Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
---|---|
Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Processor | 3.9 GHz core_i5 |
RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
Hard Drive | 256 GB SSD |
Graphics Coprocessor | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Chipset Brand | Intel |
Card Description | Integrated |
Graphics Card Ram Size | 2 MB |
Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 Hours |
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Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 Inches FHD IPS Display, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Home, A515-54-51DJ
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | acer |
Model Name | A515-54-51DJ |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Color | Silver |
Hard Disk Size | 256 GB |
CPU Model | Core i5 |
Ram Memory Installed Size | 8 GB |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Special Feature | Fingerprint reader |
Graphics Card Description | Integrated |
About this item
- 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8265U Processor (Upto 3.9 gram Hz) | 8 GB DDR4 Memory | 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 15.6 Inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display | Intel UHD Graphics 620
- 1 - USB 3.1 Type C Gen 1 port, 2 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports (one with Power-off Charging), 1 - USB 2.0 Port & 1 - HDMI Port with HDCP Support
- 802.11ac WiFi | Backlit Keyboard | Fingerprint Reader | Upto 9.5 Hours Battery Life
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This Item Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 Inches FHD IPS Display, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Home, A515-54-51DJ | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | -10% $476.00$476.00 List: $529.99 | $448.00$448.00 | -6% $359.00$359.00 List: $379.99 | $385.00$385.00 | $499.99$499.99 | $425.00$425.00 |
Delivery | Get it Apr 5 - 11 | Get it Apr 5 - 11 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3 | Get it Apr 4 - 8 | Get it Apr 4 - 10 | Get it Apr 3 - 5 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Screen quality | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
Battery life | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Touch Screen | 3.6 | — | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 4.2 |
For gaming | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | — |
Light weight | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | — | 4.6 | — |
Sold By | Sinirio | Sinirio | National Sales LLC(S/N recorded ) | One Stop E-shop (Serial Number recorded) | AMAZING WAREHOUSE DEAL(Record SN) | A Vendor |
display size | 15.6 inches | 15.6 inches | 15.6 inches | 15.6 inches | 15.6 inches | 14 inches |
hard disk size | 256 GB | 512 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB | 512 GB | 512 GB |
computer memory size | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 4 GB | 20 GB | 16 GB |
cpu manufacturer | Intel | Intel | Intel | AMD | Intel | Intel |
cpu speed | 3.9 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 3.5 GHz | 3 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
cpu model number | Core i5-8265u | i5-1235U | i3-1115G4 | Ryzen 3 3350U | i3-1115G4 | i3-1125G4 |
Product Description
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ comes with these high level specs: 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8265U Processor 1.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.9GHz (6MB Smart cache), Windows 10 Home, 15.6 Inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display, Intel UHD Graphics 620, 8GB DDR4 Memory, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, True Harmony Technology, Two Built-in Stereo Speakers, Acer Purified.Voice Technology with Two Built-in Microphones, 802.11ac WiFi featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz), 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port), Bluetooth 5.0, Back-lit Keyboard, Acer Fingerprint Reader supporting Windows Hello, HD Webcam (1280 x 720), 1 - USB 3.1 (Type-C) port (Gen 1 up to 5 Gbps), 2 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port (one with Power-off Charging), 1 - USB 2.0 Port, 1 - HDMI Port with HDCP support, Lithium-Ion Battery, Up to 9.5-hours Battery Life, 3.97 lbs. | 1.8 kg (system unit only) (NX.HG5AA.001).
Product information
Technical Details
Brand | acer |
---|---|
Series | A515-54-51DJ |
Item model number | A515-54-51DJ |
Hardware Platform | PC |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Item Weight | 3.97 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.31 x 9.86 x 0.71 inches |
Color | Silver |
Processor Brand | Intel |
Number of Processors | 4 |
Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
Flash Memory Size | 256 |
Hard Drive Interface | Solid State |
Hard Drive Rotational Speed | 0.1 |
Optical Drive Type | No Optical Drive |
Power Source | Battery Powered |
Voltage | 3.7 Volts |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
Additional Information
ASIN | B07RF2123Z |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #24,793 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories) #4,091 in Traditional Laptop Computers |
Date First Available | May 24, 2019 |
Warranty & Support
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Videos for this product
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Acer Aspire 5 15.6 Inch Slim Laptop 8th Gen 4 Year Review
Carl Newberry
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Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop 8th Gen Customer Review
Carl Newberry
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Customer Review: Noisy ventilation, like an airplane
Marco B.
Product guides and documents
From the manufacturer
Launch Your Creativity
Powerful and portable, the Aspire 5 laptop delivers on every aspect of everyday computing. Housing an 8th Gen Intel Core Processor, this Aspire 5 can tackle any job no matter how complex. Creativity soars to new heights with sharp, crisp visuals showcased on the 15.6" Full HD IPS screen, while the thin bezel provides you more space to work with wherever inspiration strikes. It’s the perfect companion to take with you wherever you go!
-
Powerful Processing
Supercharge your laptop for work and play with an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U processor.
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Exceptional Performance
Your device stays at your side all day with up to 9.5 hours of battery life.
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Exceptional Visuals
Creativity soars to new heights with sharp, crisp visuals showcased on the 15.6" Full HD IPS screen.
Maximized Visuals
The narrow-bezel design offers more real estate for amazing images. Crisp, true-to-life colors come alive on a 15.6” Full HD IPS display with Acer Color Intelligence. Keep your eyes free from strain and watch or work for long sessions using Acer BlueLightShield.
Exceptional Performance
Supercharge your laptop for work and play with an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor. Intel processors help apps load faster and allow multiple tasks to run simultaneously without lag.
Premium Looks and Mobility
Travel with ease and look great doing it with the Aspire 5 thin, light design and aluminum top cover.
The Power of Sound
Turn up the music with Acer TrueHarmony, bringing you deeper bass and more volume through its innovative speaker design.
Extensive Connectivity
Accomplish more with a range of ports, including HDMI, USB Type-C & USB 3.1. Strengthen your wireless signal wherever you go using 2x2 802.11ac.
Backlit Keyboard & FPR Reader
Work comfortably in any environment with the backlit keyboard. The built-in fingerprint reader provides easy, secure access with just one touch.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, speed, value, appearance and weight of the laptop. For example, they mention it's an exceptional machine, the boot up time is super fast and that the screen is absolutely stunning. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, noise, and battery life.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the laptop. They mention that the speed, display, and overall quality are very impressive at this price point. The build seems ok, sturdy enough for general use, and it's a pretty nice machine. It's quick and responsive, and should stand the test of time. The material feels okay, but not super cheap. Overall, customers are satisfied with the quality and performance of the product.
"...figured out a way to streamline and squeeze them into a really nice entry level machine at a VERY competitive price...." Read more
"...This machine is lightweight, the build is plastic but still seems sturdy, and it powers through me through lesson plans, Google Classroom, and my..." Read more
"...I have an awesome laptop, built for general everyday computing tasks. In my book, this is an outstanding value...." Read more
"...4 Build quality. This laptop feels very sold and I love the lighten keys that the Satellite did not have.5 Really good overall value...." Read more
Customers like the speed of the notebook computer. They mention that it's fast at first, has a high-speed CPU, SSD, and motherboard bus. It's responsive and snappy for web browsing, Microsoft Office programs, and VMs. The boot up time is super fast.
"...bloatware from Acer was easy and I was pleasantly surprised at the quickness of the unit...." Read more
"...High speed CPU/SSD/motherboard bus/interface (PCIe/NVMe). Biometric security/ID options. Nicely backlit keypad. Decent number of input options...." Read more
"...It's fast enough for the regular user, has good screen graphics, and has a few extras that make it convenient for a busy working mom...." Read more
"...My 3-year old Acer with SSD is still going strong… and quite fast. I can’t imagine ever going back to a main drive HDD...." Read more
Customers like the value of the laptop. They mention that it's a decent laptop for the money, and a very solid laptop for its price. Some say that the material feels okay and is not super cheap. Overall, most are satisfied with the value and quality of this product.
"...The memory and drive appear to be easily and inexpensively upgradeable but it functions flawlessly right out of the box...." Read more
"...and squeeze them into a really nice entry level machine at a VERY competitive price...." Read more
"...– Value: This is a good value, but there is competition in the marketplace...." Read more
"...I added a 1TB Crucial SSD, at a very reasonable price, and the upgrade was relatively easy..." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the laptop. They mention that the screen is absolutely stunning, incredible, and sleek. The colors are crisp and bright, and the videos on YouTube look good. The screen quality overall is good, and it has good battery life for general use.
"...This thing is sleek, lightweight, fast and very easy to set up/use...." Read more
"...It's fast enough for the regular user, has good screen graphics, and has a few extras that make it convenient for a busy working mom...." Read more
"...Still the IPS display is nice to have. – USB ports – Acer has 1 more port than its main competitor (“L” brand) in this configuration – always..." Read more
"...Screen: Excellent. It is bright, colors are nicely saturated, and, as expected these days, no dead pixels...." Read more
Customers appreciate the weight of the laptop. They say it's light for its size and price, and easy to carry. They also say it has a great battery life and is very portable. However, some customers have reported issues with the fan noise.
"...This thing is sleek, lightweight, fast and very easy to set up/use...." Read more
"...This machine is lightweight, the build is plastic but still seems sturdy, and it powers through me through lesson plans, Google Classroom, and my..." Read more
"...It's pretty light and thin and fits in a back-pack easily. I think typing on it feels nice and fits my hands well...." Read more
"...Lightweight, large screen, nice-sized keyboard (includes the numerical pad) and a lot of features I still haven't gotten to explore!..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the laptop. Some mention that it functions flawlessly right out of the box, while others say that it doesn't work. Some say that the sound and video cards seem not to work correctly, and the touchpad does not work.
"...drive appear to be easily and inexpensively upgradeable but it functions flawlessly right out of the box...." Read more
"...My backup software that used to work on this computer will no longer backup anything when it worked fine before...." Read more
"...HDMI cable for extensive screen space for my productivity needs – works well, just like the old E15 did. Standard online videos play well...." Read more
"...It remains very fast, everything works, the screen and the keyboard are great (excepting the few keyboard omissions noted above), battery life is..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the noise of the laptop. Some mention that the fan is not that loud, while others say that it's louder than expected. The speakers are ok, but some customers recommend headphones.
"...This was not an issue for me, but may be for someone else. The speakers are so-so. Not bad, but not good...." Read more
"...I would disagree. Most of the time, fan noise is minimal or absent. Occasionally, if the CPU is pushed harder, fan noise does become audible...." Read more
"...Although I will admit that the fan noise is louder than my old E 15 (which is quite quiet), yet it is not too offensive and usually settles down..." Read more
"...I think the screen is perfectly sized and looks nice. The fan isn't loud unless you're running a heavy load on the system...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the battery life of the notebook computer. Some mention that it has a good battery life and back up, while others say that it doesn't quite last a full day when used regularly. Some complain that the battery dies a bit fast and that the charging lasted longer.
"...(excepting the few keyboard omissions noted above), battery life is more than acceptable. Best laptop I have ever owned, by a lot!..." Read more
"...The battery isn't particularly long-lasting." Read more
"...-Battery lasts for advertised time (it's only about 7 hours with ~10 tabs and a VM running, but that's great imo)..." Read more
"...mind the backlight keyboard flicking off every 30 seconds, it saves battery power...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Setup was a breeze, setting it to my preferences was simple, removing the (modest) bloatware from Acer was easy and I was pleasantly surprised at the quickness of the unit. The memory and drive appear to be easily and inexpensively upgradeable but it functions flawlessly right out of the box.
I wasn't paying for or expecting gaming-quality graphics but the display renders internet and video perfectly. Those that find fault with this unit must be comparing it to others costing 2 to 3 times as much. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a laptop to take care of their basic computing needs.
Very nice product for the money. Well done, Acer.
Update from 10 days later: Been using it relentlessly and comparing it to my desktop, which had far more memory, storage and graphics capabilities, and I am honestly thrilled. I was thinking of using this as a bridge-unit until I could go back to a new desktop but am seriously rethinking that. The thing that really impresses me is the boot-time. This guy goes from powered down to browsing in about 30 seconds. Not sure if that's just the SSD or newer CPU but I am loving it.
Pretty sure I'm going to start using this as my main and adding a docking station, keyboard/mouse (of course), monitor, a bit more memory and storage, and just rolling with it. Disclaimer: I am not a gamer and I understand this machine won't do complex graphics.
Update 2: Just to see if it would work, I installed a $65 16GB memory card to bring the total RAM to 20GB, the maximum Acer allows for the unit (it comes with 8GB but you have to remove a 4GB card to upgrade). It worked flawlessly and it is now far zippy-er than my Dell. From what I've read, the extra memory allows it to run cooler and hopefully adds to its service life.
Update 3: (I promise this is the last). Thrilled with this little budget-monkey. Restart time, 25-30 seconds. Startup from shut down (not sleep), 12-15 seconds including pin-entry time. Kicking it up to 20GB memory really helped. For anyone that wants to try this stunt (and possibly void the warranty) all it takes is a plastic spudger (google it) and a small Phillips head screwdriver to take the back of the laptop off. 16GB memory cards are readily available from Crucial and Memorystock, usually on Amazon.
The video that gave me confidence to try it was on YouTube but it showed how to add a hard drive, not a memory card. Older Acers had a removable panel over the memory but on the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ, you have to take off the whole back. Don't even try it if you are confused about which end of a screwdriver to use or never read instructions.
A final note about some of the drama-queen reviewers that complained that "it gets so hot" or "the fan sounds like a 747 taking off": Just because it's called a laptop doesn't mean you should use it on your lap covered with your fleece blanket blocking the air vents. Use mine on my desk and on the rare occasions that the fan kicks on under heavy use it makes a gentle whirring sound, barely noticeable.
If it died tomorrow, I'd buy another.
Loving it
Update 4 (OK, I lied): After upgrading the memory and performing every performance-enhancing trick I could find on the internet with Windows, apps, settings and everything else, I started testing my budget computer. The most comprehensive free test I found was from UserBenchMark and I was kinda proud of the results. The test results can vary depending on the state of the computer but here was my best test (the others were pretty close):
"Overall this PC is performing way above expectations (95th percentile). This means that out of 100 PCs with exactly the same components, 5 performed better. The overall PC percentile is the average of each of its individual components. This PC is likely operated by a technical master!"
Did you hear that? I'm a technical master! All kidding aside, this $500 budget unit is working so far above my previous desktop that I'll never go back (sorry, Dell). I read that the average laptop only lasts 3-5 years before needing replacement. I'm OK with that and my next unit is definitely going to be a graphics-improved version of this machine, hopefully Acer.
Totally pleased.
Update 5: (from 8/19/2020). I installed a Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD (available here for about $69) for more storage space a couple of weeks ago. It went flawlessly. Well, except for the part when I buttoned it all up and it showed to have "no battery". Oopsie. Took it back apart and found that I hadn't pushed the battery connector completely in. Closed it back up, problem solved. If I recall correctly (I did this late at night after a few adult beverages) something had to be done to let the system recognize the device. Me and google had a few chats and I had a brand new 500GB drive D.
There's a very good video on how to install it on YouTube. Just search "Aspire A515-54 How to Install an Additional Hard Drive". There's a clear statement at the beginning of the video from Acer that if you mess up, it's on you, not them. You'll only need a very small phillips head screwdriver and a plastic pry-tool (spudger) to open the back and remove/replace components. Acer ships the spare drive mounting bracket and screws with the laptop. Hopefully you haven't misplaced it. Others are available but they can only be the size of the ssd, no larger.
One issue that I haven't resolved yet is that the Acer doesn't automatically put things on drive D yet since it's not a system disk. I can copy large files onto it from drive C easily, but but the system doesn't use it yet. I googled up on it and there is a way to merge drives C and D through something called "partitioning". It looks simple enough and I will do it as soon as I have time to spend a few hours researching the process (do we smell update 6 brewing?).
Still thrilled with this little Acer budget-monkey and it puts my wife's thousand dollar Dell XPS 9360 to shame in terms of performance. Totally pleased.
Update 5a: Semi-interesting wrinkle. Before I went to fumbling around to the the partitioning settings, I decided to create a system backup on a flash drive. Just in case I totally messed up. Didn't work. The flash drive was unacceptable to Windows 10 as a backup device. But Windows happily informed me that it could do the backup on drive D (oh, so NOW you recognize it, eh?). So I went ahead and did that but now I have my backup on an internal drive in the very machine I'm trying to keep protected.. Not completely useless but certainly not protected away from the laptop. Still investigating.
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2019
Setup was a breeze, setting it to my preferences was simple, removing the (modest) bloatware from Acer was easy and I was pleasantly surprised at the quickness of the unit. The memory and drive appear to be easily and inexpensively upgradeable but it functions flawlessly right out of the box.
I wasn't paying for or expecting gaming-quality graphics but the display renders internet and video perfectly. Those that find fault with this unit must be comparing it to others costing 2 to 3 times as much. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a laptop to take care of their basic computing needs.
Very nice product for the money. Well done, Acer.
Update from 10 days later: Been using it relentlessly and comparing it to my desktop, which had far more memory, storage and graphics capabilities, and I am honestly thrilled. I was thinking of using this as a bridge-unit until I could go back to a new desktop but am seriously rethinking that. The thing that really impresses me is the boot-time. This guy goes from powered down to browsing in about 30 seconds. Not sure if that's just the SSD or newer CPU but I am loving it.
Pretty sure I'm going to start using this as my main and adding a docking station, keyboard/mouse (of course), monitor, a bit more memory and storage, and just rolling with it. Disclaimer: I am not a gamer and I understand this machine won't do complex graphics.
Update 2: Just to see if it would work, I installed a $65 16GB memory card to bring the total RAM to 20GB, the maximum Acer allows for the unit (it comes with 8GB but you have to remove a 4GB card to upgrade). It worked flawlessly and it is now far zippy-er than my Dell. From what I've read, the extra memory allows it to run cooler and hopefully adds to its service life.
Update 3: (I promise this is the last). Thrilled with this little budget-monkey. Restart time, 25-30 seconds. Startup from shut down (not sleep), 12-15 seconds including pin-entry time. Kicking it up to 20GB memory really helped. For anyone that wants to try this stunt (and possibly void the warranty) all it takes is a plastic spudger (google it) and a small Phillips head screwdriver to take the back of the laptop off. 16GB memory cards are readily available from Crucial and Memorystock, usually on Amazon.
The video that gave me confidence to try it was on YouTube but it showed how to add a hard drive, not a memory card. Older Acers had a removable panel over the memory but on the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ, you have to take off the whole back. Don't even try it if you are confused about which end of a screwdriver to use or never read instructions.
A final note about some of the drama-queen reviewers that complained that "it gets so hot" or "the fan sounds like a 747 taking off": Just because it's called a laptop doesn't mean you should use it on your lap covered with your fleece blanket blocking the air vents. Use mine on my desk and on the rare occasions that the fan kicks on under heavy use it makes a gentle whirring sound, barely noticeable.
If it died tomorrow, I'd buy another.
Loving it
Update 4 (OK, I lied): After upgrading the memory and performing every performance-enhancing trick I could find on the internet with Windows, apps, settings and everything else, I started testing my budget computer. The most comprehensive free test I found was from UserBenchMark and I was kinda proud of the results. The test results can vary depending on the state of the computer but here was my best test (the others were pretty close):
"Overall this PC is performing way above expectations (95th percentile). This means that out of 100 PCs with exactly the same components, 5 performed better. The overall PC percentile is the average of each of its individual components. This PC is likely operated by a technical master!"
Did you hear that? I'm a technical master! All kidding aside, this $500 budget unit is working so far above my previous desktop that I'll never go back (sorry, Dell). I read that the average laptop only lasts 3-5 years before needing replacement. I'm OK with that and my next unit is definitely going to be a graphics-improved version of this machine, hopefully Acer.
Totally pleased.
Update 5: (from 8/19/2020). I installed a Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD (available here for about $69) for more storage space a couple of weeks ago. It went flawlessly. Well, except for the part when I buttoned it all up and it showed to have "no battery". Oopsie. Took it back apart and found that I hadn't pushed the battery connector completely in. Closed it back up, problem solved. If I recall correctly (I did this late at night after a few adult beverages) something had to be done to let the system recognize the device. Me and google had a few chats and I had a brand new 500GB drive D.
There's a very good video on how to install it on YouTube. Just search "Aspire A515-54 How to Install an Additional Hard Drive". There's a clear statement at the beginning of the video from Acer that if you mess up, it's on you, not them. You'll only need a very small phillips head screwdriver and a plastic pry-tool (spudger) to open the back and remove/replace components. Acer ships the spare drive mounting bracket and screws with the laptop. Hopefully you haven't misplaced it. Others are available but they can only be the size of the ssd, no larger.
One issue that I haven't resolved yet is that the Acer doesn't automatically put things on drive D yet since it's not a system disk. I can copy large files onto it from drive C easily, but but the system doesn't use it yet. I googled up on it and there is a way to merge drives C and D through something called "partitioning". It looks simple enough and I will do it as soon as I have time to spend a few hours researching the process (do we smell update 6 brewing?).
Still thrilled with this little Acer budget-monkey and it puts my wife's thousand dollar Dell XPS 9360 to shame in terms of performance. Totally pleased.
Update 5a: Semi-interesting wrinkle. Before I went to fumbling around to the the partitioning settings, I decided to create a system backup on a flash drive. Just in case I totally messed up. Didn't work. The flash drive was unacceptable to Windows 10 as a backup device. But Windows happily informed me that it could do the backup on drive D (oh, so NOW you recognize it, eh?). So I went ahead and did that but now I have my backup on an internal drive in the very machine I'm trying to keep protected.. Not completely useless but certainly not protected away from the laptop. Still investigating.
Big, bright, full UHD screen. Quad-core, 8th Gen Intel Core I5 CPU. Decent size SSD (easily upgradeable to 1TB if you want/need), and comes with an extra SSD caddy, connector and spare screws to add a second storage drive. High speed CPU/SSD/motherboard bus/interface (PCIe/NVMe). Biometric security/ID options. Nicely backlit keypad. Decent number of input options. The build is a little on the flimsy/plasticky side (only the top shell is aluminum, which is exactly where you want it BTW … to protect the most costly single part in the whole appliance: the screen), but heck, that's "entry level" ... my laptop is at my workstation/desk most of the time, so that's no problem for me. All my prior, trusty Toshiba Satellites had no aluminum on the outer case at all.
This thing is sleek, lightweight, fast and very easy to set up/use. Acer has taken all the most attractive advances in laptop tech from the past 5-10 years and figured out a way to streamline and squeeze them into a really nice entry level machine at a VERY competitive price. The only thing I might grouse about on this laptop is the bare minimum 8GB RAM they put in it (the removable/replaceable part is only 4GB), but that can be upgraded to 20GB for around $60 if you need it.
I've been using laptops as my primary work station for more than 20 years now, and every time I replace one, I marvel at how far they've come by the time I upgrade. No exception to that rule here ... couldn't be happier with what I got for the buck in this one. Only time will tell how it holds up. Thanks Acer ... nice work, and thanks to Amazon and "Prime Day" for making my choice/purchase even easier.
[P.S. to original review: I had an unused spare HDD that I bought for my previous laptop a long time ago before converting it to SSD, and thought I might as well use it for extra storage space in this laptop. It installed/worked fine with the caddy, connector and screws supplied by Acer, but I found that once I'd put the HDD in, the bottom cover was noticeably bulged over the HDD, and the edge closest to it wouldn't fully seat/seal, in turn, making the rest points on the bottom uneven/wobbly. In short, Acer's case design is a little too thin for proper fit of an HDD in the internal secondary drive bay. I ended up getting a new 2.5" SSD which fit just fine in the secondary bay, but I SHOULD also be able to put an HDD in there and can't, that is, if I don't want a bulge and uneven/wobbly rest points on the bottom of my new laptop. But, since re-purposing of my old HDD was an afterthought with no bearing on my original purchase decision, and everyone knows that laptop HDDs are rapidly going the way of the dodo anyway, this issue falls into the category of, e.g., "minor annoyance."]
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It's a great laptop, thin, fast, light. Perfect for airport traveller.
That thing is fast, bright/sharp.
I'm not an acer brand fan, if they had hidden the main logo it would have been a perfect laptop.
The only drawback is the cheap black plastic around the screen seem very fragile and would crack easily.