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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize battery life and portability while performing basic tasks and you are on a tight budget, the Acer Aspire 1 is suitable, considering it is lighter and less expensive. However, if you need higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, and you can accommodate a heavier laptop with shorter battery life and a higher price, then the Acer Nitro 5 15 with its better processor, more RAM, and superior graphics card is a better choice. Keep in mind the Aspire 1 also operates silently due to its fanless design, which could be beneficial in quiet environments. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 1
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 5 15
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a lower-end CPU, less RAM, a lower quality TN screen, worse battery life, and lower build quality than the Acer Nitro 5 15, which affects its general use performance negatively. The Nitro 5 offers more powerful hardware, an IPS screen for better viewing angles, longer battery life, and overall higher quality in build, keyboard, and heat management, making it better suited for a wider range of tasks.
Gaming and AI
5.6
7.5
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 delivers subpar performance for gaming and 3D applications primarily because it's equipped with a low-power Intel Celeron N4500 integrated GPU and a basic screen with a refresh rate of only 60Hz, which is insufficient for smooth high-speed gaming graphics.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.9
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.9
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.1
7.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 1 falls short in display quality across all use cases due to its limited resolution and low brightness, making it less ideal for tasks that require visual clarity and vibrancy. The Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a better viewing experience for general tasks thanks to its higher resolution and brighter screen but lacks in color accuracy and breadth of color gamut, which are critical for engineering and design work. Additionally, for gaming and 3D applications, the Nitro 5 15 is less optimal owing to its lower refresh rate, despite having decent resolution and panel type.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.2
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$243
$780
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $243 and the Acer Nitro 5 15 costs $780.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Acer Nitro 5 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Acer Nitro 5 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$243 | $780 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.19" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.67" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i5-12500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Acer Nitro 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Acer Nitro 5 15
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
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