Acer Aspire 5 17.3" A517-58M-59NR 2023, Core i5-1335U, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Steel Gray

The Acer Aspire 5 A517-58M-59NR is a 17.3-inch budget laptop with 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, but weak graphics and poor reliability hold it back. It's fine for basic productivity and streaming, but gaming is a no-go and battery life is rough. At CAD 1,050, it's only worth considering if you really need that big screen.

The Intel Core i5-1335U is a 10-core chip with a 3.4GHz base clock, and it handles everyday tasks fine. Web browsing, spreadsheets, video calls, all smooth. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM helps a lot here, and it's above average for this price bracket. Our RAM score puts it in the 61st percentile, which means it's better than most budget laptops but nothing to write home about. The 1TB SSD lands in the 67th percentile, so storage speed and capacity are solid for the price.

The weak link is graphics. The Intel Iris Xe is integrated, and while Intel markets it as capable of light gaming, our gaming score of 12.4 out of 100 tells the real story. You can play older titles and indie games at low settings, but anything modern will chug. The CPU itself sits in the 42nd percentile, so it's middle of the pack. For a developer machine, we scored it 41.6 out of 100, which is mediocre. It'll run IDEs and compile small projects, but heavy workloads will make you wait. The 17.3-inch 1080p IPS screen is fine for productivity, though it's nothing special in terms of color accuracy or brightness.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro, this Acer isn't even in the same conversation. The MacBook destroys it in performance, battery life, and build quality, but it also costs several times more. The Lenovo Legion 5i and ASUS ROG Zephyrus are gaming laptops, so they'll run circles around the Aspire 5 in any graphics workload, but again, you're paying a lot more. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a more direct competitor in spirit, a thin and light productivity machine, but it's also significantly pricier.

The real question is whether the Aspire 5's big screen justifies its price against cheaper 15.6-inch budget laptops. In our database, the compact score is in the 7th percentile, meaning this is one of the least portable laptops we've tested. It's bulky and heavy. If you don't specifically need a 17-inch display, you can get better performance and battery life in a smaller chassis for the same money or less.

At CAD 1,050, the Aspire 5 is a tough sell when you look at what else is out there. You're getting a big screen, decent RAM, and a roomy SSD, but the reliability score in our database is a real concern. It sits in the 10th percentile, which means most laptops in this category hold up better over time. If you can find this on sale for a few hundred less, it becomes more interesting. But at full price, you're paying a premium for the 17.3-inch display while accepting mediocre performance and a battery that won't last a full workday. Alternatives like a smaller 15.6-inch laptop with similar specs often cost less and offer better portability.

The Acer Aspire 5 A517-58M-59NR is a 17.3-inch budget laptop aimed at people who want a big screen without spending MacBook money. We're looking at a Core i5-1335U, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which on paper sounds like a solid everyday machine. In our database it lands at 36.2 out of 100 overall, which tells you right away this isn't a performance champ. It's a workhorse for basic tasks, not a show pony.

If you're searching for a cheap 17-inch laptop for office work, school, or streaming, this one checks a lot of boxes. The 1920x1080 IPS panel gives you plenty of screen real estate, and the backlit keyboard is a nice touch for late-night typing. But the 40Wh battery is small for a laptop this size, and the integrated Iris Xe graphics mean you won't be doing any serious gaming on it. Our gaming score for this thing is 12.4 out of 100, which is about as gentle as we can put it.

At around CAD 1,050, the Aspire 5 sits in that awkward middle ground. It's not dirt cheap, but it's also not competing with premium ultrabooks. You're paying for the big display and the decent RAM and storage combo. Whether that's a good deal depends entirely on what you need it for.

Skip this laptop if you care about portability, battery life, or gaming. At 1.80kg with a 17.3-inch chassis, it's one of the least compact laptops in our database, and the 40Wh battery won't get you through a full day away from an outlet. Gamers should look at something like the Lenovo Legion 5i or ASUS ROG Zephyrus instead. If you want a reliable long-term machine, the poor reliability score is a red flag, and you'd be better off with a smaller laptop from a brand with a stronger track record. Anyone who doesn't specifically need a 17-inch screen should consider a 15.6-inch model with similar specs for less money and better portability.

Should you buy the Acer Aspire 5 A517-58M-59NR? Only if you absolutely need a 17.3-inch screen on a budget and you don't care about gaming, portability, or long battery life. The big display is the main selling point, and for basic office work or streaming, it gets the job done. The 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD are genuinely useful, and the backlit keyboard is a nice bonus.

But the reliability concerns are hard to ignore. A 10th percentile reliability score means we'd be nervous recommending this as a long-term investment. The 40Wh battery is small for a laptop this size, so expect to stay near an outlet. If you can live with a smaller screen, there are better-built, more portable laptops with similar specs for less money. This one is a niche pick for a specific kind of buyer.