Best laptops in 2021Best budget laptops in 2021
Acer Aspire 7
When it comes to specs, the Acer Aspire 7 is packed with the trendy AMD Ryzen 5000 series mobile processor, along with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. It can also be configured with up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and up to 1TB PCIe SSD. That’s ideal for professionals who demand multi-tasking and like to play popular titles with mid-range graphics. In terms of design, it sports a simple yet sleek black chassis, weighing in at 4.73 pounds (2.15 kg), with a 15.6-inch FHD display with narrow bezels — resulting in a 82% screen-to-body ratio. The Aspire 7 also comes with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and USB-C ports, and in terms of its thermal design, it comes with multi-functional cooling modes, all so users can switch fan speeds between silent, normal or performance. At its starting price of $749.99 in North America and €899 in EMEA, we’re starting to see more budget high-performance laptops that are on par with last year’s mid-range gaming laptops. Here’s hoping it delivers.
Acer Aspire 5
As for Acer’s latest Aspire 5 model, it also impressively features the AMD Ryzen 5000 series mobile processors, along with a AMD Radeon RX 640 GPU, 24GB memory and up to 1TB M.2PCIe SSD NVMe and/or up to a 2TB HDD. That is more than enough for students who are frequently multitasking or looking for a quick League of Legends match. Its design boasts a slim 0.7-inch (17.95mm) sandblasted aluminum cover, and a 15.6-inch FHD IPS6 display, which also includes Acer BlueLightShield technology that reduces harmful blue light. Finally, the Aspire 5 mimics its Aspire 7 sibling with USB-C ports, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and a thermal design with multiple cooling modes. The Acer Aspire 5 is priced from $549.99 in North America and €699 in Europe.
Outlook
Considering the Acer Aspire 5 didn’t exactly impress in 2020, using AMD’s exciting Ryzen 5000 series definitely gives Acer’s budget line more of an edge. Whether past problems, including its below-average battery life, return or not, will soon be determined when we get our hands on a review unit. Be sure to check out our other coverage to stay updated on all things CES 2021 and beyond right.
