ever so slightly by the GDDR5-equipped model thereof but manages to beat the GTX 950M DDR3-equipped model with ease. The culprit is the MX150’s 64-bit memory bus whereas the GTX 950M (GDDR5) features a 128-bit bus.

By running The Witcher 3 at 1920x1080 with maximum details in a 60-minute loop we can determine whether or not gaming performance remains consistent throughout longer periods of gaming load. The avatar is not moved at all during this benchmark. The Aspire’s gaming performance remained consistent.

0123456789101112131415161718Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
CPU throttling after a few minutes already. Frame rates remained consistent though.
CPU throttling after a few minutes already. Frame rates remained consistent though.
Neither CPU nor GPU heat up significantly.
Neither CPU nor GPU heat up significantly.
low med. high ultra
Diablo III (2012) 143 123 120.2 81.2
Tomb Raider (2013) 232.2 129.3 87.2 40.8
BioShock Infinite (2013) 160.5 97 82.2 30.2
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 82.1 54.9 32.9 24.9
GTA V (2015) 92.2 83 35 6.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 60.7 36.9 20.3 17
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 54 46 21
Mad Max (2015) 72.6 37.1 34.5
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 125.6 97 78.5 68.9
World of Warships (2015) 130.8 106.4 68.1 45
Anno 2205 (2015) 60.6 46 27.2 9.1
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) 94.4 62.2 29.3 25.5
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 118.1 78.8 42.4 25.1
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 51.3 33.6 20.4 17.2
Far Cry Primal (2016) 57 26 23 18
The Division (2016) 65.2 42.8 20 15.5
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 28.9 19.3 16.3
Doom (2016) 68.6 24.5 18.2 14
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 40.8 30.5 17 6.8
Battlefield 1 (2016) 71.9 53.9 25.4 20.9
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 193.2 150.9 73.9 53.3
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 157.5 71.5 42 5.3
For Honor (2017) 85.1 31.1 29.4 21.4
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 48.1 19.5 14.4 2.8
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 70 26.3 23.2
Prey (2017) 100.4 41 34.9 28.2
Rocket League (2017) 127.6 54.3 37.8
Dirt 4 (2017) 107.2 46.3 24.1 14
BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
37.8 fps +25%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
35.66 fps +18%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
35 fps +16%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
30.2 fps
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Phison 128GB PS3109-S9
24 (5.7min - 45.5max) fps -21%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
14.6 fps -52%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
13.8 (5.7min - 120.6max) fps -54%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
13.5 fps -55%
1366x768 High Preset
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
86.8 fps +6%
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
86.7 fps +5%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
82.2 fps
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Phison 128GB PS3109-S9
69.5 (11.6min - 138max) fps -15%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
44.5 (8.7min - 164.9max) fps -46%
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
42.7 fps -48%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
39.1 fps -52%
The Witcher 3 - 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
GeForce MX150, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3128GG6
72 (61min - 79max) fps +19%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
69.5 (63min - 75max) fps +14%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
60.7 fps
Acer Aspire F5-771G-50RD
GeForce GTX 950M, i5-7200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
55.7 fps -8%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
40.9 (37min - 46max) fps -33%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
30.8 fps -49%
Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
40.8 fps
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
18.3 fps -55%
Doom - 1280x720 Low Preset
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
68.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
53.4 (45min - 71max) fps -22%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
53.1 (45min - 71max) fps -23%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
Radeon R7 M445, i7-7500U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
35 fps -49%
For Honor - 1280x720 Low Preset
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
GeForce MX150, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3128GG6
91 (63min - 117max) fps +7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
85.1 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
82.3 (64min - 106max) fps -3%

Emissions

System Noise

Fan
Fan

When idle and under low load, the Aspire’s fan is completely off and therefore noiseless. Only the rotating hard disk drive can be heard. Under load, the fan ramps up quite quickly and reaches a maximum volume of 41.2 dB(A) during our stress test. Unfortunately, it produces a quiet yet noticeable high-pitched whistle on medium speeds.

Noise Level

Idle
30.1 / 30.2 / 30.5 dB(A)
HDD
30.5 dB(A)
Load
41.1 / 41.2 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: 30.1 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.533.531.931.729.833.52534.230.333.231.631.234.23135.129.731.234.530.435.1403231.7313228.9325043.44442.642.629.443.46329.229.229.52827.829.28028.427.728.525.325.928.410028.127.227.925.527.128.112526.524.92424.924.926.516024.524.723.323.324.224.520024.32523.122.522.524.325025.525.622.821.521.525.531528.128.520.52120.728.140026.727.119.819.620.226.75002626.319.119.419.22663025.225.518.818.818.425.280027.427.818.518.218.127.4100032.432.918.717.717.532.4125032.532.81817.617.232.5160030.730.518.117.617.530.7200031.43117.617.517.331.4250031.331.317.717.417.331.3315028.928.817.817.617.628.9400026.526.217.717.917.626.5500025.425.11817.617.725.4630025.22518.117.917.925.2800023.623.518.118.11823.6100002120.918.318.318.2211250019.519.418.218.118.219.51600019.318.918.318.418.319.3SPL41.141.230.530.330.141.1N3.63.61.41.41.43.6median 26.5median 26.2median 18.3median 18.2median 18.2median 26.5Delta2.12.511.41.52.1hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
i5-7200U, GeForce MX150
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
6500U, GeForce GTX 950M
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Noise
-1%
4%
-17%
-1%
-4%
off / environment *
30.1
31.6
-5%
28.9
4%
31.2
-4%
30.6
-2%
Idle Minimum *
30.1
32.6
-8%
30.8
-2%
39
-30%
30.6
-2%
32.2
-7%
Idle Average *
30.2
32.6
-8%
30.8
-2%
39
-29%
30.6
-1%
32.2
-7%
Idle Maximum *
30.5
32.6
-7%
30.8
-1%
40
-31%
30.6
-0%
33.7
-10%
Load Average *
41.1
35.3
14%
33.4
19%
42.5
-3%
41.9
-2%
39.4
4%
Witcher 3 ultra *
40.4
Load Maximum *
41.2
37.1
10%
40.1
3%
42.4
-3%
41.8
-1%
42.2
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Aspire stress test
Aspire stress test

There were no differences between running our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark simultaneously for at least a full hour) on mains and on battery. The CPU starts out at 2.5 GHz but reduces its clock speed to around 1.6 GHz after 20 minutes and around 1.4-1.5 GHz a short while thereafter. We deem this behavior to be fairly normal, especially considering that under normal circumstances and regular load the Aspire was capable of maintaining its full turbo boost speeds over long periods of sustained realistic load. The GPU ran at 1,620 MHz on mains and 1,450 MHz on battery.

The notebook does not get particularly hot. Three spots heated up to more than 40 °C during our stress test but all measuring points remained below 40 °C during our The Witcher 3 test (a full hour at FHD and maximum details).

Max. Load
 37.4 °C
99 F
41.3 °C
106 F
29 °C
84 F
 
 34.5 °C
94 F
37.2 °C
99 F
24.6 °C
76 F
 
 26.4 °C
80 F
26.1 °C
79 F
24.6 °C
76 F
 
Maximum: 41.3 °C = 106 F
Average: 31.2 °C = 88 F
30 °C
86 F
48.7 °C
120 F
31.7 °C
89 F
24.5 °C
76 F
40.5 °C
105 F
30.6 °C
87 F
24.1 °C
75 F
25 °C
77 F
25 °C
77 F
Maximum: 48.7 °C = 120 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.2 °C / 88 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 41.3 °C / 106 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 48.7 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.9 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.9 °C / 91 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 37.3 °C / 99.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-8.5 °C / -15.3 F).
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
i5-7200U, GeForce MX150
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
6500U, GeForce GTX 950M
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Heat
16%
-13%
-1%
-3%
13%
Maximum Upper Side *
41.3
38.3
7%
48.1
-16%
44.6
-8%
41.6
-1%
40
3%
Maximum Bottom *
48.7
36
26%
60.8
-25%
50.8
-4%
51.3
-5%
34.8
29%
Idle Upper Side *
28.7
24.9
13%
30.8
-7%
28.1
2%
29.4
-2%
27.2
5%
Idle Bottom *
30.8
25.6
17%
31.9
-4%
28.5
7%
32.4
-5%
26
16%

* ... smaller is better

Heat-map top (load)
Heat-map top (load)
Heat-map top (idle)
Heat-map top (idle)
Heat-map top (The Witcher 3)
Heat-map top (The Witcher 3)
Heat-map bottom (load)
Heat-map bottom (load)
Heat-map bottom (idle)
Heat-map bottom (idle)
Heat-map bottom (The Witcher 3)
Heat-map bottom (The Witcher 3)

Speakers

Both speakers are located at the bottom, and they produce a pleasant soundscape that could use a bit more bass. Maximum volume is fairly low, but the 3.5 mm audio jack worked as expected and can be used to improve the audio experience immensely.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.529.832.52528.331.228.33131.130.431.14031.228.931.25041.229.441.26328.727.828.78025.425.925.410025.327.125.31252624.92616034.224.234.220039.822.539.82504921.5493155220.75240057.620.257.650057.419.257.46306118.4618006618.166100066.217.566.2125064.417.264.4160065.417.565.4200069.717.369.7250065.517.365.5315067.917.667.9400065.617.665.6500067.717.767.7630061.717.961.7800057.81857.8100006318.2631250065.818.265.81600057.218.357.2SPL77.730.177.7N40.11.440.1median 61.7median 18.2median 61.7Delta8.61.58.635.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RLApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 62% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 32% 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%

Frequency comparison (checkboxes selectable/deselectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

We were positively surprised by the Aspire’s low power consumption. When idle, our measurements indicated an average of only 6.4 W, which is very good considering the powerful CPU/GPU combination and the FHD display. While running our stress test, the power demand shot up to 66 W. Accordingly, the included 65 W charger is not powerful enough for this scenario. During everyday use, power consumption was between 40 and 60 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.45 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.9 / 5.9 / 6.4 Watt
Load midlight 54 / 66 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 A515-51G-51RL
i5-7200U, GeForce MX150
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
6500U, GeForce GTX 950M
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX
Power Consumption
-11%
-44%
-105%
-9%
-36%
Idle Minimum *
2.9
3.9
-34%
6
-107%
8.7
-200%
4
-38%
6.16
-112%
Idle Average *
5.9
7.4
-25%
8.1
-37%
14.5
-146%
5.4
8%
8.48
-44%
Idle Maximum *
6.4
9.5
-48%
9.8
-53%
15.6
-144%
8.3
-30%
9.62
-50%
Load Average *
54
41
24%
52.5
3%
61
-13%
54
-0%
41.63
23%
Witcher 3 ultra *
51
Load Maximum *
66
48
27%
81.6
-24%
82
-24%
55.4
16%
63.22
4%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our real-life Wi-Fi test simulating normal use while browsing the web with the energy plan set to “Balanced” and a normalized display brightness of 150 nits, the Aspire lasted for 8:37 hours. It ran out of power slightly sooner in our video test playing the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264, 1920x1080 resolution) in a loop with all communications hardware disabled, the energy plan set to “Energy Saver”, and once again display brightness normalized at 150 nits. The device powered off after 8:14 hours.

48 Wh battery
48 Wh battery
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 53min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 40)
8h 37min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 14min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 22min
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
i5-7200U, GeForce MX150, 48 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad 510-15IKB 80SV0087GE
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX, 30 Wh
Acer Aspire E5-575G-549D
i5-7200U, GeForce GTX 950M, 62 Wh
Medion Erazer P6661 MD 99873
6500U, GeForce GTX 950M, 44 Wh
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5567-1753
i7-7500U, Radeon R7 M445, 42 Wh
HP Pavilion 15t-au100 CTO (W0P31AV)
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX, 41 Wh
Battery Runtime
-47%
-27%
-57%
-38%
-49%
Reader / Idle
1253
767
-39%
521
-58%
466
-63%
438
-65%
H.264
494
460
-7%
114
-77%
316
-36%
WiFi v1.3
517
275
-47%
451
-13%
230
-56%
417
-19%
220
-57%
Load
142
75
-47%
93
-35%
95
-33%
106
-25%

Verdict

Pros

+ matte IPS display
+ FHD resolution
+ SSD+HDD
+ plenty of storage space
+ very long battery life

Cons

- dim display
- no keyboard backlight
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de

The Acer Aspire 5 515-51G-51RL is a multimedia all-rounder with a matte 15.6-inch FHD display and a thin case resembling the Aspire V15 Nitro’s design. The built-in Core i5 processor is powerful enough for most common usage scenarios, and combined with the GeForce MX150 GPU it manages to run all current games smoothly. It remains surprisingly cool and quiet, and it is even completely soundless while happily crunching its way through regular office workloads.

Acer’s latest Aspire 5 is a decent overall multimedia all-rounder with only minor drawbacks.

It is fairly quick thanks to its SSD and offers plenty of storage space thanks to the built-in 1 TB 2.5-inch hard disk drive that can be easily replaced after removing a single maintenance flap. Unfortunately, the case has to be disassembled in order to replace the SSD. Lasting an impressive 8:37 hours in our Wi-Fi test, battery life was excellent for a multimedia notebook.

The keyboard is decent and suitable for prolific writers, but it lacks a backlight that should have been included in a device like this. The matte IPS panel offers decent viewing angles, a good high contrast ratio, and half-decent color-space coverage. However, maximum brightness is significantly too low for a device at the Aspire’s price point. It is also a mystery to us why Acer only included a single USB 3.1 Gen. 1 instead of the much faster Gen. 2 port.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL - 07/26/2017 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
83 / 98 → 84%
Keyboard
74%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
49 / 81 → 60%
Weight
62 / 20-67 → 90%
Battery
90%
Display
85%
Games Performance
74 / 85 → 88%
Application Performance
86 / 92 → 93%
Temperature
91%
Noise
88 / 95 → 93%
Audio
56%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
75%
83%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G (7200U, MX150, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2017-08- 4 (Update: 2020-05-19)