When you’re in the market for a new laptop, knowing two things is important: what you want your laptop for, and what your budget is but Acer Aspire R 15 is the best laptop under $700.
Knowing what you want out of your laptop can optimise your search in a different way. For example, if you came here, there is a high chance you were looking for the best laptop for geeks. So without further ado, let’s get right into it!
What we selected after perusing the range of laptops compatible with the diversified needs of a geek, is the Acer Aspire R 15. Let us explore this solution to all your tech-related requirements.
Specifications
| Product Name | Acer Aspire R 15 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 2.7 GHz |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Display | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Screen Size | 15.6 in |
| Graphics Coprocessor | 940MX |
| Weight | 4.74 lbs |
| Battery Life | ~ 5 hours |
Design
It’s hard not to fall in love with the Aspire R 15 at first sight. What with its gun-metal grey lid incorporating a cross-stitch pattern, and the sleek, expensive-looking body, one would forget that this is, in fact, a medium-range laptop.
For the fashionable, trendy geeks in you, this illusion will surely be welcome. Imagine walking into a group-meet with this laptop under your arm, attracting appreciative looks from all your friends. Sweet!
Processor
The Acer Aspire R 15 comes with two configurations. In this review, we are considering the higher end configuration, with a Core i7 processor and 12 GB RAM. This laptop is also available in a Core i5 configuration with 8 GB RAM, for a lower price point.
With this configuration, there’s a lot to love. The 2.7 GHz processor enables you to perform all your tasks smoothly and efficiently. Be it posting your newest piece, or research, you can rest assured that there won’t be a second of lag in your important work.
RAM & Storage
The massive 12 GB RAM is one of those features we were most impressed by. For a geek, it is of immense importance to be able to multitask. It is an absolute requirement to have lots of tabs and applications open as you research, write, and listen to music simultaneously.
Although a bigger RAM exponentially brings up the price point, there is no point in buying a laptop with a 4 or 6 GB RAM just because at first glance it seems to be one of the cheapest on the market. Value for money is more important. And a 4 GB RAM will give up from the stress way before you do.
With a 12 GB RAM, however, you can run it into the ground, and it will not give in. with the Acer Aspire R 15 at this configuration, you need not worry about any lags whatsoever, and will breeze through tasks like anybody’s business.
The 256 GB solid state drive storage is suitable, and the SSD takes the normal HDD functioning up a notch, making for even smoother functioning.
Versatility
Here’s the kicker for this laptop. What sets it apart from the usual models is its ability to transform into your own gigantic, touchscreen tablet, using its 360 degrees rotating hinge.
You wouldn’t want to use it as a tablet necessarily, especially given its sizable frame, but it is still a useful feature if you put it in ‘tent mode’, which means that you can make the keyboard act as a stand for the screen. This enables you to prop the screen up on a desk – perfect for showing your work to friends or work peers.
Display
One of the most amazing features of this laptop, especially at this relatively low price point, has to be its crystal-clear, vibrant, colourful display.
The mere size of the display is not a feature to be taken lightly. With its whopping 15.6 inches, the Aspire R 15 promises you a brilliant viewing experience. Gone are the days of you bent over in unnatural positions over your laptop. Get ready for an upgrade! You can even use the extra screen-space to split your screen between, say, Word and Excel, to crunch numbers while writing.
Now, back to the graphics.
Displaying 109 percent of the sRGB spectrum, the R 15 takes our breath away with the value for money in this regard. At 310 nits, the screen is quite bright, which also allows for wide-viewing angles (up to 45 degrees). The contrast and colours stitch together to make colours on screen pop. Grab that popcorn and get ready for a fun Netflix session on your break!
One drawback is the fact that the screen is reflective, not matte. This makes it difficult to work outdoors or under bright reflective lights. We don’t believe this is a very big issue, as most geeks work is generally done indoors anyway.
Ports
The port selection is adequate for your requirements.
On the right, you will find one USB 2.0 port, along with an SD card reader in case you want to upgrade the internal storage even further.
On the left, you have two USB 3.0 ports, one USB-C port, and an HDMI video out port.
Keyboard
A laptop providing a comfortable typing experience has to be the Holy Grail for geeks. And the Aspire R 15 does not disappoint in this regard. With its key travel of nearly 1.5 mm, and the super clicky, responsive keys, you can type away all night, trying to meet those pesky deadlines, and this beauty will work right alongside you with no setbacks.
The fact that the keys are backlit ensures you can continue your work into the dead of the night, or under low-light situations.
Additionally, there is the welcome addition of a dedicated numeric keypad for the inevitable accountant that this capitalist society makes out of all of us!
The only problem, if it can even classify as a problem, is that the arrow keys for up and down are suspiciously small, half the size of the right and left keys. We can imagine this becoming a bit of a hassle in scrolling, but hey, you can do that with your touchpad and on-screen buttons too, right? Problem solved.
Weight
At about 4.7 lbs, the Aspire R 15 is not too dissimilar in terms of weight to other laptops with the same screen size. We know that portability is essential to the pro geeks. Frequent bursts of inspiration will have you running from place to place, deciding the best place in which you can spill your thoughts onto the screen and to your audience. Rest assured! While not ultra-light, this device is made for portability. You will have no difficulty in carrying this laptop around to your favourite coffee shop, the library, a friend’s house, or whatever other location you write best in.
Price
As discussed in the beginning, this is one of the most important things to consider when looking for a new laptop that works best for you.
It is a known, but rather unfortunate fact, that generally, geeks does not pay well on its own, unless you are a massive name in the business, or if you supplement this with another job.
On that note, the Acer Aspire R 15 is not exactly what you would consider inexpensive. At around $800-$1000 depending on your customization., this purchase is not a light one.
However, we fully believe that this is a worthwhile investment to make. A good laptop will last you for about 4 to 5 years at least, provided you use it correctly. And geeks is not very strenuous on your laptop, nor does it require you to always have the latest model.
As we have discussed above, the solid-state drive and the 12 GB RAM will allow you to breeze through tasks like anything, and multi-task like a pro, while the elegant look will keep you trendy on the go.
With Acer’s Aspire R 15, you get more bang for your buck than with all other laptops we considered while writing this review.
| Pros | Cons |
| Speedy 12 GB RAM Brilliant display and coloursBack-lit keyboardResponsive keys | Reflective screenSize of arrow keysNot cheap |
This concludes our lengthy review of the best laptop for geeks you can find on the market today. Earning a mammoth 9/10 on our editor’s score is no small feat, but the performance and versatility of the Acer Aspire R 15 is just that impressive.
The relatively steep price which might not be as affordable as other laptops is understandably a point of concern, but with the sizable RAM you are getting, there is really not much to complain. If the price does still seem too high to be justified, one may opt for the lower grade configuration of the same laptop, which offers the same amazing features but with a smaller RAM. This will still be adequate for a geek, we presume.
All-in-all, this laptop offers a lot for every geek, no matter what scale you are operating at.
Author Bio
Jeff Finder is a Digital Nomad who travels around the world and blog about technology, gadgets and specifically laptops at Laptopcut.com. He’s also an international speaker and love to persuade youth to find their voice online and make it count.
