Acer Aspire GX-781

For all the fast, convenient gaming laptops out there, there’s still something to be said about the gaming PC. Reliable, easy to upgrade, and with that old-school charm, the desktop will always be a great way to get into gaming. You could of course build your own rig, but for those who don’t want to go through the trouble, or want the increased reliability of a pre-built machine, Acer has an answer in the Aspire GX-781.

- Ren Alcantara

DESIGN

The Aspire GX-781 is a simple-looking box, with a few accents here and there to give it a gaming vibe. Red appears to be the color to designate a device as being “for gamers,” and this Aspire is no exception. Glossy black, with red lighting at the front, it does sort of look like an office device dressed in gamer garb. This of course doesn’t affect performance per se, but is something that matters to many people, and so deserves scrutiny. The front is also home to a few handy ports including USB and audio, along with a card reader, and USB-C port, for easy access, without having to do an awkward reach-around, while the top edge is where the power button is located. It’s decked out in the same red accents as found elsewhere on the CPU, and is easy to find even when located under a desk, or in darkness. Access to the internals can be had through screws on the back of the CPU, and out of the box, you have two bays up front for drives and other add-ons.

HARDWARE