Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) Review – Long Battery Life on a Budget

In the ever-evolving world of laptops, finding the perfect balance between affordability and capability is not that easy. If you’re on the hunt for a new machine that won’t break the bank but still packs a punch for your daily tasks, then you’ve landed in the right place. We put the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) through its paces, meticulously examining every facet to bring you an unbiased and comprehensive review.

Following our recent look at its larger 17-inch sibling, the Aspire Go 17, we now turn our attention to the more compact 15-inch model. The Acer Aspire Go 15 aims to carve its niche in the budget-friendly category, but with a notable difference. Unlike some of its more entry-level counterparts, this particular configuration boasts an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor, a significant step up from the Intel Processor N150 we encountered previously. This immediately raises an intriguing question: can this Ryzen chip provide the muscle needed for more demanding workloads within a machine designed with cost-consciousness in mind?

Let’s see what this laptop has to offer, helping you decide if the Acer Aspire Go 15 is the smart choice for your needs.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-aspire-go-15-ag15-21p/

Contents

Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.acer.com/us-en/support/product-support/Aspire_AG15-21P

What’s in the box?

Alright, let’s peek inside the box of the Acer Aspire Go 15! As expected for a laptop in this category, the unboxing experience was straightforward, revealing the AG15-21P itself nestled alongside some essential paperwork and a compact 65W power adapter – nothing too flashy, just the necessities to get you up and running.

Design and construction

Picking up the Acer Aspire Go 15, the first impression is one of understated elegance. It bears a striking resemblance to its sibling, the Aspire Go 17, sporting a clean and simple aesthetic. A small, mirrored ‘acer’ logo adds a touch of class, while the ‘ASPIRE’ inscription is subtly placed, avoiding any unnecessary flashiness. The silver color option we chose between the two available for this series (Silver / Blue), looks rather fetching and contributes to its refined appearance.

Considering it’s a 15.6-inch laptop, the weight of just 3.81 lbs (1.73 kg) feels surprisingly manageable, making it a relatively portable option for everyday use. Slipping it into a bag won’t feel like a major burden. In terms of thickness, the Aspire Go 15 measures in at a slender 0.78 inches (19.9 mm), which is quite respectable and contributes to its sleek profile. We also appreciate the thoughtful coating on the chassis, which effectively resists fingerprints, keeping the device looking clean even after extended use.

While the exterior might give the impression of metal, the chassis is actually constructed from plastic. However, this doesn’t detract significantly from the overall feel. The laptop feels surprisingly sturdy for its class, exhibiting minimal flex even when subjected to reasonable pressure. The hinge mechanism strikes a good balance, allowing the laptop to be opened smoothly with just one hand while still providing enough resistance to keep the screen stable in various positions.

Opening the lid reveals relatively slim bezels around the display, which is always a welcome sight in a modern laptop, even if they don’t quite reach ‘showstopper’ levels. Unfortunately, a privacy shutter for the webcam is absent, which might be a point to consider for users particularly concerned about their online privacy. The screen can be tilted back to approximately 150 degrees, which should be sufficient for most usage scenarios. Interestingly, the design incorporates a clever hinge mechanism that slightly lifts the rear of the laptop when the screen is opened, potentially aiding in better airflow and cooling – a thoughtful touch.

Moving to the input area, the Acer Aspire Go 15 features a full-size keyboard complete with a NumPad. While the inclusion of a dedicated number pad is a definite plus for productivity, the keys within this block are slightly smaller than the main keys. Sadly, the keyboard lacks backlighting, which could be a drawback for those who frequently work in dimly lit environments. On the bright side, the typing experience is generally comfortable, making it suitable for long work sessions. The up and down arrows are pretty small, which isn’t great for general navigation and might not be ideal for hardcore gaming enthusiasts, particularly those who favor racing games…which are not the target audience of this model, of course.

It’s worth noting that while some configurations of the Acer Aspire Go 15 include a fingerprint sensor integrated into the trackpad, our particular unit does not. Speaking of the trackpad, it’s remarkably large for a 15-inch laptop. Acer has done an excellent job here, as the trackpad is not only spacious but also very comfortable and responsive to use, making navigation and gestures a breeze.

Ports

The Acer Aspire Go 15 offers a practical selection of ports to cover everyday needs. On the left side, users will find a versatile USB Type-C port. This port supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, enabling data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps. Importantly, it also features DisplayPort over USB-C, allowing for connection to external displays. Additionally, this USB Type-C port can deliver up to 3A at 5V DC for charging other devices and serves as the DC input for powering the laptop using the provided USB Type-C power adapter.

For connecting to external monitors, TVs, or projectors, the laptop is equipped with an HDMI port, supporting high-definition digital video output. While the specific HDMI version isn’t explicitly stated, it’s worth noting that even HDMI 1.4 supports resolutions up to 4K at 30Hz or 1080p at 120Hz, which should be sufficient for many users. Depending on the actual version implemented, it might offer even higher capabilities.

In terms of traditional USB connectivity, the Aspire Go 15 includes two USB Type-A ports, one conveniently located on each side. These are USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, indicated by their blue color, providing data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps. They are also backward compatible with older USB devices, ensuring broad compatibility with your existing peripherals.

For audio needs, the laptop features a standard headphone/speaker jack, allowing for easy connection of wired headphones, speakers, or headsets with a microphone.

For wireless connectivity, the Acer Aspire Go 15 supports IEEE 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6. This modern Wi-Fi standard offers significant improvements in speed, network capacity, and efficiency compared to older standards, ensuring a smoother and more reliable wireless experience for Browse, streaming, and online activities.

Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

Viewing Angles

Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.

Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.

Color Coverage

The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.

Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) can show:

Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P): the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.

In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 51% of the sRGB color gamut and 40% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

(Fig.1) Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) covers 51% of the sRGB gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 357 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 337 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 13%.

The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6170K.

The contrast ratio is 1210:1.

Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation

The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 183 nits (Windows slider = 41%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.

DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.

Color Accuracy

Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P). We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.

Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.

For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.

Before our calibration of the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P), the Average color accuracy was 5.8 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.1 dE (Fig. 3).

Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).

Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile

Visibility in dark scenes

Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.

The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.

On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.

You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.

Response time (Gaming capabilities)

We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.

We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 15.8 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.

After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.

Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)

Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.

In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.

The light from the backlight of the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.

Health Impact: Blue light emissions

Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.

If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.

Health Impact: Screen Reflectance

Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.

The reflectance of the Acer Aspire Go 15’s screen is 52.3 GU.

High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU

Get our profiles

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) configurations with MB156CS01-A (HKC0AA4), 1920 х 1080, IPS panel.

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

Read more about the profiles HERE.

Sound

When we subjectively listen to a sound file through the built-in speakers, the sound quality offered by Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) is relatively good. However, the low, mid and high frequencies have slight deviations in clarity.

Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage

All performance and temperature tests are conducted in Best Performance mode.

CPU and Work Performance

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) can be purchased with a choice of basic processors the best of which is the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U. We got it for our tests, and it’s powerful enough for office tasks.

GPU and Gaming Performance

The integrated GPU is AMD Radeon 610M. It’s outside of Top #300 in our rankings but it’s still a good choice for an office machine.

You can find the performance rating of all the GPUs on the market in our Top Laptop Graphics Ranking.

Gaming tests

We know you’re not here for gaming but let’s test a game or two and see how they run on the integrated GPU.

We consider Counter Strike 2 barely playable with 48 FPS on average at the Low preset, and 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Counter Strike 2	HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)	HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)	HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings)
Average FPS	49 FPS	–	–

Anything more demanding than Counter Strike and you’re getting into the “non-playable” category. For example, Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs with 18 FPS on average, at the Lowest settings, 1080p.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider	Full HD, Lowest (Check settings)	Full HD, Medium (Check settings)	Full HD, High (Check settings)	Full HD, Highest (Check settings)
Average FPS	18 FPS	–	–	–

Compared to the Intel UHD Graphics Xe (24EU) in Acer Aspire Go 17 (AG17-31P), the integrated Radeon 610M is 60% faster in CS2 and 30% faster in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Yes, you can play some casual games but nothing heavy.

If you need something more powerful, check out our Top Laptop Graphics Rankings.

Storage performance

We ordered a configuration with 512GB SSD and it arrived with Western Digital PC SN5000S NVMe in M.2 2280 form factor. Sounds great because this is a Gen4 SSD with sequential speeds of up to 6GB/s.

However (!), the motherboard of Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P) supports PCI Express NVMe 3.0 interface so the speeds are greatly reduced. Here’s our SSD benchmark:

Temperatures and Comfort, Stability

All measurements are taken 5 minutes after starting the test.

The laptop is cool and quiet during normal use, and it doesn’t reach dangerous temperatures even after continuous 100% load.

Test	CPU	GPU
Idle	36ºC	–
Watching YouTube videos in 4K	55ºC	45ºC
CPU Rendering	90ºC	66ºC

Stability

In order to keep the temperatures in check, the CPU is being throttled after ~2 minutes of 100% load:

Battery Life

The battery test is conducted in Best Power Efficiency mode.

What a surprise! Acer Aspire Go 15 has super long battery life, almost 13 hours!

Verdict

Based on our time with the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-21P), it presents itself as a compelling option for users seeking a capable and budget-friendly laptop for everyday tasks and office work. While it shares the understated design language of its larger sibling, the Go 17, the inclusion of the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor marks a significant step up in performance, making it noticeably more potent than some of the entry-level alternatives in this price range.

The laptop’s portability is also a strong suit, with its manageable weight and slim profile making it easy to carry around. We appreciated the thoughtful touches like the fingerprint-resistant coating and the hinge design that aids in cooling. The large and responsive trackpad further enhances the user experience, making navigation a breeze. However, potential buyers should be aware of certain compromises made to achieve this price point. The plastic construction, while feeling surprisingly sturdy, doesn’t offer the premium feel of metal. The lack of keyboard backlighting for some models and a webcam privacy shutter might also be drawbacks for some users. While the integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics offer a performance improvement over basic integrated solutions, demanding tasks and modern gaming beyond very light titles will likely push its limits. Despite being equipped with a fast Gen4 SSD, its speed is limited by the laptop’s PCIe 3.0 interface.

While the display offers good brightness and avoids PWM flicker, its low color coverage is a point to consider for those needing accurate color representation. The port selection is practical, featuring a versatile USB-C port with DisplayPort functionality and two USB-A ports, along with modern Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

The exceptionally long battery life is a standout feature, promising a full workday and beyond on a single charge.

Ultimately, the Acer Aspire Go 15 strikes a good balance between performance, portability, and affordability, making it a worthy contender for those who prioritize productivity and battery life without breaking the bank.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-aspire-go-15-ag15-21p/