Acer Aspire AS5742-6811

Acer Aspire AS5742-6811

The Acer Aspire AS5742-6811 ($699.99 list at Costco) is a budget laptop that performs like a more expensive one, thanks to a powerful Core i5 processor. Granted, this is a first-generation Core i5 CPU, but it helped the AS5742-6811 outperform other similarly priced laptops, including our current Editors' Choice, the HP Pavilion dv6-6013cl ($649.99 list, 4.5 stars). You don't get as robust a feature set as with the HP dv6-6013cl, and its graphics performance is typically budget-class, but the Aspire AS5742-6811's productivity prowess, two-year warranty, and long battery life make it an great value nonetheless. The AS5742-6811 uses the same chassis design as the Acer Aspire AS5742-6475 ($599.99 list, 4 stars); its textured matte black finish does a good job of masking fingerprint smudges but the overall design is very plain looking. A polished silver Acer logo on the lid is the only touch of flash to be found on this model. At 4.9 pounds the AS5742-6811 is lighter than most 15-inch laptops, including the HP dv6-6013cl (5.6 pounds), Samsung RV511-A01 ($599.99 list, 4 stars) (5.2 pounds), and Gateway NV50A02u ($449.99 list, 4 stars) (5 pounds).