Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was on a budget when shopping for my new laptop, and I did a lot of research. In the end, I went with this Acer. There were three primary aspects that sold me on this laptop, i5 CPU, slim profile brushed aluminum design, and 6000mAh rated battery.
Other features on this laptop are pretty common in the $630 price range. The screen is clear and vibrant. The actual hard drive space is 581GB with the operating system taking 30GB, so you are left with 551GB. This should be plenty more than enough for most users. These days, I almost never look at the hard drive capacity when purchasing a new computer. I think all of them have a hard drive that is big enough for me. What I care more is its clocked speed. This is not a gaming machine, so don't expect the laptop to play heavily 3D rendered games. It will play HD videos and casual games fine.
=====Battery Test=====
1). Default brightness and volume halfway, laptop gets around 4.5 hours for watching YouTube videos with no other application running in the background.
2). Default brightness and volume halfway, laptop also gets around 4.5 hours for browsing the web, chatting on an instant messenger, and playing music using Windows Media Player.
3). Brightness to its lowest but not turning off the screen and idling the laptop without any application running, it will last 10+ hours.
Overall the laptop does not achieve its claimed 8-hour limit under practical use. For most users, you will probably end up between 4 and 5 hours, but this is still better than 2-3 hours that you could get from other competitors in this price range.
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Here I'm going to list the pro's and con's of this laptop that I think are relevant in the $630 price range.
=====Pro's=====
*** 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-480M dual-core processor (hard to find an i5 CPU in this price range)
*** 640GB SATA hard drive (more than most competitors in the same price range)
*** 1.3-megapixel HD webcam (some competitors are still using non-HD webcams)
*** 6000mAh rated battery (4400mAh rated battery from almost all other competitors in the same price range)
*** One of the thinnest 15.6" laptops currently available on the market (however, it is not thinner than the MacBook Pro as pointed out by other reviewers but only a fraction thicker)
*** Multi-Gesture (a convenient feature normally doesn't exist in this price range. To use the circular-motion, you must start your finger from the top right hand corner. This can also be accomplished by sliding with two fingers vertically.)
=====Con's=====
*** 1066MHz RAM (this is nowhere to be considered slow as most competitors and last generation of MacBook Pro are using RAMs clocked at this speed also, but some have upgraded to 1333MHz RAMs such as the Dell Inspiron)
*** No Bluetooth (personally I almost never use this, but this is no longer a premium feature)
*** Keyboard (not a major issue but typing on this keyboard feels a bit awkward. If you are a fast and heavy typist, you might not like this.)
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Apple has been setting benchmark on many things. The hardware specs on their 2011 MacBook Pros will likely to set the benchmark for upcoming PCs as well. Here, I am going to compare the hardware specs between this Acer and the 2011 base 13.3" MacBook Pro priced at $1,199.
* CPU: Acer's processor is slightly faster.
>>> Acer: 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-480M dual-core processor (2.93GHz with Turbo Boost)
>>> MacBook Pro: 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M dual-core processor (2.9GHz with Turbo Boost)
* GPU: MacBook Pro has the second generation of Intel GPU whereas Acer is using the first generation of Intel GPU.
>>> Acer: Intel HD Graphics with 128MB of dedicated system memory
>>> MacBook Pro: Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of shared system memory
* RAM: Both have the same capacity, but MacBook Pro's is clocked faster.
>>> Acer: 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM
>>> MacBook Pro: 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
* Hard drive: Both are clocked at the same speed, but Acer doubled the amount of capacity.
>>> Acer: 640GB 5400-rpm SATA hard drive
>>> MacBook Pro: 320GB 5400-rpm SATA hard drive
* Battery: Acer actually has a stronger battery, but MacBook Pro has a more energy efficient OS and a smaller screen, so real life battery test can still favor the MacBook Pro.
>>> Acer: 6000mAh rated battery
>>> MacBook Pro: 5800mAh rated battery
Overall I think the Acer stacks up against the 2011 base 13.3" MacBook Pro very well in terms of hardware specs. For almost half the price, this Acer is a bargain. If you are not loyal to any brand, on a budget, and want a fast and long lasting 15" laptop, this is one of the best options out there. If you are waiting for the price drop of Intel second generation of Core processors, don't bother. There really aren't that many changes between the first and second generations of Intel Core processors. It could also take several months before we would see the price drop. I would recommend picking this up before it's gone.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5820T-6401 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum)
8-Hour, All-Day Performance with the Acer Aspire TimelineX 5820T
Combining Intel Core i5 processing performance with extended battery life, the breathtaking thin and lightweight Acer Aspire TimelineX laptop (model AS5820T-6401) gives you the freedom to roam all day long with an 8-hour battery life and stay productive with its 15.6-inch LED-backlit display.
Designed with a durable black brushed aluminum cover that exudes classy digital chic.
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