Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) review: An upgraded yet underwhelming budget laptop

Acer's Go laptops are meant for, well, on-the-go use. They're lightweight, affordable systems for people with simple computing needs who don't need or want to spend extra money for features or performance they don't need. Whether you're a student that doesn't want a lot more weight in a backpack or a home office specialist that wants to occasionally work from the café or library, the Go line seeks to give you "good enough" performance without breaking the bank (or your back).

Models in the Go line range from stripped-down sub-$300 affairs that are almost Chromebook-like to more fully equipped variants that cost over $800. This specific configuration is a slightly more expensive and more powerful version than the one we reviewed a few months back. For roughly $200 extra, you get more RAM, more storage and a slight bump in CPU performance.

Though Acer classifies this as a 15" laptop (specifically 15.6"), it's slightly wider than even some 16" notebooks (case in point, Acer's own 16 Nitro). Thankfully with this extra width comes a full-size keyboard with a very spacious touchpad. Connectivity ports also abound, making it easy to use multiple peripherals and displays without needing a separate dock or hub.

My Acer Aspire Go 15 review will help you decide if this is the best budget laptop for your needs or if it’s worth spending a bit more on something slightly more powerful.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Go 15 is part of Acer’s line of low- to mid-range laptops geared for basic home use.
• Who is it for? People who want a no-frills laptop for basic computing needs at an affordable price.
• What does it cost? Our review unit has a price tag of $499.99, though other configurations in the Aspire Go 15 line range from under $300 to over $800.
• What do we like? The Go 15 mostly finds that balance of "good enough" performance for a low price. It's also available in over 10 different configurations, ranging from a stripped-down, almost Chromebook-like device with Windows S to a fully-equipped yet budget-friendly notebook.
• What don't we like? Performance can lag a tiny bit here and there, battery life isn't great, and the keyboard (which isn't backlit) and integrated camera are subpar, even by budget laptop standards.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Specs

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): The Ups

The Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) features slightly improved specs over its predecessor with more RAM and storage but you also get a nice array of full-sized ports, something you don’t find on even some high-end laptops.

Extra RAM and storage

Doubling up to 16 GB system RAM dramatically increases the system's capabilities when it comes to running multiple applications simultaneously. Yes, the previous model with 8 GB is sufficient for basic use. However, if you need to quickly bounce between several applications — such as checking info between multiple browser tabs and spreadsheets while drafting an office presentation — more RAM means less caching on a swap or paging file and the system just responds quicker.

The same goes for having more internal storage. Those with limited drive capacity will tell you how frustrating it can be to constantly monitor your storage and clear out space to install new applications. The larger drive limits your dependence on external as well as cloud storage by allowing you to store more files locally on your computer. Multiple productivity applications, loads of music and video, and even a game or two are all easily contained with space to spare.

Overall, the upgraded RAM and storage do a lot when it comes to removing all of the usual hurdles that remind you, "I bought a cheap laptop."

Plenty of ports

Just like with the previous Aspire Go 15, Acer didn't skimp on ports with this upgraded version. Four USB ports, two type-A and two type-C, make this laptop a connectivity powerhouse on a budget. It's nice that Acer doesn't expect you to purchase a dock or adapter just to connect a USB thumb drive. The full HDMI connector also makes it easy to connect to an external display, again, without needing a dock or a special USB-C cable.

Admittedly, including these full-size ports necessitates that the laptop be larger, so those with ultimate portability as a concern should probably look elsewhere. However, at under 4 pounds, the Aspire Go 15 is still easily packable in a bag or briefcase.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): The Downs

More RAM and storage is nice but corners had to be cut to get the latest Aspire Go 15 down to its budget price point. However, it’s not a complete upgrade over its predecessor which managed to last even longer on a single charge.

More stop than Go

As this is a budget laptop after all, keep in mind that many of the "downsides" need to be viewed in relation to the cost of the laptop. It's not unreasonable to consider them more as trade-offs to make the price point as opposed to actual poor design and manufacturing.

First and foremost is limited computing performance. While the extra RAM and storage go a long way in removing some system limitations, the CPU is still the main bottleneck. Additional memory allows more active applications and improves system responsiveness when switching between them, but it doesn't help in heavy number crunching and processing.

Though this CPU is allowed to spool up 100 MHz higher than its predecessor, it rarely does so due to the cooling system and power use profile. The base frequency is set at 1.9 GHz and it only goes above 3.5 GHz on light single-thread applications. When multiple threads are engaged, the CPU mostly stays around 2.2 GHz. Under that heavy use, the cooling fans are relatively quiet, though they do produce a high-pitched whining.

Intense tasks like video transcoding and code compiling take a long time on the Go 15. It's also slow and inadequate for any type of 3D work like Blender or CAD. Not only is the CPU not beefy enough, but the integrated GPU is quickly overloaded with the graphical rendering.

This also goes for gaming. Simple games like Stardew Valley are no problem. Playing Hollow Knight was mostly satisfactory, though I did see some frame rate spikes during combat when large particle effects came on screen. I also tried Overcooked to see how modest 3D games performed. The framerate was smooth enough to make the game playable, though it was obvious the iGPU was taxed to its limit.

The display is an IPS panel, so viewing angles are great, and color accuracy is good with a delta-E of 0.29. But color gamut coverage is barely adequate with only 67.3% of the sRGB space being presented. It's not something you'll notice when using MS Word or Excel, but you certainly wouldn't want to pick a website palette on this display.

Again, none of these are complaints against Acer of the Go 15, they're just realities of almost any $500 laptop.

Best to leave your camera off

The camera on the Aspire Go 15 is an obvious place where Acer cut costs. Integrated cameras on most laptops are of passable quality and little more, but the Aspire Go 15's camera is a further step down. Camera resolution tops out at 1280x720 for both still images and video, while video is limited to 30 frames per second. Image quality is quite grainy and blurry, even compared to most laptop cameras.

It's far from great, but the camera is still good enough for basic work teleconferencing, if barely. So if that helps Acer bring the Aspire Go 15 to market at a lower price point, it's a reasonable trade-off for a product where most people aren't going to need anything more.

Spacious but worse than mushy

We gushed about the spacious keyboard of the previous model, and that hasn't changed. The included numpad is also great for data entry. Acer wisely used all the available space on the top panel for a generous keyboard and a larger touchpad.

Still, the way the keyboard feels leaves a lot to be desired. If you've never been in a debate of clicky vs tactile vs linear, the mediocre keyboards on most laptops may not matter to you. Low-budget laptop keyboards tend to be even worse. Beneath that is the keyboard on the Go 15. The keys are not just mushy, but they wobble side to side. If your fingers strike a key off center, you feel the keycap rock to the side, exaggerating the switch's already mushy feel.

To make things worse, the keyboard isn't backlit. Acer may get a pass on the lackluster webcam since that's not always used, but as the primary user interface, such a sub-par keyboard will hardly go unnoticed.

Not quite a full work day

Acer claims the battery can last a little over 8 hours of general use when connected to Wi-Fi. Our test results netted a little over 7.5 hours. Compared to 10-hour battery life with the previous Aspire Go 15, this is disappointing. Many higher performing laptops, with their higher power draw, can usually reach 7 hours, so it's a bit puzzling that this laptop with a 15W CPU can't last significantly longer.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Verdict

The Aspire Go 15 has places where it's adequate and nothing more. The CPU isn't a show-off, but it mostly handles the tasks you set it to without complaint. A few stutters here and there are slightly annoying, but not completely unforeseen at this price range. The same goes for the display. It's nothing beautiful to look at, but it gets the job done and is perfectly adequate for basic home and office tasks.

There are some places where the cuts are more evident though. The keyboard is a letdown if you're at all picky about keystroke feel. Even if you're not a keyboard snob though, the lack of backlighting is hard to ignore just like on the MacBook Neo.

The low-ish battery life is perhaps the biggest mark against the Go 15, though it's not a deal breaker. On the other hand, this laptop doesn’t draw a lot of power, so it shouldn't be hard for it to last a full work day.

In a lot of ways, arguably the most critical ones, the Aspire Go 15 succeeds. This particular configuration, with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage for $500 is fantastic for most users. It also overdelivers on connectivity, with four USB ports and an HDMI port when many more expensive devices just have dual USB-C ports.

For a computer that can handle the bulk of your college classwork, your office and family email, and serve up the occasional funny cat video, the Acer Aspire Go 15 delivers the goods where it counts for a very reasonable price. If you’re not put off by the overly mushy keyboard and you don’t need all-day battery life, it deserves your consideration at the very least.