Jun 17, 2016 08:42 PM
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Mainstream challenger. When thinking about gaming suitable laptops in a price range of 600 Euros(~$829), there is barely getting around Nvidia's mid-range GeForce GT 740M. AMD's new Radeon R7 M265 with a 128-bit memory interface opposes it now. And in fact, the review sample not only keeps pace in gaming but also proves to be quite competitive in other areas.
Does the Aspire have any other assets apart from the AMD graphics that let it stand out from the mass of contenders?
Does the Aspire have any other assets apart from the AMD graphics that let it stand out from the mass of contenders?
For the original German review, see here.
The Taiwanese manufacturer Acer is notorious for its virtually uncountable laptop models. The laptops from the E1-line are gathered in the affordable consumer range, and face countless competitors, for example from Toshiba and Lenovo. The two comparison devices also come from these manufacturers. Toshiba's Satellite C55-A-1D5 still relies on the Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5-3230M CPU(2x 2.6 - 3.2 GHz, Hyperthreading, TDP: 35 W), which has a higher clock than the i5-4200U(2x 1.6 - 2.6 GHz, Hyperthreading, TDP: 15 W, Haswell) in the review sample. In return, it consumes more power and produces more waste heat. That also applies to the Core i5-4200M(2x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Hyperthreading, TDP: 37 W, Haswell) that powers our second contender, Lenovo's IdeaPad Z510. The new - at least according to the name - AMD Radeon R7 M265 challenges the widely used Nvidia GeForce GT 740M in both the Toshiba and Lenovo laptop.
The budget was not enough for an IPS screen in any of the three contenders. The review sample and Lenovo's Z510 at least stand out from most contenders with a matte Full HD screen, while owners of Toshiba's laptop have to live with a reflective surface and a low resolution of 1366x768 pixels. All three laptops have roughly the same size, but the height of Toshiba's laptop of 33.4 mm(~1.3 inches) is thicker than the approximately 26 mm(~1.0 inches) of the E1-572G and Z510. In return, its depth is lower by about 2 cm(~0.8 inches). The weight ranges from 2.35 kg(~5.2 pounds; Acer) to 2.2 kg(~4.9 pounds; Lenovo). Several configurations of the review sample can be found here. Listing them all would go beyond the scope of this report.
Case
The casing is an old acquaintance that has accommodated the innards of various E1 models from Acer's 400 Euro(~$553) range either in an unchanged or only slightly modified state. It is completely made of black plastic. The base and lid's back feature a sleek, fingerprint-sensitive finish while the other surfaces are matte or textured. The keyboard's area is marginally submerged. Moderate pressure is enough to warp the base, but it does not produce any noises.
The lid also proves to be pliable. Pressure from the back is clearly seen on the front. Unlike the hinge of Acer's Aspire E1-522-45004G50Mnkk with a virtually identical casing, the review sample cannot be opened with one hand because the base lifts. The largest possible opening angle is approximately 155°. Overall, we find the casing fairly rigid and functional, but also a bit bland. Although the build does not exhibit any irregularities, such as sharp edges or uneven gaps, the choice of materials does not convey a high-quality impression.
Connectivity
The user is faced with minimalism in terms of interfaces; only the essential ports plus a VGA out are installed. The drawback of the standard casing is seen here: A second USB 3.0 port is perhaps not expected in a 400 Euro(~$553) laptop, but that is not true for a 600 Euro(~$829) device. At least no adapters are needed. In return, we have to criticize the interface distribution, which is concentrated in the front area. Particularly the cord of an external mouse annoyed us during practical use since it had to be plugged in on the right because an external hard drive was connected to the USB 3.0 port on the left. That the SD card slot on the front left edge is not closed with a dummy is unusual.
Right: 2x USB, DVD, power
Right: 2x USB, DVD, power
Left: Kensington, vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, headphone/microphone
Left: Kensington, vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, headphone/microphone
Communication
Qualcomm's Atheros AR956x is responsible for wireless communication via Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. It supports both the 2.4 GHz band that is overburdened particularly in apartment buildings or city centers and the much less loaded 5 GHz band. We have until now only found Intel chips that support the new Gigabit Wi-Fi(IEEE 802.11 ac) in pricey business laptops and it is unlikely to feature in budget laptops at any time soon. The E1-572G's reception performance shone with an above average range through several walls and ceilings of an apartment building in the author's personal test setup. The transmission speed decreased fairly late when moving away from the router, but also relatively gradually.
Accessories
As common in this price range, there is not much to list; not even recovery media. Besides the power supply, the box only contained warranty documents and a setup guide. Acer does not offer any optional accessories specially made for the E1-line.
Maintenance
The somewhat difficult to open maintenance cover is only secured with one screw, and enables accessing the HDD and both memory banks of which only one is filled. The warranty is inevitably voided when the user accesses the fan or other innards because the entire base has to be removed.
Warranty
Acer includes its standard 24-month carry-in warranty. It can be upgraded to three years with international validity for approximately 70 Euros(~$97).
Input Devices
Keyboard
The available space of a 15.6-inch laptop allows Acer to use nearly a standard layout for the design of its unlit keyboard with number pad. Only the cursor keys feature a smaller than standard size. We would have, however, liked to see larger left shift and control keys. As usual, the function and cursor keys' second assignment for controlling brightness, volume, playing media can be opened via the blue FN key. It also enables activating the Acer Aspire E1-572G's energy-saving mode, disabling the screen or touchpad, etc. Unfortunately, none of the flat and lightly roughened keys features a practical status LED. Many contenders prove that this is not impossible in low-budget laptops, for example the 400 Euro(~$553) HP 250 G2 Office laptop.
It is also true for this E1 laptop that the keyboard features an agreeably long drop for today's laptop conditions. The crisp pressure point and moderate noise are just as appealing. The keyboard bed yields slightly when pressure is applied intentionally between the keys, but that is not significant in practical use. Though Acer will not win any prizes for design and beauty of this standard keyboard, the tester found typing even longer texts was easily possible.
Touchpad
In contrast to older E1 models, Acer has changed the touchpad's surface. It is lightly roughened and features a visibly striking texture. The pad provides clear feedback, and its accuracy and responsiveness were inconspicuous in the test. The surface is touch sensitive and recognizes gestures with up to three fingers. However, the pad could have been placed more centered to leave more room for the left palm. The driver of the Elan input device provides several, detailed options for individualization.
Display
A low-priced multimedia laptop with a matte Full HD screen is also rare. The 1920x1080 pixels in a 16:9 aspect ratio result in a decent pixel density of 141 ppi. Unfortunately, the image's sharpness is unsatisfactory, and is more or less visible depending on the color combination(e.g. fonts/background). Otherwise, the usual drawbacks of the selected TN technology are again noticed quite clearly in this case. The manufacturer also offers the E1-572G in versions with the HD resolution of 1366x768 pixels(TN, 100 ppi) as an alternative. Screens with a higher quality than the one in our review sample are not available.
The maximum brightness of 231 cd/m² is acceptable for the demanded price. It is only marginally below the average of current, equally sized multimedia laptops. The brightness is also available in battery mode. Users who have to or would like to work outdoors frequently will be better served with Lenovo's Z510, which achieves 317 cd/m² with its matte, Full HD screen. The glossy screen in Toshiba's Satellite C55 is roughly on par with the review sample. The illumination is largely homogeneous, and we did not observe bright spots or screen bleeding in the review sample.
