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The Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH is an inexpensive laptop that packs decent features for everyday productivity. It’s part of a newer class of budget laptops outfitted with some reasonable processing power, a fairly sleek design, and almost all-day battery life at very reasonable prices.
In the case of the Aspire 3, it shows up nicely in the budget category, sporting simple, low-profile styling, a full-size keyboard with a number pad, and a 15-inch screen that’s a pleasure to use. While it isn’t free of trade-offs in the sub-$300 price point, Acer has made judicious decisions to deliver a notebook that gives you lots of bang for relatively few bucks.
About the Acer Aspire 3
Here are the specs on our review model:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 7320U
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display
- Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2
- Webcam: 720p webcam
- Battery (Tested): 16:41 hours
- Weight: 3.77 pounds
- Size: 14.3 x 9.4 x 0.75 inches
The Aspire 3 is a budget laptop available in several configurations with both Intel and AMD chips. The screen sizes vary from 14-inch to 15.6-inch Touch, so depending on your typical use needs, you can always find something across the range.
What we like
Good Everyday Productivity Performance
The AMD Ryzen 3 7320U is a capable processor when it comes to performing essential daily tasks such as web browsing, handling office productivity, college assignments, and streaming videos and movies. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320U was launched 3in September 2022 as part of the Ryzen 3 lineup, using the Zen 2 (Mendocino) architecture with Socket FP6, 4 cores, and 8 threads, and operates at 2.4GHz by default, but can boost up to 4.1 GHz as needed.
On this Aspire 3, the processor is paired with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage, and AMD Radeon graphics to deliver decent productivity performance, provided you remain within the basic threshold. Again, at this price, you’re buying a laptop for basic tasks, such as web browsing and word processing. This is not a productivity workhorse to compete with the HP Spectre x2 or the Acer Swift 14, but it will perform well for routine day-to-day tasks that don’t require much leverage from a machine.
The Aspire 3’s integrated Radeon graphics won’t win any awards either, with 3DMark scores that generally leave it in the “less than 15fps” category. But to be fair, 3DMark uses very high graphics settings, so it should be applied on machines with dedicated graphics. Still, you can get some casual gaming done on this laptop now and then.
Excellent battery life
All the longest-lasting Windows laptops I’ve used over the last couple of years have had AMD Ryzen processors under the hood. However, the Acer Aspire 3 belongs in that category; its battery life is great.
It lasts up to over 15 hours in general productivity, but 12 hours and some more is precisely what I look for in a work laptop. Even so, this is still respectable compared to some other budget laptops out there, it lasts longer than some Chromebooks in the same price range. While most laptops now use USB-C for charging, the Acer Aspire 3 uses a power adapter with a cylindrical adapter.
A fairly decent keyboard
The Acer Aspire 3 has a decent keyboard, but the keyboard is just passable. The keys are like those found on many budget laptops; they often have more travel than those of some ultra-premium laptops and have a slightly hollow feel.
Acer offers some good keyboards, and this one isn’t too bad at all. Thanks to the spare space on the keyboard deck, the A315-24P-R7VH easily fits in a NUM pad. There’s no keyboard backlight here, though.
What we don’t like
Flimsy plastic body
For the A315-24P-R7VH, Acer prioritized performance and specs over design. That means you should be content with the plastic construction and not look forward to an aluminum shell and a very lightweight profile.
However, for its price, the Acer A315-24P-R7VH looks decent. It’s an all-plastic case that looks like it could be aluminum from a distance, or even up close. I find it sturdy enough for the daily commute, and it doesn’t have any signs of being poorly made.
It’s on the lighter side for budget 15.6-inch laptops, weighing 3.92 pounds and measuring 14.29 x 0.74 x 9.35 inches. While it’s a little heavy to be ideal for everyday portable use, it will fit easily in a backpack for off-site meetings and university lectures. Still, the plastic body feels a little flimsy for my liking, it would be sturdier.
Lackluster display
The display on the Acer Aspire 3 is pretty basic, though that’s expected with a budget laptop like this. It’s an LCD with a 1080p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate, which is fine for the price. It doesn’t have the best viewing angles, but it will get the job done. There’s also a built-in webcam, but it isn’t the best you can find in a laptop – after all, 720p is pretty basic and can’t compare with 1080p available in more expensive laptops.
Should you buy the Acer Aspire 3?
Yes, it makes for a great budget laptop for work or college.
The Acer A315-24P-R7VH is an affordable laptop that offers better performance than most of its peers, looks good enough, and isn’t too chunky or heavy to carry around on a daily commute.
It’s good enough for day-to-day tasks, like web browsing and word processing, but it won’t handle heavier workloads or gaming very well. The display and battery life are all fine, while the value is definitely on its side.
Acer faces stiff competition in this price bracket, but with the Aspire 3, it competes relatively well. If all you need is a 15-inch laptop for basic tasks – work or college, a cheaper Aspire 5 or even an Asus Chromebook would be ideal, too. In the same category, the newest Acer Aspire 3 A315-24P-R7VH does extremely well in its price range, especially for those looking for a solid Windows laptop.
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