Acer Aspire 5 A515-44-R2SA, 15.6" Full HD, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core Mobile Processor with Radeon Graphics, 8GB DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 5, HD Webcam, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10 Home

This is a great laptop for a very reasonable price! I'm using it as a desktop replacement, so it's plugged in nearly all the time. I haven't tested the battery life, but it is light enough to easily be taken to coffee shops, etc. It has a nice big and bright screen. This machine is much faster than the one it is replacing. Programs that used to take several seconds to load now pop up almost instantly.I never booted Windows on this computer. Instead, I installed Linux (Pop!_OS 20.10). I had to disable secure boot in the BIOS (F2 while booting to access BIOS), then was able to install from USB stick. There is also a BIOS setting to enable the Fn keys. All of those seem to work just fine.My only minor complaint is there is a little keyboard flex and some rattling while I type. This may be partially my fault, since I'm fairly heavy fingered when I'm typing.I would not have any problem recommending this computer. It is a real bargain!

Removed Windows as soon as I received my laptop, and installed Linux Mint Ulyana with Cinnamon Desktop. Only issue was with display resolution and HDMI output. The 4000 series processor requires a newer kernel which can easily be installed via Update Manager -> View -> Linux Kernels. Everything seems to be working with the 5.8.0-29 kernel with the exception of Bluetooth which is a bit buggy, but usable. With 8 cores, performance is comparable or better than my last gen Ryzen 5 desktop computer depending on usage. Heating is not an issue with general usage, but it will warm up if you begin pushing those cores. For my usage, (no gaming) CPU temps always stayed below 70C, and were below 50C most of the time. No overheating issues as long as you keep the fan intake on the bottom clear of obstructions. The bios on this laptop is very limited, no overclocking or tuning is possible. Display brightness is acceptable, not the best in direct sunlight. There is some shadowing when viewed at an angle. Memory and storage upgrades require removal of the entire bottom cover which took some time to perform. Keyboard backlight is helpful in low light conditions. Yes, the letters themselves light up, not just the border. This is a respectable developers laptop, and a very decent general purpose laptop.

I do not use Windows. I tried 3 different Linux distros and have finally settled on Xubuntu 20.10.beta.Initially I had these problems using Xubuntu 20.4.1:* Power management did not obey the specified configuration. For example, the screen was not turned off after N minutes of idle.* After suspending (E.g. closed lid), resume worked except for the display. Each time it woke from resume, I needed to do this flying blind: 1) Ctrl-Alt-F1, 2) login as root, and 3) reboot. Ugh.It turns out that both of these issues are still in Linux kernel 5.4. Same issues on the other distros I tried that used this kernel. So, I used the update-manager to upgrade in place from Xubuntu 20.04.1 to Xubuntu 20.10-beta which uses the 5.8 version of the Linux kernel. Both issues are no longer present. My laptop is quite stable, very quick, and has great support for all interface devices (display, mouse, touchpad, keyboard, audio, bluetooth, etc.).I added another 8GB of DDR4 2666 to the original 8GB because I am a developer who uses a lot of in-memory large tables, even though Linux could easily perform well with 1/2 that much.Note that Linux users probably have to configure the touchpad to be disabled while typing on the keyboard. This stabilized the touchpad for me although I confess to being a mouse addict.

First, these little ryzen 4700U's are beasts, they work great in win or linux. Particularly this machine, vs the dell/hp/etc equivalents because it supports proper S3 standby, which for users that prefer a slight wakeup delay vs draining the battery in ones bag when the lid is closed. Frankly, this machine supports a lot of things you won't find in the competing products (the ethernet jack is awsome!). Especially if one manages to get into the hidden bios menus to tune the machine for linux rather than windows. In my case I prefer the matte/non-touch screen, and the expand ability this model offers.That said, I do wish it had more of the formfactor/feel of the hp envy/etc lines, of which I own a similar U4700 machine. This is by far the better machine, due to HP crippling theirs in an effort to create product segmentation (without providing a "higher tier" model) but this acer leaves one with a clunky/plasticy impression, although frankly the acer's keyboard feels better IMHO too.

This comes with an 8-Core Processer the 4700U. This CPU is a BEAST and will shred anything you throw at it without even heating up, unless you're doing something like editing or video games. Reccomend 10/10. The screen isn't the brightest, but hey you're gonna have to pay over $1000 or even more if you want this CPU plus all the nice features. Best bargain deal in my opinion. 8GB of ram is a little thin in 2020 but you can upgrade it to 16GB or 32GB very easily.

GREAT Computer BUT----SOUND/VOLUME is NONEXISTENT. This is my 3rd Acer & I have never had a problem w/ the audio on the computer's speakers-----until now. NEW computer & immediately have a problem w/ its sound. I've updated; scoured online forums & searches, and realize that Low Sound/Volume is a COMMON PROBLEM w/ the Acer Aspire series. I hate setting up any new technological device {yes it's easy, it's just a massive headache} so will probably keep this as it is GREAT computer otherwise: super snappy and visually gorgeous. Yes, headphones or external speaker will provide the solution but again: NEW computer & I shouldn't have to spend more money for ADDITIONAL equipment for what should already be INCLUDED in my computer. Admittedly the sound is fantastic w/ my very good headphones on, but NOT the point. Quality & consistency {or LACK of} is for the ACER ASPIRE series.