Acer Aspire Go 15 review: a well-priced, snappy performer

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Acer Aspire Go 15: Two-minute review

The Acer Aspire Go 15 is an affordable Windows laptop with a spec that should prove capable enough for everyday use.

Considering its 15.6-inch form, it has a sleek and slender body. It’s also quite thin and light, which makes it easier to carry around than expected. The light silver finish and minimal aesthetic also imbue the Aspire Go 15 with some style, although there are a few unsightly angles that mar its appearance somewhat.

best laptops, much less many of the best Ultrabooks, either. The materials aren’t premium, and its construction isn’t as reassuringly solid as I would’ve liked. The lid isn’t the most stable, either, and its downward protrusion means it lifts up the rear of the unit when opened beyond 90 degrees, which is a design choice I’m not particularly fond of due to its impractical nature.

On a more positive note, there’s a decent selection of ports, including three for USB-A, one for HDMI cables, and one for Ethernet connections. There’s only one USB-C port, though, and no SD card reader.

Close-up of right side of keyboard on Acer Aspire Go 15

(Image credit: Future)

The everyday performance of the Aspire Go 15 is very good, handling light productivity and entertainment workloads with speed. However, more intensive tasks such as gaming fare worse, given that it lacks a dedicated GPU. Light gaming is still possible, though, and both fan noise and temperatures are kept to a minimum.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the Aspire Go 15 is its display. Its grainy finish can be distracting, while colors can look a little washed out in some cases. Worse still is the restrictive viewing angle, with images and scenes becoming totally obscured when the display is set even slightly beyond optimal bounds.

The battery life of the Aspire Go 15 is quite good, though, lasting close to 12 hours during our movie playback test. However, there are quite a few rivals that can outlast it, such as the Dell 14 Plus.

Considering its price, the Aspire Go 15 represents a very good value, offering a more affordable alternative to the best Windows laptops that cost a good bit more. There are also better-performing Chromebooks for less money, such as the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch, which also has a better display, but if you can live with its display, the Aspire Go 15 is one of the best budget laptops going and well worth adding to your shortlist.

Intel and AMD CPUs are available to choose from, while RAM and storage capacities range from 8GB to 32GB and 128GB to 1TB, respectively.

This is a good starting price for a Windows laptop, but for this outlay, you’ll have to settle for a weak spec. My review model was considerably more powerful than the base model, and priced closer to some strong rivals.

However, it still undercuts other affordable Windows machines, such as the Dell 14 Plus. We found this laptop to be an excellent value, though, thanks to its fast performance and enduring battery life, while its light design even makes it a worthy alternative to some of the best MacBooks.

If you’re willing to look beyond Windows machines, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is another enticing proposition. This is cheaper than the Aspire Go 15, but has a stronger performance and a superior display that doesn’t suffer from the same issues. No wonder we think it’s one of the best Chromebooks around right now.

Acer Aspire Go 15 review: Specs

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Acer Aspire Go 15 Specs
Row 0 – Cell 0	Base configuration	Review configuration	Maximum configuration (US) \| (UK)
Price	$299.99 / £299.99	$549.99 / £649	$819.99 / £899.99
CPU	Intel N100 (4 cores, 3.4GHz)	AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8 cores, 2.0GHz)	Intel Core i7-13620H \| Intel Core 7 150U
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (integrated)	AMD Radeon (integrated)	Intel UHD Graphics (integrated) \| Intel Graphics (integrated)
RAM	4GB LPDDR5	16GB DDR4	16GB DDR5 \| 32GB DDR4
Storage	128GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD	1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD \| 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Display	15.6-inch (1920 x 1080), 16:9, 60Hz	15.6-inch (1920 x 1080), 16:9, 60Hz	15.6-inch (1920 x 1080), 16:9, 60Hz
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-A (3.2 Gen 1), 1x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1	3x USB-A (3.2 Gen 1), 1x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1	3x USB-A (3.2 Gen 1), 1x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1
Battery	53Wh	53Whr	53Whr \| 53Whr
Dimensions	14.3 x 9.5 x 0.8in (363 x 241 x 20mm)	14.3 x 9.5 x 0.8in (363 x 241 x 20mm)	14.3 x 9.5 x 0.8in (363 x 241 x 20mm)
Weight	3.92lbs / 1.78kg	3.92lbs / 1.78kg	3.92lbs / 1.78kg

A wide selection of spec configurations are available, with both Intel and AMD processors. There is a mix of PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 SSDs depending on the spec, so some drives will run slower than others, and that’s not always immediately apparent when looking at retailer specs sheets.

It also doesn’t include the latest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standard, but Wi-Fi 6 is fast enough for most people’s needs, while the inclusion of an Ethernet port is welcome.

Overall, for their various price points, these are about the specs one should expect.

Acer Aspire Go 15 review: Design

Close-up of left side of keyboard on Acer Aspire Go 15 — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonably light and thin
Lacking solidity
Odd lid design

The Aspire Go 15 is a basic but smart looking laptop, with extraneous details kept to a minimum. The light silver finish of my review unit helped to impart some elegance, too, although a few unsightly juts and angles spoil its otherwise smooth contours. While the Aspire Go 15 is quite wide, it’s relatively light and pleasingly thin, which makes it easier to carry around than you might imagine for a 15.6-inch laptop.

Build quality isn’t exactly the greatest, though, with cheap looking – and feeling – plastics that flex to an inauspicious degree. Thankfully, the keys feel more premium: they’re solidly fitted and have a prominent texture that’s satisfying to touch.

Close-up of trackpad on Acer Aspire Go 15 — (Image credit: Future)

The lid is also better made than the rest of the unit, featuring a solid yet smooth hinge mechanism. I welcomed how thin it was, too, although I was less keen on its bottom protrusion. This causes the rear of the Aspire Go 15 to lift off ground when opened to angles beyond 90 degrees – a deliberate design choice but one that feels unintuitive and can result in loose fabrics and other materials underneath the chassis getting caught, which isn’t ideal.

There was a reasonable selection of ports on my Aspire Go 15 review unit. I welcomed the three USB-A ports, spread across both sides for added convenience. There was also an HDMI port and an ethernet port: increasingly rare sights on modern laptops, and again ones I was glad to see. There’s only one USB-C port, though, and no SD card reader, both of which are mild shames.

Acer Aspire Go 15 review: Performance

Close-up of ports on left side of Acer Aspire Go 15 — (Image credit: Future)

Great general computing performance
Some light gaming is possible
Relatively cool and quiet

Acer Aspire Go 15 benchmarks:

3DMark Fire Strike: 3,646; Steel Nomad: 205; Wild Life Extreme: 2,229; Wild Life Extreme Unlimited: 2,200;
GeekBench 6.5 Single-core: 2,000; Multi-core: 6,605
CrossMark Overall: 1,109; Productivity: 1,149; Creativity: 1,125; Responsiveness: 954;
HandBrake – 4K to 1080p average FPS: 43.24

4K content. I didn’t experience any midway buffering pauses or stuttering, for example.

However, the viewing experience is marred by the quality of the display. It has a noticeably grainy finish, which can be distracting at times. Colors can also look washed out.

What’s more, the display darkens considerably if the angle isn’t set just right, to the point of near-total blackness sometimes. Thankfully, once you’ve found the optimum position, there are next to no reflections visible on screen.

Since there’s no dedicated GPU installed in the Aspire Go 15, it isn’t particularly great for creative and gaming workloads. Cyberpunk 2077 is playable on the lowest preset, but naturally, you’ll have to make do with some rough visuals and uninspiring frame rates.

Close-up of ports on right side of Acer Aspire Go 15

(Image credit: Future)

The game is even passable on Medium settings and upscaling, but you’ll have to contend with even lower frame rates and more input lag, rendering the experience less than enjoyable.

Mercifully, though, I experienced little fan noise from the Aspire Go 15 during such intensive workloads, never elevating above a faint whir. It also stayed commendably cool, with certain portions of the body reaching lukewarm temperatures only.

Another highlight of the Aspire Go 15 is its keyboard. The aforementioned keycap texture helps them feel more tactile, as does the surprising amount of dampening of the switches, despite their short travel and very low profile.

What’s more, they’re snappy and responsive, which only improves their typing prowess. And despite featuring a number pad, the layout doesn’t feel cramped. Those number pad keys are relatively small, though, but they’re still eminently usable. So overall, if you’re looking for one of the best laptops for writing, the Aspire Go 15 could well be a contender for you.

The touchpad is less pleasant to use, though. While it’s smooth enough for easy gestures and swiping, it’s not as large as those in other 15-inch laptops, which compromises its navigation abilities. Also, clicks and taps lack feedback and even rattle at points, which further hampers their functionality.

Acer Aspire Go 15 review: Battery Life

Close-up of webcam on Acer Aspire Go 15, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonable longevity
Rivals can far outlast it, though

The battery life of the is quite impressive. It managed to last close to 12 hours when playing a movie on a continuous loop. It’s also quick to charge, taking about two hours to fully top up.

The HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch achieved a similar score. However, others in this sector can outlast it by quite some distance, including the Dell 14 Plus, which lasted over 13 hours when we ran a similar test.

Should I buy the Acer Aspire Go 15?

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Acer Aspire Go 15 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The Aspire Go 15 ranges in price from incredibly cheap to reasonably-priced for a Windows machine exhibiting this kind of performance.	4.5 / 5
Specs	While the Aspire Go 15 isn’t loaded with the very latest specs, for the price, they’re pretty decent.	3.5 / 5
Design	It’s surprisingly thin and light for such a large laptop, but the construction isn’t exactly the most premium.	3.5 / 5
Performance	The Aspire Go 15 is great for everyday tasks and brilliant for typing on, but the poor display and lack of graphical power are drawbacks.	4 / 5
Battery Life	Battery life is quite good, but others can outlast it by a long way, too.	3.5 / 5
Total	The Aspire Go 15 is a very competent laptop for the price. But there are better all-rounders in the Chromebook market, if you really don’t need Windows.	3.8 / 5

How I tested the Acer Aspire Go 15

Tested for several days
Used for a variety of tasks
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the Acer Aspire Go 15 for several days, using it for working, entertainment, gaming, and general browsing.

I also connected various peripherals to it, and ran our series of benchmark tests to assess its overall performance. I also tested its battery life by playing a movie on a continuous loop until it expired.

I have plenty of experience testing all kinds of laptops, from everyday workhorses to high-end specialist machines. I’ve also reviewed Chromebooks and other computing devices, such as tablets.