Product test
Acer Swift 1 tested: And the battery lasts and lasts and lasts
by Jan Johannsen
Acer Aspire 5 tested: Successful all-round notebook
4.11.2019
Translation: machine translated
Acer advertises the Aspire 5 as a notebook for the "home office" and I believe that it is also suitable for surfing the Internet or watching videos outside of work and is also suitable as a "mobile office" thanks to its compact dimensions and good battery life. These are by no means all the possible applications, as the test shows - but it is not the right laptop for games or photo and video editing that require a lot of graphics power.
Many laptops with Intel chipsets of the current Comet Lake architecture have already been announced, but only a few models with the "10" in the processor designation are actually available. The Acer Aspire A514-52 is one of the first laptops in which Comet Lake proves itself in practice.
The technical data at a glance
Aluminium housing and many connections
Simple elegance describes the exterior of the Acer Aspire 5 quite well. The aluminium casing is matt and has no patterns or reflections. Only the Acer lettering is emblazoned on the lid of the notebook, which has a thickness of 1.8 centimetres when closed and is therefore neither particularly thick nor particularly thin.
The aluminium casing not only makes the Aspire 5 look elegant, but also robust. Of course, the laptop should not fall down, but with a weight of 1.6 kilograms, it is ideal for packing and using on the go. It wouldn't hurt if it was a little more robust than a laptop that just sits on a desk.
Movable display without reflections
Not always necessary, but sometimes quite practical: The Aspire 5's display can be opened 180 degrees. This allows you to align it with the rest of the laptop, turning it into a flat flounder. However, I can only think of a few usage scenarios in which this is necessary.
Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard of the Acer Aspire 5 does not have a numeric keypad, but I still find it very comfortable to type on. The individual keys are sufficiently large and clearly separated from each other. The stroke is not too deep, but still high enough to be easily felt, just like the pressure point at the end.
The touchpad is large enough to move the mouse pointer across the entire screen without making it extremely sensitive - and still doesn't get in the way of the palm of the hand when typing. The pressure point can also be felt clearly and distinctly after a short distance, while the fingers move unhindered across the surface.
Stereo loudspeaker
Battery
Enough power for everyday use
When it comes to performance, the Intel Core i5-10210U and the eight gigabytes of RAM clearly take centre stage. The integrated graphics chip, on the other hand, only plays a minor role.
Intel only presented the Core i5-10210U in August 2019. It has four computing cores and is designed as an economical chipset. In other words, the battery life of the notebook should be longer due to lower power consumption.
Conclusion: A successful all-rounder
The Acer Aspire 5 offers a long battery life and impresses with good workmanship. All important connections are available and the anti-glare display looks good. The keyboard and touchpad are comfortable to use and the hardware is ready for many tasks - only if you need a lot of graphics power for games or photo, video and design programmes should you consider a different laptop. <p
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deWhen I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
