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Acer Aspire 5 A515 in review: A look at a Tiger Lake laptop

Cooling system limits performance. The exterior of the Aspire 5 A515 has remained in line with its predecessors but now contains a Tiger Lake CPU. Find out how this processor fares in everyday use and what else users can expect from this office notebook in our review.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A

Whether it was equipped with a dedicated graphics card, a 14-inch display or Ryzen APU, the Acer Aspire 5 has always proved itself to be a very good device for office and everyday applications. Acer is hoping to continue this trend with its new version of the Aspire 5, A515-56-511A. 

The manufacturer has placed its bets on the current Tiger Lake CPU that has an integrated Xe graphics unit, 16 GB of RAM and a 1-TB SSD. Equipped with these features and a price of around $630, the notebook will have to compete with the competitors listed below. You can also add further devices from our database to the comparison at the end of every section. 

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A (Aspire 5 A515 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7 4 x 2.4 - 4.2 GHz, 64 W PL2 / Short Burst, 28 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-UP3
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LGD065A, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Tiger Lake-UP3 PCH-LP
Storage
Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD, 1024 GB 
, 884 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Tiger Lake-U/Y PCH-LP - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio jack
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 363 x 239 ( = 0.71 x 14.29 x 9.41 in)
Battery
48.85 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9 MP, 16:9 (1280x720)
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.9 kg ( = 67.02 oz / 4.19 pounds), Power Supply: 260 g ( = 9.17 oz / 0.57 pounds)
Price
750 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

possible competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
81.4 %
02/2021
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
1.9 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.7 %
01/2021
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
R5 4500U, Vega 6
1.5 kg17 mm15.60"1920x1080
81 %
12/2020
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620
1.9 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1080
86 %
01/2021
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs
1.3 kg14.9 mm13.30"1920x1080

Case

The Acer Aspire 5 is wrapped in solid plastic and made with good workmanship. Only the display cover is made of aluminum, which provides the 15-inch display with good stability. The base unit is heavy enough to let you open the device with one hand. The maximum opening angle is around 140 degrees. The open display lifts the back of the base unit up slightly. 

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A

The Acer Aspire 5 weighs around 1.9 kg, which is not heavy, although our comparison field also includes even lighter devices. The dimensions are average.

Size comparison

363 mm / 14.3 inch 239 mm / 9.41 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs361.4 mm / 14.2 inch 247.8 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.21 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 230 mm / 9.06 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.5 kg3.32 lbs299 mm / 11.8 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.3 kg2.78 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Acer decided not to take any new risks in terms of port selection and has made no changes compared to the predecessors. Even the GigabitLAN port remains available while the device still lacks an SD card reader.

Left: power in, GigabitLAN, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Tyep-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
Left: power in, GigabitLAN, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Tyep-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
Right: combined audio jack, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington Lock
Right: combined audio jack, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington Lock

Communication

Apart from the cable-based LAN connection, the Acer Aspire 5 also supports data connections via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. While connected to our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, the office notebook reached an average speed of 1328 MBit/s when receiving and 1422 MBit/s when sending data. This result is very good and positions our test unit at the top of our comparison table.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1422 (1330min - 1712max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1383 (1298min - 1426max) MBit/s -3%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s -18%
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s -43%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
676 MBit/s -52%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
658 (347min - 742max) MBit/s -54%
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1328 (778min - 1391max) MBit/s
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -5%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
932 (921min - 944max) MBit/s -30%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
920 MBit/s -31%
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s -36%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
655 (577min - 680max) MBit/s -51%
050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900950100010501100115012001250130013501400145015001550160016501700Tooltip
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1328 (778-1391)
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø655 (577-680)
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø932 (921-944)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1422 (1330-1712)
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø646 (347-742)
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1383 (1298-1426)

Webcam

Acer has equipped its Aspire 5 with a widely used but low-resolution 0.9 MP webcam. The image quality is accordingly meager with the picture being blurry and too light even under good lighting conditions.

ColorChecker
27.8 ∆E
20.5 ∆E
21.2 ∆E
17.6 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
16 ∆E
22.9 ∆E
29.9 ∆E
16.7 ∆E
9.4 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
8 ∆E
29.5 ∆E
20.8 ∆E
20.4 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
16 ∆E
18.3 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
11.5 ∆E
17.5 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
8.3 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
ColorChecker Honor MagicBook 15 4500U: 16.38 ∆E min: 3.54 - max: 29.93 ∆E
ColorChecker
14.7 ∆E
16.5 ∆E
18.5 ∆E
14.3 ∆E
17.6 ∆E
17.9 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
23.4 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
10.4 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
16.7 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
21.2 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
17.7 ∆E
19.1 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
11.5 ∆E
17.8 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A: 13.99 ∆E min: 3.31 - max: 23.36 ∆E

Accessories

The Aspire 5 comes with an AC adapter but no other accessories. However, Acer does offer a wide range of compatible notebook accessories on their website.

Maintenance

The Acer Aspire 5 A515 can be opened up after removing all screws from the bottom of the base unit. Lifting the cover off is particularly difficult towards the front. Doing so will give you access to the storage device and RAM module, although the latter is divided up into one fixed 8-GB module and one exchangeable RAM module.

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - maintenance options
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - maintenance options
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - RAM and SSD
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - RAM and SSD

Warranty

Acer gives buyers of the Aspire 5 a warranty period of 24 months.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard of the Acer notebook is suitable for regular typists. The keys might be on the small side, but they feature a very crisp pressure point and are easy to use. The keyboard also includes a physical number pad and various special function keys instead of adding them to existing keys in the form of secondary functions. The one-tier keyboard backlighting ensures that most letters can be read clearly in bad lighting conditions. However, the space bar was left out in our test model and the lighting turned off after a short period, something that we could not change.

Touchpad

The Aspire 5's clickpad is suitable for controlling the cursor. Mouse clicks can be triggered reliably both by touch or by click. The touchpad is a bit loose in its casing and makes a rattling noise when in use. 

Acer Aspire 5 - input devices
Acer Aspire 5 - input devices
Acer Aspire 5 - backlighting
Acer Aspire 5 - backlighting

Display

Subpixel
Subpixel
Backlight bleeding - photo with long exposure
Backlight bleeding - photo with long exposure

The display of the Acer Aspire 5 A515 consists of a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Its brightness is on par with its competition at 255 nits and with a brightness distribution of 84 percent.

Acer does not use PWM to regulate the display's brightness, which users with sensitive eyes with be pleased to hear. 

259
cd/m²
262
cd/m²
253
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
243
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
243
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD065A tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 285 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 255.3 cd/m² Minimum: 23 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 285 cd/m²
Contrast: 877:1 (Black: 0.325 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.23 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.75
ΔE Greyscale 2.51 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
57% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
57.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.32% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.57
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
LG Philips LGD065A, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
BOE0872, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Dell 156CL05, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
InfoVision M133NW4J R0, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Display
13%
6%
74%
Display P3 Coverage
38.32
43.51
14%
40.78
6%
68.1
78%
sRGB Coverage
57.5
64.5
12%
61.3
7%
97.2
69%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
39.6
44.95
14%
42.15
6%
69.2
75%
Response Times
-29%
-2%
-6%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
37 ?(19, 18)
38 ?(19, 19)
-3%
43 ?(19, 24)
-16%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(16, 12)
36 ?(18, 18)
-29%
28 ?(17, 11)
-0%
27 ?(13, 14)
4%
PWM Frequency
5152
250
Screen
-5%
-15%
59%
Brightness middle
285
272
-5%
262
-8%
369
29%
Brightness
255
259
2%
236
-7%
334
31%
Brightness Distribution
84
85
1%
86
2%
83
-1%
Black Level *
0.325
0.17
48%
0.31
5%
0.14
57%
Contrast
877
1600
82%
845
-4%
2636
201%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.23
5.3
-25%
4.92
-16%
2.02
52%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.94
18
-127%
15.83
-99%
3.05
62%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.75
3.8
-1%
4.34
-16%
1.08
71%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.51
4
-59%
3.47
-38%
2.34
7%
Gamma
2.57 86%
2.03 108%
2.4 92%
2.44 90%
CCT
6626 98%
7338 89%
6680 97%
6552 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36
41.2
14%
39
8%
63
75%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
57
64.1
12%
61
7%
97
70%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-7% / -3%
-4% / -9%
42% / 54%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage (sRGB) - 57 percent
Color space coverage (sRGB) - 57 percent
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 36 percent
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 36 percent

Our measurements confirm that the Aspire 5 A515's display has a relatively low contrast ratio of 877:1 and an increased black value of 0.325 nits. This means that the colors do not appear well defined and black content has a slight gray cast.

Our CalMAN analysis also shows that the panel displays content with fairly balanced colors ex works. The DeltaE 2000 deviation is slightly increased at 7.94, but this can be lowered to 3.75 by calibrating the screen. You can download our ICC file from this page (a bit further up, next to the graphic displaying the panel's brightness distribution).

CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - color accuracy (after calibration)
CalMAN - color accuracy (after calibration)
CalMAN - grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN - grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN - saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN - saturation (after calibration)

The Aspire 5 can be used outdoors, provided you stick to shady places. The matte display surface does not cause any reflections or glare. The display is not bright enough to work in direct sunlight. 

Acer Aspire 5 - outdoor use
Acer Aspire 5 - outdoor use
Acer Aspire 5 - outdoor use
Acer Aspire 5 - outdoor use

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 12 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. » 67 % 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
37 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19 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. » 47 % 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 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.

The IPS panel of the Acer Aspire 5 has very stable viewing angles. Screen content can be read from almost any angle without being distorted or colors inverting.

Acer Aspire 5 - viewing angle stability
Acer Aspire 5 - viewing angle stability

Performance

Acer has directed its Aspire 5 A515 at office users and has equipped its notebook with the suitable hardware. While the available processors range from Tiger Lake to Ryzen CPUs, the choice of graphics units is limited to the internal GPU of the chosen processor or, in some configurations, the Nvidia GeForce MX350. 

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - CPUz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - CPUz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - CPUz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - CPUz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - GPUz
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - HWInfo
 
 

Processor

Our test configuration of the Acer Aspire 5 is equipped with an Intel Core i5-1135G7. This processor belongs to Intel's Tiger Lake generation and offers four cores that clock at rates between 2.4 and 4.2 GHz and can work up to eight threads simultaneously. Its performance depends on the set TDP and cooling. While the former is fairly generous with up to 64 Watt short-term and up to 28 Watt in general, the benchmark results do not reflect this configuration. 

The Cinebench R15 single-core result positions our Intel Core i5-1135G7 at the front of our comparison field. The multi-core result, on the other hand, remains below our expectations. The performance is rather meager during our continuous load test as well, although at least it remains stable throughout after a small drop at the beginning.

A look at the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s with its Core i5-1135G7 shows that with the right configuration the processor is able to achieve multi-core performance that is 28 percent higher than that of our test unit and only starts approaching the performance level of the Aspire 5 as time goes by. Our temperature development and power consumption results discussed below show that the maximum power consumption of the Aspire 5's CPU is 37 Watts. The CPU heats up to a maximum of 84 °C, which indicates that a focus on low temperature development is to blame for PL2 not being reached. 

050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900Tooltip
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Core i5-1135G7: Ø636 (630.73-668.34)
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Ryzen 5 4500U: Ø892 (873.29-934.25)
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC Intel Core i3-10110U, Intel Core i3-10110U: Ø305 (302.1-307.61)
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Core i5-1135G7: Ø738 (638.72-894.73)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years)
553 Points +6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
521 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (375 - 527, n=62)
507 Points -3%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
439 Points -16%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
405 Points -22%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years)
3055 Points +91%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
2347 Points +47%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (979 - 2382, n=62)
1827 Points +14%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1597 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
928 Points -42%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +9%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
198 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (141.4 - 205, n=61)
194.4 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Core i5-1135G7
183 Points -8%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
172 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
129 Points -35%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +107%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
934 (873.29min - 934.25max) Points +40%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Core i5-1135G7
908 Points +36%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (431 - 941, n=65)
792 Points +19%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
668 (630.73min - 668.34max) Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
314 Points -53%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
1174 Seconds * -60%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
735 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (499 - 1044, n=60)
662 Seconds * +10%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
566 Seconds * +23%
Average of class Office
  (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years)
543 Seconds * +26%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2233 - 6687, n=122, last 2 years)
4967 MIPS +2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4846 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (3924 - 4921, n=62)
4674 MIPS -4%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
4302 MIPS -11%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
4038 MIPS -17%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Office
  (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years)
34257 MIPS +80%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
25815 MIPS +36%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (14745 - 24873, n=62)
21407 MIPS +13%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
19022 MIPS
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
10725 MIPS -44%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1974, n=123, last 2 years)
1452 Points +4%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1397 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (1147 - 1428, n=58)
1373 Points -2%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
1220 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
957 Points -31%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=123, last 2 years)
6503 Points +40%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
6234 Points +35%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (3475 - 5472, n=58)
4663 Points +1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4629 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
2034 Points -56%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Office
  (1.55 - 17.4, n=121, last 2 years)
9.04 fps +76%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
7.33 fps +43%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (3.57 - 7.6, n=57)
5.93 fps +16%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
5.13 fps
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
3.12 fps -39%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
65.2 s * -31%
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 117.5, n=121, last 2 years)
57.3 s * -15%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (44.2 - 62.9, n=60)
52.8 s * -6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
49.7 s *
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
28.13 s * +43%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U
0.76 sec * -21%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7
  (0.619 - 0.727, n=59)
0.642 sec * -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7
0.629 sec *
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
0.623 sec * +1%
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.397, n=120, last 2 years)
0.593 sec * +6%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
668 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
84.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
198 Points
Help

System Performance

The PCMark 10 benchmark for the Aspire 5 equipped with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 also results in an average value. However, system performance is very smooth during everyday use with programes starting quickly and files being accessed without delay. 

Find out what performance levels other notebooks can reach in comparison in our CPU benchmark list.  

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +17%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Vega 6, R5 4500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
4851 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
4641 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (4026 - 4952, n=53)
4613 Points +2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
4527 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3360 Points -26%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
9360 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (8149 - 9917, n=53)
9310 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
9282 Points
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Vega 6, R5 4500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
8751 Points -6%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
7202 Points -22%
Productivity
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Vega 6, R5 4500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
7481 Points +20%
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +19%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
6276 Points +1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
6234 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (5040 - 6619, n=53)
6218 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
5984 Points -4%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +32%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Vega 6, R5 4500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
4734 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
4617 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (3548 - 5255, n=53)
4612 Points +6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
4353 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
2390 Points -45%
PCMark 10 Score
4527 points
Help

DPC Latencies

Our LatencyMon test indicates increased latencies for our Acer notebook. This limits its suitability for real time applications and similar.

LatencyMon - statistics
LatencyMon - statistics
LatencyMon - driver
LatencyMon - driver
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
5347 μs * -390%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
1092 μs *
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
819 μs * +25%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
Vega 6, R5 4500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
658 μs * +40%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Acer has equipped our test configuration with a 1-TB SSD which reaches very good read and write rates in the storage benchmarks. 

Find out what performance other storage devices reach in our tests in our HDD/SSD benchmark list. 

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD
Average Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
4%
-9%
-36%
6%
Write 4K
86.8
161.1
86%
150
73%
184.3
112%
148.7 ?(86.8 - 230, n=5)
71%
Read 4K
66.4
49.92
-25%
61.8
-7%
39.9
-40%
68.5 ?(59 - 79.7, n=5)
3%
Write Seq
1851
1799
-3%
458
-75%
211.3
-89%
1675 ?(885 - 1902, n=5)
-10%
Read Seq
1707
1978
16%
1881
10%
1319
-23%
1710 ?(1659 - 1740, n=5)
0%
Write 4K Q32T1
542
392.5
-28%
338.4
-38%
220.5
-59%
442 ?(344 - 542, n=5)
-18%
Read 4K Q32T1
589
506
-14%
447.3
-24%
255.9
-57%
614 ?(549 - 677, n=5)
4%
Write Seq Q32T1
1960
1806
-8%
1563
-20%
221
-89%
1944 ?(1874 - 1978, n=5)
-1%
Read Seq Q32T1
2227
2460
10%
2422
9%
1202
-46%
2120 ?(1966 - 2227, n=5)
-5%
AS SSD
-15%
-87%
-57%
3%
Seq Read
2023
2091
3%
1971
-3%
1425
-30%
2012 ?(1994 - 2023, n=5)
-1%
Seq Write
1781
1658
-7%
1130
-37%
114
-94%
1826 ?(1781 - 1850, n=5)
3%
4K Read
61.9
43.46
-30%
51.3
-17%
36.8
-41%
62.5 ?(55.2 - 70.6, n=5)
1%
4K Write
128.7
141.9
10%
119.7
-7%
117.1
-9%
146.4 ?(127.7 - 189.6, n=5)
14%
4K-64 Read
904
589
-35%
585
-35%
238.5
-74%
900 ?(895 - 904, n=5)
0%
4K-64 Write
976
1028
5%
495.5
-49%
125.7
-87%
1039 ?(794 - 1235, n=5)
6%
Access Time Read *
0.064
0.107
0.159
0.09075 ?(0.071 - 0.109, n=4)
Access Time Write *
0.031
0.047
-52%
0.22
-610%
0.037
-19%
0.0312 ?(0.031 - 0.032, n=5)
-1%
Score Read
1168
842
-28%
833
-29%
418
-64%
1164 ?(1157 - 1170, n=5)
0%
Score Write
1283
1335
4%
728
-43%
254
-80%
1368 ?(1168 - 1546, n=5)
7%
Score Total
3053
2598
-15%
1962
-36%
834
-73%
3136 ?(2950 - 3300, n=5)
3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-6% / -6%
-48% / -52%
-47% / -48%
5% / 4%

* ... smaller is better

Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2227 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1960 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 589 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 542 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1707 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1851 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 66.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 86.8 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Performance

The internal graphics unit Intel Iris Xe is responsible for displaying image content in the Aspire 5 A515. This is available in two versions; our test unit features the stronger version with 96 EUs. Our 3DMark results are slightly below average but are still better than those of an internal Radeon RX Vega 6, for example.

Find out how other graphic units compare in our GPU benchmark list. 

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +13%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
5192 Points
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (2246 - 6477, n=105)
5167 Points 0%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
4173 Points -20%
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-10110U
1549 Points -70%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +10%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (6361 - 30894, n=92)
21769 Points +1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
21604 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-10110U
7209 Points -67%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
4555 Points +40%
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +25%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (1560 - 5305, n=107)
3782 Points +16%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
3263 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-10110U
952 Points -71%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (242 - 3186, n=113, last 2 years)
1323 Points +23%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
1298 Points +20%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (561 - 1511, n=104)
1170 Points +8%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
1079 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
5300 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
14427 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2935 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1202 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The internal graphics unit in our device is suitable for older games and less demanding titles. Users will also have to reduce the graphics settings and resolution to play these games smoothly.

Our GPU gaming list indicates what performance you can expect from individual titles.

The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Office
  (8.4 - 149, n=102, last 2 years)
71.3 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (30.2 - 97.4, n=98)
65.3 fps
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
47.82 fps
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
56.4 fps
Average of class Office
  (7.82 - 89, n=97, last 2 years)
44.3 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (21.8 - 56.9, n=100)
41.8 fps
Dota 2 Reborn
1280x720 min (0/3) fastest
Average of class Office
  (14.8 - 154.1, n=124, last 2 years)
100.4 fps +35%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (14.8 - 140.3, n=105)
91.2 fps +23%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
90.4 (81.3min) fps +22%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
74.1 (47.1min) fps
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
60 (53.4min) fps -19%
1366x768 med (1/3)
Average of class Office
  (10.9 - 127, n=124, last 2 years)
75.8 fps +60%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
69.5 (64.3min) fps +47%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (10.9 - 119.5, n=105)
67.8 fps +43%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
47.4 (35.9min) fps
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
Intel Core i3-10110U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
31 (24.1min) fps -35%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1280x720 Lite Quality
Average of class Office
  (5.42 - 94, n=116, last 2 years)
35 fps +37%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (8.32 - 45.6, n=100)
31.5 fps +23%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
25.6 fps
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
25.38 fps -1%
Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
Average of class Office
  (19 - 95, n=48, last 2 years)
46.6 fps +73%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (14 - 63, n=48)
38.8 fps +44%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
37 fps +37%
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
29 fps +7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
27 fps
1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T
Average of class Office
  (10 - 45, n=46, last 2 years)
24.7 fps +76%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
  (9 - 31, n=45)
20.1 fps +44%
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
18 fps +29%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
14 fps
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
14 fps 0%
low med. high ultra
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 74.1 47.4 32.4 30.9
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 25.6
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 46.1 33 30.6
Far Cry 5 (2018) 27 14

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling fan of the Aspire 5 is hardly audible during everyday use and produces a steady sound under load that does not have high frequencies or other uncomfortable elements to it. This makes the Acer notebook suitable for calm environments, although the touchpad does make a bit of a clatter.

Noise Level

Idle
24.5 / 24.5 / 26.4 dB(A)
Load
32 / 39 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 24.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2025.523.322.620.625.52534.525.524.430.234.53127.62526.825.527.64025.825.223.721.125.85024.125.722.72124.16322.724.123.621.322.78015.516.415.115.115.510016.518.216.714.516.512515.218.615.415.115.216014.715.214.913.114.720012.414.515.911.912.425012.213.518.211.312.231512.213.917.611.912.24001215.619.210.71250011.715.218.910.711.763013.116.221.41113.180015.219.124.910.615.2100014.220.526.711.114.2125017.623.129.711.517.6160014.623.229.411.514.6200013.719.929.911.713.725001420.431.212.114315014.116.825.612.714.1400014.1172512.914.1500013.616.524.713.213.6630013.714.922.913.513.7800013.614.720.513.413.61000013.915.11913.613.91250013.915.520.613.713.91600012.813.517.11312.8SPL26.431.23924.426.4N0.71.32.70.50.7median 13.9median 16.2median 20.6median 12.1median 13.9Delta0.92.14.41.10.9hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

According to our measurements, the surface of the Acer Aspire 5 A515 with a Tiger Lake CPU heats up to 33.6 °C under load. This makes the case feel slightly warm but never too hot to use it on your lap, for example. 

The temperatures on the inside of our Aspire 5 increase to up to 84 °C during our one-hour stress test. The clock rates drop to 1.2 and 2.1 GHz by the end of the test , which is below the base rate. As we do not expect users to reach this level of load during every day use, users should not experience issues related to high temperatures.

Max. Load
 33.6 °C
92 F
31.4 °C
89 F
25.6 °C
78 F
 
 30.1 °C
86 F
29.9 °C
86 F
24.4 °C
76 F
 
 23.6 °C
74 F
23.6 °C
74 F
23.5 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 33.6 °C = 92 F
Average: 27.3 °C = 81 F
24.2 °C
76 F
30.1 °C
86 F
29.8 °C
86 F
23.5 °C
74 F
23.8 °C
75 F
26.9 °C
80 F
23.1 °C
74 F
24 °C
75 F
24.3 °C
76 F
Maximum: 30.1 °C = 86 F
Average: 25.5 °C = 78 F
Power Supply (max.)  33.6 °C = 92 F | Room Temperature 22.6 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 27.3 °C / 81 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 30.1 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.1 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 23.6 °C / 74.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+4.1 °C / 7.4 F).
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - bottom
Heat map under load - bottom

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The Aspire 5's speakers are relatively quiet but offer a comparably balanced sound spectrum. This means that they are suitable for playing media content in very quiet surroundings. We would nonetheless recommend external speakers or headphones for continuous use.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.320.631.32534.230.234.23135.425.535.44030.721.130.75030.42130.46326.621.326.68025.915.125.910026.814.526.812527.215.127.216032.113.132.120032.211.932.225044.211.344.231552.511.952.540058.310.758.350057.410.757.463057.71157.78006010.660100059.311.159.3125059.711.559.7160060.311.560.3200062.611.762.6250054.512.154.5315056.412.756.4400057.212.957.250006013.260630062.413.562.4800066.313.466.31000068.213.668.21250068.813.768.816000591359SPL73.624.473.6N31.50.531.5median 58.3median 12.1median 58.3Delta6.31.16.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Aspire 5 A515-56-511AApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 46% 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%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Acer Aspire 5 - AC adapter
Acer Aspire 5 - AC adapter

Our measurements confirm that the Acer Aspire 5 has a relatively low energy consumption with an average rate under load of 30.1 Watt. That is the lowest consumption in our comparison field.

The included AC adapter has a rated output of 45 Watt and is large enough to ensure sufficient power delivery at all times.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.55 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.3 / 8.4 / 8.9 Watt
Load midlight 30.1 / 45.4 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 A515-56-511A
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
R5 4500U, Vega 6, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM991 MZALQ256HAJD, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
 
Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
-2%
-4%
-15%
-16%
-16%
Idle Minimum *
3.3
3.9
-18%
3.6
-9%
3.5
-6%
4.46 ?(2.3 - 15.8, n=101)
-35%
4.27 ?(2.2 - 9.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-29%
Idle Average *
8.4
7.4
12%
6.6
21%
6.1
27%
7.33 ?(3.5 - 16.8, n=101)
13%
7.32 ?(3.8 - 20.6, n=107, last 2 years)
13%
Idle Maximum *
8.9
8.2
8%
9.7
-9%
8.7
2%
9.25 ?(4.5 - 17, n=101)
-4%
9.1 ?(4.8 - 23.9, n=107, last 2 years)
-2%
Load Average *
30.1
34.6
-15%
38
-26%
46
-53%
36.1 ?(14.3 - 70, n=99)
-20%
40.4 ?(8.7 - 75.2, n=106, last 2 years)
-34%
Load Maximum *
45.4
43.6
4%
45
1%
66
-45%
61.2 ?(24.2 - 149, n=101)
-35%
57.4 ?(11.1 - 101.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-26%
Witcher 3 ultra *
35.2
45

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Our practical Wi-Fi test lasts almost seven hours with this Acer notebook. This is a good result, although notebooks with significantly lower battery capacities also manage to keep going this long.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
6h 56min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness
5h 52min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 02min
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 48.85 Wh
Honor MagicBook 15 4500U
R5 4500U, Vega 6, 42 Wh
Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC
i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, 40 Wh
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-ITL-20V90003GE
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 55 Wh
Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
5%
12%
25%
19%
WiFi v1.3
416
570
37%
465
12%
645
55%
589 ?(272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
42%
Load
122
88
-28%
115
-6%
117 ?(56 - 209, n=65, last 2 years)
-4%

Pros

+ internal Xe GPU
+ stable chassis
+ decent port selection

Cons

- the Tiger Lake CPU's performance is not made the most of
- battery life could be better
- the keyboard backlighting timer cannot be set

Verdict

Review: Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A. Test unit provided by Acer Germany
Review: Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A. Test unit provided by Acer Germany

The Acer Aspire 5 A515 with Intel's Tiger Lake CPU fulfills our expectations. Its performance is more than sufficient for office applications and the device can also display simple or older games at reduced graphics settings thanks to Intel's integrated Xe GPU. The port selection is good and workmanship is satisfactory. Even maintenance is possible to a certain extent.

The new Acer Aspire 5 with Tiger Lake continues to be a decent office notebook for everyday use.  

The real question is what differentiates this Aspire 5 from other Aspire 5s? The other models we have tested are equally suitable for the intended area of use. The processing performance doesn't benefit particularly from the use of the current Tiger Lake CPU. However, the internal Xe graphics unit does provide a small boost compared to devices with internal UHD or Vega GPUs. If you are only planning on using office applications, you will be just as happy with this configuration as with the Ryzen version Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R6WW

Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-511A - 01/28/2021 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
77 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
46 / 80 → 58%
Weight
64 / 20-75 → 80%
Battery
74%
Display
83%
Games Performance
58 / 78 → 74%
Application Performance
89 / 95 → 93%
Temperature
92%
Noise
95%
Audio
60%
Camera
31 / 85 → 37%
Average
72%
81%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Aspire 5 A515 in review: A look at a Tiger Lake laptop
Mike Wobker, 2021-02- 2 (Update: 2021-02- 2)