Harvey Norman currently has two strikingly similar budget 15-inch laptops on sale at the same time. The Acer Aspire Go AG15-72P-55HX at $628 and the HP 15-fd1368TU at $798 both target the same kind of buyer: home users, students, and anyone who needs a basic everyday laptop without spending too much.
On the surface they look almost identical. Same Intel processor, same 8GB of RAM, same amount of storage, same 15.6-inch FHD display, same general use case. But dig into the details and there are real differences that affect which one is the smarter buy for your situation.
I have reviewed both laptops in full details. You can read the Acer Aspire Go AG15-72P-55HX review and the HP 15-fd1368TU review for the complete picture on either machine. This comparison focuses on what matters most when choosing between them.
Quick Verdict
Choose the Acer Aspire Go if: You want to save $170, value a bigger battery for longer unplugged use, and would benefit from a second USB-C port. Comfortable not knowing exact display specs upfront.
Choose the HP 15-fd1368TU if: You want clear, published display specs, prefer HP’s brand support and presence, and the $170 difference isn’t a deciding factor.
Quick Comparison at a Glance
Pros
- Strong pricing at $628
- Dual USB-C ports
- RAM is upgradable
Cons
- Speakers are weak
- Fan noise under load
- 8GB single-channel RAM
Pros
- Reasonable price at $798
- Windows 11 Home, not S mode
- USB-C supports charging
Cons
- 8GB single-channel RAM
- Inadequate battery life
- Trackpad lags
Side-by-Side Specs
| Acer Aspire Go AG15-72P-55HX | HP 15-fd1368TU | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $628 (save $270) | $798 (save $200) |
| Processor | Intel Core 5 120U | Intel Core 5 120U |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 (upgradable to 32GB) | 8GB DDR4 (single slot) |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe | 512GB NVMe |
| Display | 15.6″ FHD IPS | 15.6″ FHD IPS |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Battery | 53Wh | 41Wh |
| USB-C Ports | 2x USB-C 10Gbps | 1x USB-C 10Gbps |
| USB-A Ports | 2x USB-A 5Gbps | 2x USB-A 5Gbps |
| HDMI | Yes | HDMI 1.4b |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Realtek Wi-Fi 6 |
| Webcam | Built-in (specs not published) | 720p HD |
| Backlit Keyboard | No | No |
| Fingerprint Reader | No | No |
| Numeric Keypad | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.53kg | ~1.65kg |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Warranty | Standard 1-year | 1 year, no on-site |
| Available From | Harvey Norman, Officeworks | Harvey Norman exclusive |
What’s Actually the Same
Worth spelling out clearly because the overlap is significant.
Both laptops use the Intel Core 5 120U processor with 10 cores and 12 threads. Day-to-day performance for basic tasks is essentially identical between them. Both ship with 8GB of DDR4 RAM in single-channel configuration, which is the bare minimum for running Windows 11 comfortably in 2026. Both have a 512GB NVMe SSD for fast boot times and snappy file loading.
Both have 15.6-inch FHD IPS displays running at 60Hz with 16:9 aspect ratios. Neither has a backlit keyboard. Neither has a fingerprint reader. Both ship with Windows 11 Home and target the same budget consumer market.
If you only care about raw processing power and basic everyday tasks, performance between these two laptops will feel the same.
Where They Actually Differ
Price: Acer Wins by $170
The most obvious difference. The Acer at $628 is $170 cheaper than the HP at $798, and that’s not a small gap when you’re shopping in this price range. That $170 represents roughly 27% of the Acer’s price, which is meaningful budget territory.
Battery: A Genuine Acer Advantage
The Acer’s 53Wh battery is meaningfully larger than the HP’s 41Wh. In real-world use, this translates to roughly 4 to 6 hours on the Acer compared to 3 to 5 hours on the HP for typical tasks like web browsing, document work, and video calls.
For students sitting through long lectures or anyone who needs to work away from a power point for extended periods, this is a tangible practical advantage. It’s not a minor spec sheet difference – it’s genuinely felt during daily use.
USB-C Ports: Acer Has Two, HP Has One
The Acer offers dual USB-C ports running at 10Gbps. The HP has a single USB-C port. For a budget laptop, having two USB-C ports is unusual and genuinely useful. You can charge from one and connect a peripheral or external display from the other without juggling cables.
Display: Different Honesty Levels
This is an interesting trade-off because neither display is particularly good, but the laptops handle the disclosure differently.
- The HP publishes specs of 250 nits brightness and 62.5% sRGB colour gamut. Both numbers are poor by any modern standard, but at least you know what you’re getting.
- The Acer doesn’t publish brightness or colour gamut figures at all. When manufacturers stay quiet about these specs, it’s almost never because the numbers are good.
Realistically, both displays are likely in similar budget territory. The HP just chooses to be transparent about it. For some buyers, that transparency is valuable. For others, the Acer’s silence won’t matter because either way you’re getting a basic display.
Weight: Acer is Lighter
At 1.53kg the Acer is around 100 grams lighter than the HP’s estimated 1.65kg. It’s not a dramatic difference, but for daily commuting it’s definitely noticeable.
Trackpad: HP Has Reported Lag
User reports on the HP 15-fd1368TU note noticeable trackpad lag, which is a real frustration for daily use. The Acer ships with a Microsoft Precision Touchpad certified pad, which generally indicates a better navigation experience. Touch and feel will vary, but the Acer has the edge on paper here.
Where to Buy: Acer is More Flexible
The HP 15-fd1368TU is a Harvey Norman exclusive, which means no Officeworks Price Beat Guarantee can apply. The Acer is sold by both Harvey Norman and Officeworks at $628, and if a third-party retailer advertises it cheaper, Officeworks’ Price Beat could potentially bring the price down further. That’s a small but real advantage.
The RAM Reality
Both laptops ship with 8GB of single-channel RAM, which in 2026 is the absolute minimum for running Windows 11 comfortably. Multitasking with multiple browser tabs, a video call, and a few apps will feel sluggish on either machine.
There’s a small theoretical advantage on the Acer: its spec sheet lists 32GB as the maximum supported memory, suggesting the RAM is upgradable. The HP’s single slot configuration suggests a similar upgrade path may be available, though HP doesn’t publish a maximum capacity specifically.
In practice, with RAM prices having risen sharply over the past year, upgrading either of these laptops is more expensive than it used to be. We’ve covered the broader RAM price situation in my How AI is Pushing Up the Cost of Computers and Parts article. Realistically, treat both laptops as 8GB machines and budget accordingly.
If you want to understand why dual-channel RAM matters, my Dual-Channel RAM article breaks it down clearly.
Who Should Buy the Acer Aspire Go
- Budget-conscious buyers who want to save $170 on a similarly capable machine
- Students and home users who need extended battery life for unplugged use
- Anyone who values having two USB-C ports on a budget laptop
- Buyers who want the lighter chassis for daily carrying
- Those open to buying from either Harvey Norman or Officeworks
Who Should Buy the HP 15-fd1368TU
- Buyers who want clear, published display specs upfront before purchasing
- Those who prefer HP’s broader retail and support presence in Australia
- Anyone for whom the $170 difference isn’t a deciding factor
My Recommendation
For most buyers in this category, the Acer Aspire Go AG15-72P-55HX is the smarter pick.
The $170 saving is significant in budget territory. The bigger battery is a genuine real-world advantage that you’ll feel every day. The second USB-C port adds useful flexibility. The lighter weight makes daily carrying easier. And the option to buy from Officeworks opens up the Price Beat Guarantee as a potential further saving.
The HP’s transparency on display specs is appreciated, but neither laptop is going to win any awards for screen quality. Paying $170 more for a known-mediocre display over an unknown-mediocre display doesn’t feel like good value when everything else points toward the Acer.
The HP’s Harvey Norman exclusivity, smaller battery, and single USB-C port make it harder to recommend as the better-value option. It’s not a bad laptop, but the Acer offers more for less.
That said, neither of these laptops is going to deliver a premium experience. Both have 8GB single-channel RAM that will limit multitasking, both have basic displays, and both are built to a budget price. If you can stretch a little further, my Student Laptop Buying Guide covers options that offer meaningfully better value at slightly higher price points. And with laptop prices remaining high and unlikely to come back down anytime soon, my Warning: Laptop Prices Are About to Jump 10-20% post is worth reading before you commit to any purchase right now.
