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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If your focus is on affordability and basic tasks like web browsing and light productivity, the Acer Aspire 1 offers a lower cost solution with a fanless operation for silent use, though it has less storage and RAM, and lower performance than the Gigabyte A5. The Gigabyte A5, while more expensive, provides significantly greater performance, more RAM, and storage making it suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning work. It also has a backlit keyboard and better screen quality. The Gigabyte has a slightly better battery life, but due to its increased power and features, it's heavier than the Acer Aspire 1, which may affect portability. 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
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte A5.
Advantages of the Gigabyte A5
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 offers less powerful performance for general use due to its lower-end Intel Celeron processor and only 4 GB of RAM, while the Gigabyte A5, equipped with a more robust AMD Ryzen processor and 16 GB of RAM, provides smoother and more responsive computing for various tasks. Additionally, the Gigabyte A5 has a higher quality IPS screen with better color coverage, contributing to a more pleasant visual experience, whereas the Acer’s TN panel offers lower quality in terms of color accuracy and viewing angles; both factors are important for general usage scenarios, like browsing and multimedia consumption.
Gaming and AI
5.6
7.1
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
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its integrated Intel GPU and a 60Hz screen, lacks the graphics processing power and smooth visuals required for gaming and 3D applications, while the Gigabyte A5, equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, is well-suited for such demanding tasks, offering both enhanced performance and a more fluid visual experience.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A5 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 falls short for engineering and design because it has a basic CPU and graphics chip, less memory and storage, and a lower-quality screen, while the Gigabyte A5 excels due to its more powerful processor, superior dedicated graphics, ample memory and storage, and a higher-quality display. Although the Gigabyte A5 is less portable and could have louder operating noise, it offers the performance and features needed for resource-intensive tasks like 3D modeling and computational simulations.
Content Creation
5.9
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte A5 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
7.0
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 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
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For everyday tasks like browsing and streaming, the Gigabyte A5's higher resolution and brighter display offer a clearer and more vibrant viewing experience compared to the Acer Aspire 1, which may appear dull and grainy. When it comes to engineering and design, the A5's better color accuracy and wider color gamut ensure that professionals see more precise and consistent colors, while the Aspire 1's limited color range might not represent designs accurately. However, while the A5 is suitable for general design tasks, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for fast-paced 3D applications or gaming, where smooth motion is essential, unlike specialized screens with high refresh rates designed for these activities.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 1 and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability, though the Acer Aspire 1 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.2
The Gigabyte A5 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
$244
$830
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Gigabyte A5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Gigabyte A5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $830 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 10.2'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.68 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.21" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.15" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 49 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 | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Gigabyte A5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | September 2022
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Gigabyte A5
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.
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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