Overview
This is the budget laptop showdown: the $599 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 against the $399 Acer Aspire Go 15. The $200 gap is significant at this price range. That’s a 50% premium. Is the IdeaPad worth the extra money, or does the Aspire Go deliver enough for most people?
Performance
The IdeaPad Slim 5’s Ryzen 7 7735U is a clear step up from the Aspire Go’s Ryzen 5 7520U. In multi-threaded workloads like compressing files, batch photo editing, or running multiple apps simultaneously, the Ryzen 7 pulls ahead by 30-40%.
For everyday tasks (browsing, email, documents, video streaming) both laptops feel responsive. The difference shows up when you push them: the IdeaPad handles 20+ Chrome tabs and a Zoom call without stuttering, while the Aspire Go starts to lag around 12-15 tabs.
Winner: IdeaPad Slim 5. Meaningfully faster in real multitasking.
RAM and Storage
This is where the $200 difference hits hardest. The IdeaPad comes with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. The Aspire Go ships with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.
8 GB is workable for light use in 2026, but it’s tight. Windows 11 uses 3-4 GB at idle, leaving 4-5 GB for your apps. Heavy multitasking will hit the ceiling. 16 GB gives you comfortable headroom.
256 GB of storage fills up fast. After Windows, updates, and a handful of apps, you have maybe 150 GB of usable space. The 512 GB in the IdeaPad is far more livable.
Winner: IdeaPad Slim 5. Double the RAM and double the storage.
Display
Both laptops have 15.6” IPS panels at 1920x1080. The IdeaPad has slightly better brightness (300 nits vs 250 nits) and wider color coverage. In practice, both are fine for indoor use. The Aspire Go’s dimmer panel is noticeable in bright rooms but not a dealbreaker.
Winner: IdeaPad Slim 5. Marginally, on brightness.
Build Quality
The IdeaPad Slim 5 has an aluminum lid that gives it a more premium feel. The Aspire Go 15 is all-plastic. Both are fine for the price. The IdeaPad just looks and feels a tier above.
The IdeaPad is also lighter at 3.5 lbs vs the Aspire Go’s 3.8 lbs. Not a huge difference, but noticeable in a backpack.
Winner: IdeaPad Slim 5. Aluminum lid, lighter weight.
Battery Life
The IdeaPad gets 8-9 hours of real productivity use. The Aspire Go manages 7-8 hours. Both are solid and will get you through a work or school day.
Winner: IdeaPad Slim 5. By about an hour.
Value
Here’s the real question: is the IdeaPad Slim 5 worth $200 more? Yes. The jump from 8 GB to 16 GB RAM alone is worth $100, and the storage and build quality improvements account for the rest. The Aspire Go 15 at $399 is a good laptop for extremely tight budgets, but anyone who can stretch to $599 should.
Verdict
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 wins this comparison. The double RAM, double storage, better build, and faster processor justify the $200 premium. The Acer Aspire Go 15 remains a solid pick if $400 is a hard ceiling. It handles basic tasks well and doesn’t feel cheap to use. But if your budget has any flexibility, the IdeaPad is the better investment.