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Aspire 5 has many versions, and the ones with dedicated GPUs are better for gaming. You can’t really compare Aspire to high-level gaming laptops, but in its own right, the Aspire 5 is a solid budget laptop for light gaming.
That doesn’t mean you’ll only enjoy browser-based games. There is a reason why Aspire 5 has been one of the popular budget laptops in the last few years.
Read on to see what games you can play, how Acer compares to other laptops, and what upgradability options are there.
Table of Contents
What Games Can You Play on Acer Aspire 5?
You can run most games with the Acer Aspire 5, equipped with a 12th-Gen. Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, and a dedicated GPU (GeForce RTX 2050). I was even able to test some high-performance AAA titles — like Far Cry 6 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
How did that turn out?
Well, bear in mind that most Aspire 5 laptops use integrated graphics (Intel HD series or AMD Radeon Vega). These are cheaper GPUs, and not really a match to dedicated graphics cards.
That doesn’t mean they can’t run games. But the gameplay, especially with serious titles like the ones above, gets laggy, slow, and sometimes crashes. So if gaming is important to you, be sure to look for a version with a dedicated GPU.
Still, with my Aspire, I was able to comfortably play most games up to the year 2017 at medium settings. This means you can still take GTA V for a spin, or indulge in Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs, Shadow of War, Metal Gear Solid 5, Dead Space 1-3, and even the Batman Arkham series.
The gameplay actually felt fine, but I did switch the resolution from full HD 1080p to HD 720p to get a better frame rate.
If you’re passionate about games like Valorant, Minecraft, Roblox, and CS:GO, an Aspire 5 can definitely run all of these — albeit at lower settings for the more demanding titles.
What is the Difference between an Acer Aspire 5 and a More Expensive Gaming Laptop?
The Aspire 5 is a budget laptop that compares well with the likes of Dell’s Inspiron and HP’s Pavilion laptops.
The most important factor that sets gaming laptops apart is the high-end performance, with the newest processors and dedicated GPUs. When I play on ROG Zephyrus, Predator Helios 300 or even Acer Nitro 5, the game boots up really fast and the whole experience just feels much better because of the high settings.
The Acer Aspire 5 that I tested can run these games, but there’s just not that much detail and, with more demanding titles, it takes more time to load.
Gaming laptops also have better displays – 2K resolution is normal, though there are also 4K gaming laptops. If you like shooting games or eSports, the high refresh rate on these displays makes all the difference, since you can react faster.
Aspire 5 comes with a regular refresh rate, so my health bar in Tomb Raider definitely suffered a lot more than usual (sorry, Lara).
Gaming laptops, however, have considerably less battery juice (depending on usage) and are generally bulkier and heavier. Aspire 5 wins in this department – based on my tests, you can expect anywhere from 8 to 10 hours of regular usage, and around 6 hours when gaming.
Lastly, gaming laptops are quite expensive. Still, you can buy some great budget-friendly gaming laptops if you can compromise a little on the specs.
Benefits of the Acer Aspire 5 for Gaming
The benefits of the Aspire 5 come down to the value it provides at such a low price. Even budget gaming laptops are at least $300-$500 more expensive than the top Aspire version.
Aspire 5’s upper-range models have high-performance CPUs such as the Ryzen 7 5700U which can handle moderate gaming and come close to what gaming laptops offer. This is a pretty good deal, and I was surprised by its speed.
We talked about battery, but Aspire 5 is also very portable. I refuse to take my gaming laptops anywhere because of how bulky they are, but with Acer, it’s easy to carry around in a backpack.
If you’re strapped for budget, you can also buy a budget version of Aspire 5, and later upgrade the RAM and storage.
Even though there are a few budget-friendly gaming laptops, they’re usually out of range for many people. However, laptops like the Acer Aspire 5 allow them to pursue gaming and handle other work or study-related tasks at a fraction of the price.
Can You Upgrade the RAM on Acer Aspire 5?
You can upgrade your RAM from the base 4GB to 20GB. Though you should probably go for an 8GB RAM laptop to begin with.
How? The 4GB model has an open slot where you can install an extra RAM stick. The maximum upgrade capacity is 16GB, bringing your total to 20GB.
Drawbacks of the Acer Aspire 5 for Gaming
Aspire 5’s upper-range versions have high processing power, but even with the GeForce RTX 2050 in the 12th Gen models, it’s not enough to match gaming laptops. I could tell the difference with the latest AAA titles – mainly when it comes to the settings and frame rate.
With this configuration, though, you can still play many AAA games at reasonable settings and enjoy them, just be ready to compromise.
In my opinion, the biggest drawback has to be the screen. Aspire 5 has no bad screen by all accounts – but gaming on it does lose some of its charms because of the low refresh rate and low settings. While it has improved in recent models, the display is still lacking in the color department.
Conclusion
So, is an Acer Aspire 5 good for gaming? The Aspire 5 is a budget-friendly laptop with enough power to run most low and mid-level games. The 12th Gen. version with a dedicated GPU can also handle older games at higher settings.
I wouldn’t expect much on the graphic side of things – which doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the games. If you’re going for a Minecraft laptop, Aspire 5 will do fine.
But if your focus is hardcore gaming, I’d get at least a budget gaming laptop like Acer Nitro 5 or Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming.
For more, you can also check out our expert picks for the best school and gaming laptops.
