Is there a better alternative?

If you’re dedicated to getting a 15.6-inch display, then Acer has a much better option for you. The Aspire E 15 is faster, has a much better display, and lasts for a lot longer on a charge. It can even game a little, and it’s only $100 more. Just be prepared to carry around a larger and heavier notebook and to settle for a smaller and faster SSD.

　　If you’re willing to step down in size, then the Acer Aspire 5 gets some competition. That comes from smaller 14-inch and 13.3-inch laptops in the same general price range. The Asus ZenBook UX330UA, in particular, is a machine that’s within a hundred dollars or so of the Aspire 5 but offers a better — albeit smaller – display and a metal chassis.

　　Finally, you could skip Windows 10 completely and pick the Acer Chromebook 15. That’s our favorite large-screen Chrome OS machine, and it will save you some money at $400 retail for a Pentium N4200 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage space. That might not sound impressive compared to the Aspire 5, but Chrome OS is a less demanding option that performs well with these components.

　　

How long will it last?

With an 8th-generation Core i5 processor, the Acer Aspire 5 should perform well enough to last for at least few years. The ability to easily upgrade RAM and storage is another long-term advantage that could pay dividends down the road. Finally, including a USB-C connection is a nod to the future as well. As is common for all notebooks, budget or premium, there’s a one-year warranty to give you time to identify any problems.

　　

Should you buy it?

No. The Acer Aspire 5 is an inexpensive 15.6-inch laptop with decent performance, but we have enough reservations about it to not give a full recommendation. You’re better off going with Acer’s larger and better sibling.