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Acer Aspire S3-391-9606

Specifications

Acer Aspire S3-391-9606
Acer Aspire S3-391-9606 (Aspire S3 Series)
Processor
Graphics adapter
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, glossy: yes
Weight
1.4 kg ( = 49.38 oz / 3.09 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1000 Euro

 

Pricecompare

Average Score: 60% - poor
Average of 1 scores (from 1 reviews)

Reviews for the Acer Aspire S3-391-9606

60% Acer Aspire S3-391-9606 13.3-inch
Source: Comp Reviews English Archive.org version
Acer's updated Aspire S3 ultrabook receives a number of needed improvements that really help it boost its performance to equal to or better than many other models at its $1000 price point. This is primarily achieve through its Core i7 processor and switch to a solid state drive away from a hybird hard drive. The addition of USB 3.0 ports also corrects a major flaw with the original design.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/03/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%

Comment

Series:

The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook was one of the first ultrabooks to hit the market. The idea of the Ultrabook was introduced by Intel but not much of marketing had been done by them. As one of the firsts, all it had was the ‘Macbook Air lookalike’ identity. This isn’t that good to start with for the Aspire S3 as it doesn’t look as thin as the Macbook Air. The Aspire S3 also has the option to use a mechanical hard drive which gives it a significant disadvantage due to the inferior performance offered by a solid state drive offered by other manufacturers. The asking price is another unjustifiable issue. The Asus Zenbook and Dell XPS 13 are also priced around the same price range but they have much more to offer. Another issue with this ultrabook is its plastic-feel construction compared to the aluminium chassis on the Zenbook and carbon fiber feel of the XPS 13. The lack of a USB 3.0 port and backlit keyboard puts it behind most 13 inch ultrabook out there.

Being one of the earliest Ultrabook certainly has its downside. However, it’s not all bad. The Aspire S3 has a display that can tilt far back, more than any other ultrabooks that we’ve seen. It looks very much like the MacBook Pro but is much lighter and has the excellent boot time of Ultrabooks. It can wake up from sleep mode in about less than 2 seconds. 

Intel HD Graphics 4000: Processor graphics card in the high end Ivy Bridge models. Offers a different clock speed in the different CPU models (ULV to desktop quad core) and therefore a different performance.

Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  


3517U: Fast Ivy-Bridge-based ULV-CPU in Q2 2012. Offers a core clock of 1.9 - 3.0 GHz and an HD 4000 GPU (350 - 1150 MHz). The TDP is rated at 17 W.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


13.30":

There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


Acer: In 1976, the company was founded in Taiwan under the name Multitech and was renamed Acer or Acer Group in 1987. The product range includes, for example, laptops, tablets, smartphones, desktops, monitors, TVs and computer peripherals. Since 2007, the group has merged with Gateway Inc. and Packard Bell, which also market their own laptop product lines.

Acer computers are designed for a variety of purposes, including ultrabooks for mobile use, gaming laptops for gamers, affordable options for everyday tasks, and 2-in-1 convertible laptops for versatility. Acer's product portfolio also includes tablets that offer portable computing and multimedia capabilities.


60%: Such a poor rating is rare. There are only a few notebooks that were rated even worse. The rating websites do not give a purchase recommendation here.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

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Current Prices
Stefan Hinum, 2012-09- 6 (Update: 2012-09- 6)