In a way, the Aspire line is the most common and most widely used Acer laptop line. Naturally, considering the price class is relatively affordable, so it is suitable for more types of consumers. So, for more powerful options, now there is the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition.
If you check the official website, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition, which we will review, is not the most expensive. But it has its own charm—NVIDIA RTX GPU! Making it suitable for editing photos and videos as well as playing casual games. Already bringing the latest hardware combinations.
Apart from being powerful, it is also designed to be upgradeable, and equipped with a number of reliable AI features for modern work systems. Here’s a full review of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition!
Design
From the outside, this creator’s special edition does look similar to the standard edition that we previously discussed. It’s just that, the size is bigger, with a wider screen and hardware that is also more capable. So it’s also natural that the weight also adds up, reaching almost 1.8 kilograms.
Still relatively portable for a laptop that has a wide screen, when many gaming laptops weigh up to 2 kilograms. The thickness is still reasonable at 17.9mm. The body material for the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition uses a combination of aluminum and polycarbonate domination—one of the factors that makes it lighter. Still quite sturdy alias sturdy in its class.
The gray color of the unit we reviewed does look a bit boring, unlike the 14-inch variant which is available in many color options. But it also makes the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition suitable for various types of work environments, both casual and in the office. We also like the weight distribution which allows the laptop screen to be opened with only one hand.
And when it’s open, the underbody of the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition is slightly raised, providing a more suitable angle for typing as well as better air circulation. Overall, in terms of design, the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition is relatively easy to carry anywhere for a laptop with a powerful GPU.
Screen
There are advantages and disadvantages of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition which can be found in this section. For its own advantages, the type of panel used is IPS, so it can provide richer colors and wide viewing angles compared to TN panels. There is also Acer Color Intelligence technology which is claimed to increase color saturation.
The screen size of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition itself is 15.6 inches wide with full HD resolution, aka using a 16:9 ratio. Unfortunately, for the new bezel, only the left and right sides are made thin, while the other two sides are still relatively thick. And for creators who need high color accuracy, this affordable Acer laptop screen still doesn’t have a 100% sRGB standard.
Even so, it’s still very comfortable, especially if it’s only used to watch video content such as streaming your favorite movies or accessing documents and various sites via a browser. The maximum screen brightness level of the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition reaches around 280 nits, so it might be a bit inconvenient to use in outdoor cafes when the sun is very hot.
The screen surface of the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition uses a matte material—it helps a little to reduce light reflection so that the displayed content is more clearly visible. For use for a long duration, there is the Acer ComfyView feature which can reduce blue light emissions, so that the eyes still feel comfortable.
Ports & Connectivity
In this section, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition can offer quite a number of ports, though not the most complete. Sequentially, on the left side of the device you can find a charging port hole, LAN port, HDMI 2.1, two USB A 3.2 Gen 1 and a USB-C port which already has the Thunderbolt 4 standard for high data transfer rates.
While on the right side, there is a Kensington Lock, one USB A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Yes, unfortunately, even though the body dimensions of the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition are larger, Acer still doesn’t include additional options such as a microSD card slot which would be more suitable for creators. Well at least there are many USB ports that can be used, including to connect a card reader or other types of accessories.
As for the typing experience, the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition’s keyboard feels quite comfortable in daily use. The large dimensions allow it to present a numpad on the right side, which is perfect for those who need to input numbers faster. The power button is on the far right, unfortunately, in our opinion, it is not made hard so it can still sleep if accidentally pressed.
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition also has a backlit lamp so you can type comfortably in limited lighting conditions. The touchpad is also wide enough for multi-touch gestures, and at the top left corner you can find a fingerprint sensor which, despite its small and traditional dimensions, is quite accurate and instantaneous. The keyboard is equipped with backlit lights, one level only.
Other Features
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition comes with Windows 11 Home from the first time it’s on. Not only that, Acer also provides a Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 license, aka users can immediately use various Office applications without having to pay or subscribe, saving expenses. Other hardware parts also make this laptop suitable for modern work systems.
The HD-resolution webcam on the top side of the screen bezel is supported by the Acer TNR feature which can reduce noise and brighten faces in indoor conditions, so that the user’s appearance during virtual meetings is more suitable. Then when used while working from anywhere, there are two microphones that are reinforced with Acer PurifiedVoice, AI noise reduction technology whose job is to ensure the user’s voice remains clear and minimal other sound distractions.
Regarding use in offices and cafes, the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition is also supported by Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. Ensuring connections to wireless networks and accessories such as TWS earphones will run smoothly. The internal components are also upgradeable, which will affect performance.
performance
Specifically for this variant, the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition comes with a slightly different type of processor than the variant without a discrete GPU. The variant we reviewed carries the 12th generation Intel Core processor, more precisely the Core i5-1240P. Yes, unlike the U-Series variant, the P-Series has a higher TDP. Both carry 12 CPU cores with 4 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores – each of which has a maximum frequency of up to 4.4GHz.
Because of its larger dimensions, Acer has embedded the TwinAir cooling system, where the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition is equipped with two fans and two heat pipes. Not only that, it is also designed to be upgradeable with two DDR4 RAM slots and two M.2 PCIe SSD slots. But the prima donna, of course, is the discrete NVIDIA GPU in it.
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition carries the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 GPU released in late 2021 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory. That way, users can rely on this laptop to create digital content such as photo and video editing. Even playing games should be quite capable, even though for various heavy game titles it still can’t be right.
For optimal performance, there are more than 150 applications and games that are enhanced with NVIDIA RTX hardware. And to keep performance running smoothly, the cooling system can be adjusted only with the “Fn + F” key shortcut. Plus a keyboard design that can emit about 8-10% more hot air.
Battery
With a combination of more powerful hardware, the battery capacity of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition is quite large at 50WHr. That way, this Acer Aspire laptop can be used for quite a long time, as long as it’s light. For example, typing documents in power saving mode can take up to 6-7 hours.
Yes, the key is power saving mode. Once the usage scenario is changed to edit photos or play games, of course it can run out quickly in the range of 2-3 hours. And this is also very normal, considering the large screen dimensions and the discrete GPU which does require extra power. Plus power to “turn on” the dual fans.
The charging process is relatively fast, because Acer provides a charger for the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition with a higher power of 90W. This laptop’s built-in charger still uses a conventional port — plus, the USB-C port on this device can be used for other accessories. If you want to charge using the USB-C port, you can too, it’s just slower if, for example, you use a 65W PD USB charger.
Conclusion
So one of the most powerful options in the Aspire line, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition can be the choice of you who want an affordable 15-inch laptop with a discrete GPU. Also suitable for those who want a laptop with gaming capabilities, but without a gaming laptop design which is usually large and heavy. Still fit for the feel of the office.
Complete connectivity options, can be charged via conventional chargers and USB-C, as well as complete work from anywhere supporting hardware such as a webcam and microphone that fits. Making the Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition the right choice for student and office laptops in 2023. There are a few drawbacks to the screen bezel and standard ratio, color accuracy that is not yet 100% sRGB, and not as many color options as the regular variant.
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition specifications
general
| DeviceType | Laptops |
| Models / Series | Acer Aspire 5 Slim Creator Edition A515-57G |
| released | September 27, 2022 |
| Status | Available |
| Price | IDR 13,499,000 (i5) or Around USD $890 |
platforms
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i5-1240P processor |
| VGA (Graphic Card) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 4GB GDDR6 |
| RAM (Memories) | 8GB DDR4 (upgradable 1x slot) |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD (upgradable 1x slot) |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
Body
| Dimensions | 362.9 (W) x 237.8 (D) x 17.9 (H) mm, 1.8 kg |
| Displays | 15.6-inch Full HD, 1920 x 1080, 250 nits, Acer ComfyView™, 16:9 aspect ratio, IPS |
| Battery | 53 Wh 3-cell Li-ion battery, 90W fast charging |
connectivity
| webcams | HD webcam, 720p HD video at 30 fps with Temporal Noise Reduction |
| bluetooth | 5.1 |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| NFC | – |
| I/O Interfaces | Audio Jack Combo 3.5mm 1 USB Type-C / Thunderbolt™ 4 port 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with power-off charging HDMI 2.1 ® port DC-in Kensington Lock |
Other
| audios | Stereo speakers, DTS Audio, dual mics, Acer Purified Technology |
| Features | Backlight Keyboard (Single-Color, White) Fingerprint reader |
