Acer debuts new Aspire laptops for as low as $250

Acer’s Aspire lineup has been synonymous with affordable laptops for years now, and the company is launching both new Intel Core and AMD Ryzen models at CES 2024 for just $250.

Naturally, Acer is cutting corners, and both the new Aspire Go 15 (AG15-31P) as well as the Aspire Go 14 (AG14-31P) use versions of the Core N-series, the budget processors Intel launched last January. These new chips use the “Gracemont” efficiency cores found within Intel’s Alder Lake. But there’s a higher-performance option, too: the Acer Aspire Go 14 (AG14-21P), which offers the option of a Ryzen 7000 mobile processor, instead, for just $379.99 on up.

Surprisingly, however, the Aspire Go 14 incudes a 1920×1200 screen, a step up over the more conventional 1920×1080 15.6-inch display that the Aspire Go 15 offers. Don’t expect too much out of the remaining components, though, with “up to” 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and 1TB of PCI Gen 3 SSD storage in each (fine amounts for budget laptops like these). They ship with 720p webcams, 50Wh batteries, and 802.11ac/ax WiFi capabilities. They, too, offer the new Copilot AI key from Microsoft.

Acer

They’re also a bit on the chunky side, too: The Aspire 14 is 0.74 inches thick and weighs 3.28 pounds, while the Aspire 15 is also 0.74 inches thick, weighing in at 3.86 pounds.

Acer is also shipping a new version of the Aspire Vero 16, the eco-friendly alternative to a traditional laptop which has earned itself excellent PCWorld reviews across several generations. This model ships with a Core Ultra 7 processor, a surprisingly nice 2560 x 1600 touchscreen, plus Bluetooth LE Audio, two USB Type-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4), an HDMI 2.1 port on the outside, and up to 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage inside. Battery life is rated at 10.5 hours, Acer said.

The new Aspire Vero 16 will ship in April for $749.99 on up.

Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor