Acer Aspire 5 vs Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition

[Freezanator]

I'm in the market for a new laptop and these 2 models are really good. Here are their specs along with some pros and cons which I have thought of.

1. Acer Aspire 5 (2500 MYR / 583 USD)

CPU: Intel Core i5-7200U @ 2.50 GHz, up to 3.10 GHz

RAM: 4 GB DDR4

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX 150

Storage: 1 TB HDD @ 5400 RPM

Display: 1080p 15.6" IPS panel

Ports: 2x USB 2.0 Type-A

          1x USB 3.0 Type-A

          1x USB 3.1 Type-C

          1x HDMI port

          1x SD card reader

          1x LAN port

Battery: ~6 hours battery life (light load), ~4 hours battery life (heavy load)

Dimensions: 383mm (W) x 264mm (D) x 22mm (H)

Weight: 2.1 kg

Keyboard: Number pad, no backlight

 

THE PROS

- Good battery life

- Low temperatures while gaming (~38°C under full load)

- Relatively thin compared to other laptops with similar performance

 

THE CONS

- Keyboard has no backlight

- RAM upgrade required

 

 

 

2. Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition (2600 MYR / 607 USD) < Price in nearby store is 2600 MYR, 500 MYR less than the one stated online

CPU: Intel Core i5-6300HQ @ 2.30 GHz, up to 3.20 GHz

RAM: 4 GB DDR4

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M

Storage: 1 TB HDD @ 5400 RPM

Display: 1080p 15.6" IPS panel

Ports: 2x USB 2.0 Type-A

          2x USB 3.0 Type-A

          1x USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt)

          1x HDMI port

          1x SD card reader

          1x LAN port

Battery: ~4 hours battery life (light load), ~2 hours battery life (heavy load)

Dimensions: 390mm (W) x 263mm (D) x 23mm (H)

Weight: 2.51 kg

Keyboard: Number pad, Backlit keyboard

 

THE PROS

- Backlit keyboard

- Good performance in gaming

- Support for Thunderbolt

- 4 speaker setup

- Relatively thin compared to laptops with similar performance

 

THE CONS

- Bad battery life

- Gets hot when gaming (~48°C under full load)

- Soft-touch plastic gets light scratches over time

- RAM upgrade required

 

 

I'd actually prefer the Aspire V Nitro due to the big price cut, but the bad battery life and the soft-touch plastic kinda kills it for me. However, the lower performance on the Aspire 5 (950M < MX 150 < 960M) makes me reconsider the Aspire V Nitro. So, which of these 2 should I get? Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sicily428]

that nitro needs to be repasted

[Freezanator]

Just now, sicily428 said:

that nitro needs to be repasted

What do you mean?

[sicily428]

Acer uses a really bad thermal compound so you should repaste cpu/gpu with a good kryonaut for better temperatures

[Freezanator]

16 minutes ago, sicily428 said:

Acer uses a really bad thermal compound so you should repaste cpu/gpu with a good kryonaut for better temperatures

How about the Acer Aspire 5? It performs pretty well in the thermal department.  

[sicily428]

acer aspire 5 is not comparable because it has a dualcore cpu and only a mx150

 

here a review

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/15876-acer-aspire-5-a515-51-review/

[genexis_x]

I would say although the MX150 is slightly slower than 960M, its newer driver should benefit in some games and will provide similar performance with the 960M at a significantly lower wattage (less heat too)

 

I'll go for the new Aspire 5.

 

Edit: Keep in mind that the i5 version of Aspire 5 sold in Malaysia is using TN panel, not IPS. Only the i7 version uses IPS panel (which has a much higher price tag for no reason)

 

Also, for reference: