Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) Review – Super Budget Workstation?!

What if you could get serious processing power – the kind usually found in pricier machines, but tucked inside a straightforward, budget-friendly laptop? That’s the tempting proposition offered by the Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57), particularly when configured with Intel’s potent H-series CPUs like the Core i5-13420H we tested. On paper, it looks like a performance bargain, wrapped in a surprisingly robust and clean design.

But chasing power on a budget inevitably means trade-offs. Can this affordable Acer truly handle that kind of CPU muscle without melting? And where have the corners been cut – most critically, what about the display quality? In this review, we’ll push the Extensa 15 to its limits, analyzing its impressive multi-core performance, scrutinizing its screen’s significant color limitations, testing battery life, checking thermal behavior under load, and examining the overall build and features to see if this budget powerhouse is a hidden gem or if the compromises are simply too great.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-extensa-15-ex215-57/

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/EX215-57

What’s in the box?

Unboxing the Acer Extensa 15 is a straightforward affair, with no surprises inside.

You get the laptop, the usual setup guides and paperwork, plus a remarkably compact 65W power adapter that looks more like something you’d pack for your phone.

Design and construction

Let’s get our hands on the Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57). Right away, you’ll notice its design philosophy is one of straightforward simplicity. This isn’t a laptop built to grab attention; it opts for a clean, understated look that blends into any environment. Acer offers it in just one color – Silver, but we have no complaints, as it’s a classic choice that suits the machine well. What’s particularly pleasing is the finish Acer has used across many of its lines this year; it does an excellent job resisting fingerprints, keeping the laptop looking tidy without constant upkeep.

While the Extensa 15 convincingly mimics the cool touch and appearance of metal, it is, in fact, constructed primarily from plastic. Don’t let that put you off, though – it feels surprisingly robust for its category. Yes, if you apply significant, deliberate pressure, you’ll notice some flex, particularly on the lid or keyboard deck, but under normal usage conditions, it feels perfectly solid and durable enough for long-term use.

Acer has managed to make it impressively thin, with a tapered profile ranging from 14.6mm at its thinnest to 19.9mm at the rear (0.57 to 0.78 inches). It weighs in at 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs), which is reasonable for a 15-inch machine. The slimness does raise a slight eyebrow regarding whether there’s ample internal space for cooling to fully unleash a potentially powerful processor, but we’ll check that a bit later.

Opening the lid is an interesting experience. You can initially lift it with one hand up to about 85 degrees, but beyond that point, the hinge stiffens, requiring a second hand to fully open it. The maximum opening angle is around 130 degrees. Similar to some other Acer models, there’s a subtle hinge design that lifts the rear of the laptop base slightly off the surface when the screen is opened past roughly 100 degrees. This is intended to improve airflow, though given the maximum angle, you might not often tilt the screen back far enough to really notice this effect in action.

Looking at the screen, the bezels are relatively slim – certainly not thick or distracting, but also not pushing the boundaries of thinness like some premium ultrabooks. They frame the display adequately. Situated in the top bezel is the 720p webcam, but unfortunately, Acer hasn’t included a physical privacy shutter here, an omission worth noting for the security-conscious.

Moving down to the keyboard deck, Acer has managed to fit in a full keyboard complete with a NumPad, although the keys on the NumPad itself are slightly reduced in size. Despite this, they remain quite usable. The main keyboard features comfortable, island-style keys that offer a pleasant typing experience. Like many laptops this year (across various brands), the Up and Down arrow keys are half-height, which is something we’re increasingly getting accustomed to. A more significant cost-saving measure is the lack of keyboard backlighting on this model – something to keep in mind if you often work in dimly lit environments. Similarly, there’s no fingerprint reader for biometric login, so you’ll be sticking with passwords or PINs.

Thankfully, Acer hasn’t skimped on the trackpad; it’s a good size, feels smooth, and offers reliable tracking, making navigation comfortable.

Ports and Connectivity

The Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) features a port selection focused on modern standards. On the left side, you’ll find two USB Type-C ports. According to the specifications, these ports support USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds (up to 10 Gbps), DisplayPort over USB-C for connecting external displays, and can deliver 15W (5V/3A) of power for charging other devices. Importantly, they also serve as the primary charging input for the laptop itself, accepting 65W (20V) DC power via USB-C Power Delivery. Joining the USB-C ports on the left is an HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP support, offering connectivity for external monitors or TVs (actual resolution/refresh rate capabilities may depend on the system’s graphics). A single USB Standard-A port operating at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds (5 Gbps) is also present on this side.

The right side of the laptop houses another USB Standard-A port, also running at USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) speeds, providing balance for connecting common peripherals. A standard 3.5mm headphone/speaker combination jack, supporting headsets with microphones, is located here, along with a Kensington lock slot for physical security. It’s important to note the absence of a dedicated round-pin charging port (charging is via USB-C) and an onboard Ethernet port, meaning wired network connections require a separate USB adapter or dock.

Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which supports dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) operation and includes MU-MIMO technology for potentially better performance in crowded network environments. Bluetooth 5.2 is also included for pairing wireless accessories like mice, keyboards, or headphones.

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 Extensa 15 EX215-57 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57: 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57 covers 51% of the sRGB gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 287 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 278 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 11%.

The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6760K.

The contrast ratio is 1510:1.

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 184 nits (Windows slider = 71%) — 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57. 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57, the Average color accuracy was 7.3 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.0 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 Office profile aims to deliver:

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Office 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 Gaming and movies 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 = 23.5 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57 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 Extensa’s screen is 51.5 GU. This puts the display on the safe side, and along with the high contrast and the PWM-free backlight is great news for your eyes.

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 Extensa 15 EX215-57 configurations with B156HAN02.1 (AUO76AE), 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 Extensa 15 EX215-57 is relatively good. However, the low, mid and high frequencies have slight deviations in clarity.

Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage

Since there are no performance presets in AcerSense, the tests are conducted with Best Performance mode selected in Windows Settings.

CPU and Work Performance

Here it get’s interesting. The laptop is very budget-oriented but it still comes with a choice of good processors, two of which are really powerful (the H CPUs), and two are energy-efficient (the U models):
Intel Core i7-13620H
Intel Core i5-13420H
Intel Core i5-1334U
Intel Core i3-1315U

We ordered a configuration with Core i5-13420H as if used properly, it would make the Extensa 15 (EX215-57) one of the best budget machines on the market.

The Single-Core test is a good representation of responsiveness for everyday work. The Core i7-13420H in Extensa 15 is good but it really excels in the Multi-core scenario, for heavy work. It’s the fastest of all laptops in its category. Only the Acer TravelMate P2 (TMP215-55) comes close.

GPU and Gaming Performance

You can’t order the Extensa 15 with dedicated graphics, and of course this series is not intended for gaming, nor for GPU-intensive tasks. There are better alternatives in that regard, and again, Acer TravelMate P2 (TMP215-55) is one of them.

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

Gaming tests

We’re still going to try a few games on the laptop, and the good news is that you can play Counter Strike 2 with more than 60 FPS on the native 1080p resolution, Low graphics settings.

Counter Strike 2	1080p, Low (Check settings)
Average FPS	69 FPS

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is barely playable but still playable – 29 FPS on Lowest, 1920 x 1080.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider	1200p, Lowest (Check settings)
Average FPS	29 FPS

Storage performance

We ordered the laptop with 512GB SSD and it came with the KINGSTON OM8PGP4512Q-AA drive which we’ve seen in a lot of Acer (and not only their) devices. It’s a PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD, and it works much faster than the same drive in AG15-31P (detailed review) whose motherboard supports PCIe Gen3 8 Gb/s, up to 4 lanes, limiting the drive capabilities. Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) doesn’t suffer from such limitations and it gets 4.8 GB/s in the sequential read test, and 3.5 GB/s in sequential writing.

Temperatures and Comfort, Stability

Temperatures

All measurements are taken 5 minutes after starting the test.

Test	CPU	GPU
Idle	47ºC	–
Watching YouTube videos in 4K	47ºC	–
CPU Rendering	77ºC	–

Office Work, Web Development, Design
Short periods (0:00 – 0:10 sec) of 100% CPU load

Intel Core i5-13420H (45W)	Avg. P-Core Clock	Avg. CPU Temp.	Avg. CPU Power
Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57)	3887 MHz	92 °C	54 W

Under short CPU loads, the CPU reaches a peak clock of 3991 MHz and maintains an average of 3887 MHz over the first 10 seconds, drawing significant power peaking at 57 W (averaging 54 W). However, temperatures rise rapidly, reaching a peak of 94 °C and averaging 92 °C within the first 10 seconds. These temperatures are high, indicating the cooling system struggles to keep the powerful CPU within acceptable thermal limits during brief, intense bursts, leading to throttling beyond this initial period.

Video editing, Scientific computing, Software compilation, 3D rendering
Long periods (0:00 – 30:00 min) of 100% CPU load

Intel Core i5-13420H (45W)	Avg. P-Core Clock	Avg. CPU Temp.	Avg. CPU Power
Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57)	3288 MHz	80 °C	35 W

During prolonged CPU loads lasting up to 30 minutes, the system significantly adjusts performance to maintain thermal stability. After the initial burst, the CPU clock speed drops substantially by 769 MHz from its peak, settling to average around 3288 MHz over the full duration. Average power consumption also decreases to about 35 W. This results in a sustained average CPU temperature of 80 °C, which is acceptable for long-term operation. The system prioritizes thermal management, sacrificing peak speed to maintain a stable, albeit lower, performance level without reaching high temperatures during extended tasks.

Battery Life

The Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) has a 53 Wh 3-cell Li-ion battery. We tested it with the Best Power Efficiency mode selected in Windows Settings:

Given the CPU performance, the battery result is great. The chart below shows you what can you expect if you order the Extensa with an Intel Core i5-1334U, as the configuration and the battery capacity of Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P) is the same.

Verdict

The Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) presents itself as a compelling proposition in the budget laptop segment, aiming to deliver strong core performance without breaking the bank. Its design is simple and functional, featuring a fingerprint-resistant silver finish that, while plastic, feels surprisingly robust for everyday use. It maintains a reasonably thin and light profile for a 15-inch machine, housing a comfortable keyboard with a NumPad and a decent trackpad.

Where the Extensa 15 truly shines, particularly with the reviewed Core i5-13420H configuration, is its raw processing power. It punches well above its weight class, offering exceptional multi-core performance that makes it one of the fastest budget machines available for demanding tasks. This is complemented by decent NVMe SSD speeds and surprisingly good battery life, considering the potent H-series processor. The inclusion of dual USB-C ports for charging and display output, alongside HDMI 2.1, provides modern connectivity, and the PWM-free display backlight is a definite plus for eye comfort during long sessions.

However, achieving this performance level at a budget price necessitates compromises, and the most significant one is the display. While the IPS panel offers good viewing angles and contrast, its color reproduction is extremely limited (covering only 51% of sRGB) and brightness is merely adequate. This makes it unsuitable for any color-sensitive work and results in a generally washed-out visual experience. Other cost-cutting measures include the lack of keyboard backlighting, a fingerprint reader, and a webcam privacy shutter.

Ultimately, the Acer Extensa 15 (EX215-57) is a laptop of stark contrasts. It offers potentially class-leading CPU performance for users who need processing muscle on a tight budget, paired with good battery life and modern ports. If raw power for CPU-intensive tasks is your absolute priority and display quality is secondary (perhaps you primarily use an external monitor), the Extensa 15, especially with an H-series chip, represents remarkable value. However, potential buyers must be acutely aware of and willing to accept the significantly compromised display quality and the lack of common convenience features.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-extensa-15-ex215-57/