Obsidian Black Acer Aspire E 15 15.6 inches Laptop Review

I've found three real cons for this laptop:
1. The screen isn't the best, but it is acceptable. Doesn't compare to my i7, 4k touchscreen laptop, but it's also about $800 cheaper.
2. The 1tb HDD is very slow, only 5400 RPM (really common on laptops without an SSD).
3. The memory installed is a single 4gb and a second 2gb module, so no dual channel. Really, under 8 gig of memory, just say no.
When using the on CPU graphics, this is a serious handicap (not dual channel).

Pluses:
Built in DVD drive. Probably not important to a lot of people nowdays, but a plus still.
Latest gen CPU from Intel, the i3 may be pretty mediocre, but if you are comparing it to a machine 3 years old, you'll be VERY happy.
VERY easy access (3 small phillips head screws) to upgrade memory, hard drive, and an empty M.2 slot for an SSD (screw & standoff included).

I've read people complaining that upgrading it themselves was "not easy". Acer unlike... Read more

SUMMARY

The E 15 is a fast computer with plenty of ports and great battery life, but the washed out screen holds it back.

DESIGN

With a bevy of ports including VGA and a DVD drive, plus its heavy weight, the E 15 screams "work computer!" This isn't a bad thing, because it also feels substantial, including the monitor hinge. Many laptops in this price range feel like they need to be babied to survive long. There is a physical Ethernet port, an HDMI port, three USB 3.0 ports, and up to date 802.11ac WiFi. One nice touch is that the matte plastic has that brushed look, giving it a bit more traction and style. More importantly, and unlike many modern laptops, it is easy to service or upgrade.

PERFORMANCE

The 8th gen Core i3 2.2 Ghz CPU and 6 GB memory combine to give swift performance for most common tasks like word processing, web browsing in many tabs, and streaming video. One shocking thing to me is how well it... Read more

Check out my comment attached to this review for the links to the better hardware I used and lesser you could use if strapped for cash..
I total 12gb of RAM and a 250GB m.2 ssd back by a 5 year warranty. my pc starts in 5 seconds or less. no joke.
If you are willing to install a 250gb SSD M.2 2280 card ($67.61) and reinstall windows 10 onto the SSD then this is a 5 star product. Comes with bloatware and who knows maybe some foreign spyware that the reinstall of Win10 removes. After installing the 250gb SSD and reinstalling windows 10 it performs extremely well for a $380 dollar laptop. Installing the 250gb SSD is very easy by removing 3 screws holding the drive/memory cover on the bottom and slipping in 250gb SSD M.2 2280 card. Reinstalling windows 10 is straight forward. Use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to create a USB stick with Win10 Home and then boot from the usb stick (you may need to change a bios setting to boot from the usb stick rather than HDD) and windows... Read more