Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3, 4GB/128GB SSD $309.99 + F/S @ Amazon

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3, 4GB/128GB SSD $309.99 + F/S @ Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RF1XD36
Model: Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R19L
– AMD Ryzen 3 3200U dual-core Processor 2.6GHz / up to 3.5GHz
– 4MB L3 Cache
– 15.6" full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display
– AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
– 4GB DDR4 Memory 2666 260-pin SO-DIMM
– 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
– Built-in stereo speakers,
– 2 integrated microphones
– 802.11ac WiFi
– 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
– Bluetooth 4.0
– Back-lit Keyboard
– HD Webcam (1280 x 720)
– 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, 2 USB 2.0 Ports, 1 HDMI Port with HDCP support
– Windows 10 Home in S mode,
A few notes for those who are shopping for a budget laptop…
This was a $269 deal on Amazon Prime Day. It bounced up to $319.99 and yesterday dropped to $309.99. After gazing at laptop specs day and night for a week trying to find the best laptop at the lowest price within my limited budget, I bought the Aspire 5 today. Following are a few notes on why IMO this is the best deal around on a <$400 laptop for those who are on a similarly limited budget…
–Many users here who know far more than I do about laptops loathe TN screens and say all laptops are junk without an IPS screen. There just aren’t many sub-$500 laptops with an IPS, and this Aspire 5 has it. That was one of a few deciding factors for me.
–Some budget laptops have memory soldered to the board, and one DIMM slot for upgrades. Some are limited to a max of 16GB. The Aspire 5 has two upgradeable DIMM slots, and it can be upgraded to 32GB.
–Back-lit screen and back-lit keyboard. Most <$500 laptops lack one or both.
–The Ryzen 3 processor and Vega 3 graphics are more than adequate for what I need. I write books, edit, and wander around the Web. Most <$400 laptops have older technology that probably would be adequate but may struggle as Windows becomes ever more complex and requires greater processing power and memory.
–At $309.99, I get a decent laptop and decent features without having to buy a refurb and inherit someone else’s headaches. I plan to write my next half-dozen books on this laptop, and I don’t need the angst. Plus, many refurbs cost more than I paid for the Aspire 5 new.
–Space (and included cable) for a second SSD drive. I have a brand-new 250GB SSD in my desk drawer, so I can upgrade without spending a cent. Acer provides a short video on how to open the case and install a second drive. It’s simple and quick. After upgrading a friend’s HP-15 Licorice recently, and having to take the damned thing apart to do it, upgrading the Aspire will be a breeze.
–Sleek styling. The top cover is aluminum, and the overall look of the Aspire 5 just appeals to me.
I almost bought a recent deal on SD for a Lenova S340 8GB+256GB for $288. Great price. I missed out on it, and when it came back in stock last night, the new price of $339, at $50 higher, tilted me over to the Aspire 5. I think that the Lenova may have been better quality, but for about the same price, I get an IPS screen with the Aspire 5. My feeling too is that Acer customer service is a little more eager to please than Lenova, based on reading thousands of comments.
Now that I’ve found my laptop deal, I won’t be looking for more deals or following this thread. But I do want to say that having access to this community, and many opinions expressed here by others has given me valuable insights into buying a decent laptop on a budget. Thanks to everyone I’ve been reading here the past week for sharing your knowledge and your views.