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Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD Dock Convertible Review

Shaky candidate. When a Windows tablet provides sufficient performance, ports, input devices and storage capacity, why would you need a conventional notebook or even a desktop PC? Acer brings the advantages of a laptop to a tablet via keyboard dock including hard drive.
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro + HDD keyboard dock: Business with Acer?
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro + HDD keyboard dock: Business with Acer?

For the original German review, see here.

Windows on a tablet is already pretty familiar, but after many reviews of Windows tablets with 7, 8 or 10-inches (Captiva Pad 10.1), it is finally interesting again: The 11.6-inch Switch 11 Pro from Acer has a Full HD panel (IPS), a 128 GB SSD, a Core i5, a keyboard and a hard drive. This means the device could be the dream for many users: Mobile and light if necessary and powerful enough when you have to make your taxes. With such a device, the average Windows user does not need another PC, do they?

We already reviewed a couple of devices over the last months that could keep up with notebooks in terms of performance. The temperature development was often an issue, just like the short battery runtimes in some cases. Acer actually managed to design a fanless system without the frugal Broadwell Core M chips. Fanless, long battery runtimes and a good performance – can the Switch 11 Pro combine all these aspects?

Acer still uses the Haswell mobile CPUs for the Switch 11 Pro. It is supposed to meet all the requirements of a small mobile Windows PC, but it is still a handy 11.6-inch tablet with a weight of 843 and 1,643 grams, respectively (tablet and tablet with the dock). The competition in the price range up to 1,000 Euros (~$1137) did not sleep; we think the following devices are the most interesting rivals for the Switch 11. The first two models, the Yoga 2 11 and Transformer Book Trio, are probably the biggest competitors. They are significantly cheaper and also have a hard drive; the Trio is even equipped with a Core i5. All the other devices are shipped without a hard drive.

Case

Acer uses a chassis that is completely made of plastic. The back cover has a brushed finish, so it looks like aluminum. The whole back of the tablet is a single piece that is slightly shifted when you try to twist the device. You could open the device in this scenario, but we did not try it to avoid any damages of our review unit.

With a height of 11 millimeters and a weight of 843 grams, the tablet is pretty bulky and also heavy. But that should not be surprising when you consider that Acer had to integrate a 32 Wh battery as well as a passive cooling solution. Furthermore, you get a full-size USB port (type A). The torsion resistance of the tablet as well as the base unit is pretty weak and you can twist them to a certain extent. There are, unfortunately, visible distortions at the display frame even when we just hold the tablet in our hands and apply some pressure (standard usage scenario). It seems that the connection between the chassis and the panel is too tight.

The base unit "unfortunately" only weighs 798 grams. Why is that a problem? The Switch 11 easily tips over when the opening angle is too big. This happens at around 135 degrees, which means you can still use a convenient angle. The manufacturer reinforced the base unit with aluminum panels on the inside, so you cannot dent the palm rest even with a lot of force. The detachable bottom cover (HDD can be replaced) is reinforced by additional panels as well. This improves the sturdiness, but the cheap haptic impression of a hollow body remains.

How can you undock the tablet? Lever? Button? No, you just have to pull pretty hard at the tablet to release the magnetic fixation and use the tablet without the base unit. Advantage of this solution: There are no mechanical hooks or locks that could break. Disadvantage: You might "lose" the tablet when you grab the Switch 11 at the keyboard. The magnetic fixation cannot really prevent that. The two massive pins ensure that the tablet cannot move along the bottom of the hinge. By the way, the two magnets are at the center of the tablet and the dock, respectively (right and left next to the Acer logo).

Connectivity

The Switch 11 does not really offer many ports, but at least more than many other Windows tablets with up to 10-inches. Similar to the main rivals you get a full-size USB 3.0 port as well as micro HDMI. Another USB port is located at the dock, but it only supports the 2.0 standard.

Left side: volume rocker, power button, home button, combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Left side: volume rocker, power button, home button, combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Right side: microphone, reset, micro SDHC, micro HDMI, USB 3.0, AC power
Right side: microphone, reset, micro SDHC, micro HDMI, USB 3.0, AC power
Front/top: no ports
Front/top: no ports
Rear: no ports
Rear: no ports
Included: 45-Watt power adaptor and Acer Active Pen.
Included: 45-Watt power adaptor and Acer Active Pen.
It is an active digitizer pen.
It is an active digitizer pen.
Quick-start guide, BYOC - Build Your Own Cloud.
Quick-start guide, BYOC - Build Your Own Cloud.
Acer Screen Grasp (screenshot tool).
Acer Screen Grasp (screenshot tool).

Communication

Inside the device is an Atheros WLAN module with support for the standards b/g/n in 2.4 GHz as well as 5 GHz networks (dual-band). We were disappointed by the range of the wireless module in our test, the connection dropped with a distance of around 20 meters outside the building. Some competitors are much better (around 40 meters). Our Switch 11 showed 2 up to 3 bars with a distance of 15 meters and notebookcheck.com was opened without delays. Bluetooth 4.0 is supported. As far as we know there is no configuration with an integrated 3G/4G modem. The tablet has a couple of sensors, including the usual rotation sensor and ambient light sensor.

Accessories

Besides the power adaptor you get the Acer Active Pen (digitizer with battery). The small AAAA battery was unfortunately empty or defective in our case, but the pen worked flawlessly with a replacement. Acer preloads some tools like Video Player, Quick Access, Care Center, Hover Access, Touch Tools, Power Management or Acer Portal. We liked Acer Screen Grasp, a tool for screenshots that can be launched with the touch of three fingers and includes all important editing features. Power Management only shows USB devices that consume a lot of power and you can deactivate the HDD of the keyboard dock. The useful application Quick Access is described in the review of the Acer Aspire Switch 10.

Maintenance

The hard drive in the keyboard dock can be replaced.

Warranty

The standard warranty period is 12 months. Acer’s Advantage Light is a 3-year warranty with a carry-in service and a 1-year International Traveller Warranty that is available for around 60 Euros (~$68).

Webcam

The webcam of the Switch 11 takes pictures with a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Even though the focus works pretty well, pictures still look like impressionistic watercolors, even under daylight. Areas are very blurry and edges are rough. It will be sufficient for video chats, but not for eBay auctions. 

Our sample recording with the microphone suffered from electronic background noises. It sounded tinny and almost like the speaker was sitting in a trash can with a distance of two up to three meters. Not a good result, but Acer only integrated one single microphone.

Poor HD webcam
Poor HD webcam
Webcam picture 1280x720
Webcam picture 1280x720
Reference EOS 1100D
Reference EOS 1100D

Input Devices

The integration of a keyboard with a long travel and large keys is a good starting point, but Acer unfortunately misses the target of an input device with a good feedback because of the spongy stroke, which is also bouncy in the center. The keys are completely flat and the lettering is sufficient. There is no background illumination, but the Transformer Book Trio and the Surface Pro 3 have one. An illumination should be available in the price range of the Switch 11.

The ClickPad has a long travel and an audible pressure point. This ensures a quick handling, even drag & drop worked pretty well. However, the haptic and the acoustics are a bit clattery, which is also caused by the light clicking noise. 

The 10-fingers touch panel has good gliding capabilities and can be quickly operated. It is sensitive up into the peripheral areas, both for inputs with the pen or with the hand. By the way, you can also attach the display the other way around with the back cover facing towards the dock, so you can use the tablet and still carry the whole device.

Acer’s Active Pen is better suited for markings or notes compared to the keyboard or the ClickPad. The pen is more comfortable, faster and especially more precise on the screen. We are still completely happy with the inputs via fingers: Actions are executed instantaneously and the surface does not "stick" to the finger.

Long travel but spongy stroke and soft pressure point.
Long travel but spongy stroke and soft pressure point.
Large ClickPad with good travel and smooth stroke.
Large ClickPad with good travel and smooth stroke.
Acer Active Pen - improved writing, marking and drawing.
Acer Active Pen - improved writing, marking and drawing.
Active Pen in Fresh Paint.
Active Pen in Fresh Paint.
Reinforced plastic bottom cover.
Reinforced plastic bottom cover.
 

Display

1920x1080, multi-touch, glossy, IPS
1920x1080, multi-touch, glossy, IPS

The Chi Mei panel (designation CMN1133) has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a screen ratio of 16:9. This results in a pixel density of 190 ppi on the 11.6-inch screen. The panel can recognize up to 10 fingers simultaneously, while the smaller Switch 10 only has a touchscreen with 5 touch points.

The brightness of 251 cd/m² (on average) is worse compared to the rivals. But not only the first three devices in the following table are 20 up to 30% brighter, even the follow-ups are better. The panel is really bad in terms of clouding, there are visible spots at the edges, and they get much bigger and annoying when you hold the tablet in the hand. Even light pressure on the left and right display frame results in deviations. The brightness distribution of 83% is actually not that bad, which is a result of our central measuring point (not directly at the edges).

248
cd/m²
247
cd/m²
231
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
256
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN1133 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 279 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 250.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 196 cd/m²
Contrast: 734:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.48 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.55 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.39
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
IPS FHD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
IPS HD
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
IPS FHD
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
IPS 2K
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
IPS HD
Lenovo Miix 2 11
IPS FHD
Display
Display P3 Coverage
64.3
63.6
43.47
sRGB Coverage
89.5
88.8
64.5
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.3
65.6
45.03
Screen
Brightness middle
279
340
22%
360
29%
355.3
27%
329
18%
344
23%
Brightness
251
320
27%
332
32%
338
35%
315
25%
327
30%
Brightness Distribution
83
85
2%
86
4%
91
10%
85
2%
88
6%
Black Level *
0.38
0.45
-18%
0.5
-32%
0.33
13%
0.41
-8%
0.4
-5%
Contrast
734
756
3%
720
-2%
1077
47%
802
9%
860
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.48
4.2
-21%
3.35
4%
4.72
-36%
6.41
-84%
7.46
-114%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.55
2.96
35%
4.61
-1%
6.53
-44%
6.3
-38%
7.49
-65%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.35 94%
2.37 93%
2.17 101%
2.54 87%
2.31 95%
CCT
6330 103%
6415 101%
6561 99%
6707 97%
6206 105%
6080 107%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
59.37

* ... smaller is better

The contrast of the review unit is on a level with the other rivals, only Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is clearly at the top with 1,077:1. We tested the factory settings of the panel with CalMAN and a spectrophotometer and could determine a low grayscale DeltaE of almost 5. A value under 3 would be the target, which means the human eye cannot see a difference between the sRGB reference and the displayed colors. The ColorChecker DeltaE of 5 is not bad, either, and we cannot see a blue cast of the panel. We could not calibrate the panel since our i1Profiler wouldn’t work.

CalMAN Grayscale: No blue cast
CalMAN Grayscale: No blue cast
CalMAN ColorChecker: Avg. DeltaE 3.5
CalMAN ColorChecker: Avg. DeltaE 3.5
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps: Low deviations
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps: Low deviations

The experience with the Switch 11 is not that great outdoors: The maximum brightness is reduced to 196 cd/m² on battery power, which cannot be prevented, even with the deactivation of the light sensor in the Intel driver. The result is that the display already appears very dark on our pictures, even though it was a cloudy day.

The panel can be viewed from any angle and does not suffer from deviations. The contrast can be maintained, symbols and fonts are always sharp.

The reflections are annoying when you work outdoors.
The reflections are annoying when you work outdoors.
But the effects are tolerable in the shade or with a cloudy sky.
But the effects are tolerable in the shade or with a cloudy sky.
Viewing angles Aspire Switch 11 Pro
Viewing angles Aspire Switch 11 Pro

Performance

Acer sells several versions of its Aspire Switch 11: An entry-level version (32 GB, Atom Z3745, IPS HD) starting at 399 Euros (~$453), a mainstream version (60 GB, i3, FHD IPS) for around 600 Euros (~$682) and finally the premium configuration (128 + 500 GB, i5, FHD) for 900 Euros (~$1023). Every model is shipped with the keyboard dock, but the Active Pen is only included with the premium version. We will have a quick review of the entry-level version soon, where we can check if the less expensive models can be equipped with a 2.5-inch SATA HDD (7 mm) or an SSD.

You get a lot of storage capacity; 89 GB is free ex-works on the tablet and 465 GB on the hard drive in the dock. You could add a microSD card (microSDHC). Acer decided to use a thin HDD from the company Western Digital (WD5000LPVX-22V0TT0, 2.5-inch, 5,400 rpm, 8MB cache, SATA 6 GB/s, 7 mm).

System info: CPU-Z CPU
System info: CPU-Z Cache
System info: CPU-Z Motherboard
System info: CPU-Z Memory
System info: GPU-Z
HWinfo Summary
System information Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB + keyboard dock HDD

Processor

The Intel Core i5-4202Y (1.6 GHz) is based on Intel’s Haswell generation, which is currently replaced by Broadwell. In theory, the Turbo is supposed to reach up to 2.0 GHz (single-core), but we could not confirm this during our tests. The Cinebench R15 Single test is executed with a steady clock of 1.7 GHz, which also applies for multi-core load. The Cinebench Multi results are similar on battery power, so there are no performance limitations. The CPU stress test Prime95 results in a drop to 1.5 GHz, but it does not drop below the nominal value so there is no throttling.

Compared to the rivals, the Switch 11 is a bit better than the Bay Trail Pentium in the Yoga 2 11. The old Core i7-4500U of the Transformer Book Trio TX201LA shows what is possible in a convertible when the CPU has an active cooling solution. The new Core M in the Venue 11 Pro can only manage a small lead, so there is no reason to wait for Broadwell in the Switch 11 in terms of the performance.

Cinebench R15 Single CPU@1.7 GHz
Cinebench R15 Single [email protected] GHz
Cinebench R15 Multi CPU@1.7 GHz
Cinebench R15 Multi [email protected] GHz
Prime95 CPU stress test Start @1.7 GHz
Prime95 CPU stress test Start @1.7 GHz
Prime95 after 3 minutes @1.5 up to 1.6 GHz
Prime95 after 3 minutes @1.5 up to 1.6 GHz
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.87 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.84 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
14.93 fps
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
16.95 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
165 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
74 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
74 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
38 Points -49%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
114 Points +54%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
42 Points -43%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
59 Points -20%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
83 Points +12%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
165 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
146 Points -12%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
258 Points +56%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
127 Points -23%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
93 Points -44%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
190 Points +15%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
0.87 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
0.44 Points -49%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1.3 Points +49%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
1.12 Points +29%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
0.5 Points -43%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
0.68 Points -22%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
0.94 Points +8%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
1.84 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
1.77 Points -4%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2.71 Points +47%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
2.77 Points +51%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
1.47 Points -20%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
1.06 Points -42%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
2.01 Points +9%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
1250 Points
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
4273 Points
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
3675 Points
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
1921 Points
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
3131 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
4353 Points
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
8637 Points
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
7067 Points
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
3382 Points

System Performance

Both PCMark 7 and 8 determine good results and the Switch 11 can sometimes surpass the rivals. The CPU performance, however, falls a bit behind; the i7-4500U and i5-4300U in the Transformer Book Trio and Surface Pro 3, respectively, are just faster. Still, the Productivity and Creativity (PCMark 7) as well as the Home and Creative scores (PCMark 8) are better, which is a result of the fast SSD.

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
PCMark 7
-57%
-16%
25%
-10%
-26%
Score
4061
1851
-54%
2906
-28%
5066
25%
3694
-9%
3141
-23%
Productivity
1930
479
-75%
931
-52%
1817
-6%
1746
-10%
Entertainment
2846
1651
-42%
2906
2%
2696
-5%
2028
-29%
Creativity
8197
2900
-65%
5496
-33%
7294
-11%
6098
-26%
Computation
12315
6382
-48%
16336
33%
10016
-19%
7113
-42%
PCMark 8
-31%
-23%
Home Score Accelerated v2
2002
1419
-29%
1392
-30%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
1773
1194
-33%
1510
-15%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-44% / -49%
-16% / -16%
25% / 25%
-10% / -10%
-25% / -25%
PCMark 7 Score
4061 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2002 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1773 points
Help

Storage Devices

The 128 GB SSD in the tablet manages very good transfer rates that result in an excellent AS SSD total score. PCMark 7 System Storage also noticed the SSD and measured it as more than 70% faster than the HDDs in the Yoga 2 11 and Transformer Book Trio. This is realistic in an HDD to SSD comparison, which is confirmed by the results of CrystalDiskMark 3.0. The other SSD convertibles are on a level with our review unit.

The hard drive in the dock seems to be something like a Fiat 500 racing in Formula 1. While the SSD in the tablet manages excellent results, the HDD is extremely slow. It only reads with 32 MB/s, not to mention the poor 4K access times. Even our external USB 3.0 HDD that we attached to the tablet reached 70 MB/s. The reason: the dock is attached via USB 2.0, which obviously affects the transfer rates of the HDD as well.

AS SSD - good transfer rates of the SSD
AS SSD - good transfer rates of the SSD
AS SSD - bottleneck HDD
AS SSD - bottleneck HDD
CDM - very fast tablet SSD
CDM - very fast tablet SSD
CDM - slow HDD in the dock
CDM - slow HDD in the dock
CDM - Comparison external USB 3.0 HDD at the tablet
CDM - Comparison external USB 3.0 HDD at the tablet
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HD Graphics 4400, 4500U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
Lenovo Miix 2 11
HD Graphics 4200, 4012Y, Samsung SSD PM841 MZMTD128HAFV mSATA
PCMark 7
System Storage
5428
1507
-72%
1392
-74%
5164
-5%
5136
-5%
AS SSD
-8%
-36%
Seq Read
487.2
493.7
1%
496.5
2%
Seq Write
321.5
303
-6%
113.4
-65%
4K Read
29.2
22
-25%
25.12
-14%
4K Write
60.2
73.7
22%
63.5
5%
4K-64 Read
331.7
358.3
8%
182.5
-45%
4K-64 Write
298.3
215
-28%
92.3
-69%
Access Time Read *
0.073
0.087
-19%
0.131
-79%
Access Time Write *
0.059
0.075
-27%
0.054
8%
Score Read
410
430
5%
257
-37%
Score Write
391
319
-18%
167
-57%
Score Total
1011
965
-5%
546
-46%
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-92%
-93%
3%
-28%
-20%
Read Seq
508
103.5
-80%
82.3
-84%
501
-1%
437
-14%
517
2%
Write Seq
341.2
93.9
-72%
73.2
-79%
324
-5%
264.2
-23%
134.8
-60%
Read 512
386
31.68
-92%
26.1
-93%
357.8
-7%
306.3
-21%
451.2
17%
Write 512
338
34.12
-90%
23.02
-93%
324.6
-4%
256.4
-24%
124.2
-63%
Read 4k
32.82
0.216
-99%
0.301
-99%
20.81
-37%
20.82
-37%
28.61
-13%
Write 4k
72.6
0.591
-99%
0.593
-99%
76.2
5%
52.2
-28%
79.8
10%
Read 4k QD32
233.2
0.694
-100%
0.58
-100%
345
48%
193.2
-17%
214
-8%
Write 4k QD32
233.3
0.595
-100%
0.582
-100%
294.4
26%
101.8
-56%
130.3
-44%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-82% / -89%
-84% / -91%
-3% / -4%
-17% / -25%
-20% / -28%

* ... smaller is better

128 GB SATA SSD
Sequential Read: 508 MB/s
Sequential Write: 341.2 MB/s
512K Read: 386 MB/s
512K Write: 338 MB/s
4K Read: 32.82 MB/s
4K Write: 72.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 233.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 233.3 MB/s

Graphics

The low-end processor GPU HD Graphics 4200 runs with 200 - 850 MHz, which means it cannot keep up with the performance of higher-clocked versions of the HD 4000 that powers the Transformer Book Trio TX201LA, for instance. The new HD 5300 (Core M) is much faster (30%) with a lower TDP. Acer uses a dual-channel memory configuration, so the performance is slightly better compared to other HD 4200 devices.

3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
3027 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
1597 Points -47%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
4727 Points +56%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
4146 Points +37%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
1716 Points -43%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
3484 Points +15%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
3807 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
1565 Points -59%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
6004 Points +58%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
2101 Points -45%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
4498 Points +18%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
358 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
132 Points -63%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
636 Points +78%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
483 Points +35%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
199 Points -44%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
466 Points +30%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
395 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
192 Points -51%
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
692 Points +75%
Lenovo Miix 2 11
218 Points -45%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
509 Points +29%
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
29385 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
3027 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
358 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Gaming should not be a priority for users of the Switch 11. Only some older titles can be played smoothly with the lowest settings, like Risen from 2008, for example. The HD 5300 is better in this scenario, even though the difference is smaller with higher details. Dota 2 shows that our HD 4200 is faster compared to a Bay Trail GPU (Yoga 2 11), but it is more likely that this game benefits from the faster processor.

Dota 1364x768
Dota 1364x768
Risen (2008) 1364x768
Risen (2008) 1364x768
Risen (2008) 1024x768
Risen (2008) 1024x768
Risen (2008) 800x600
Risen (2008) 800x600
Risen
800x600 all off/low AF:0x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
37.5 fps
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
60 fps +60%
1024x768 all on/med AF:2x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
19.5 fps
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
22.7 fps +16%
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - 1280x720 Lowest Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
15.12 fps
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y10a, Sandisk X110 M.2 SD6SP1M-128G
16.65 fps +10%
Dota 2
1024x768 Low / Off, Render Quality: 40 % (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
42.1 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
28.4 fps -33%
1366x768 Medium / On, Render Quality: 70 % (sort by value)
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HD Graphics 4200, 4202Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
22.7 fps
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3520, Seagate Laptop Ultrathin ST500LT032
10.4 fps -54%
low med. high ultra
Risen (2009) 37.5 19.5 14
Dota 2 (2013) 42.1 22.7 9.8
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 15.12 8.43 4

Emissions

System Noise

The noise development is limited to the quiet operating noise of the HDD. However, the Switch 11 is usually completely silent since the HDD is deactivated when it is not being used. The IdeaPad Yoga 2 11 is fanless as well, but not the Transformer Book Trio TX201LA and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. The latter, however, only gets very loud under continuous load; the Transformer Book is audible even with light workloads.

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
HDD fanless
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
HDD fanless
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
HDD
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
SSD
Lenovo Miix 2 11
SSD
Noise
-8%
-17%
-13%
-9%
4%
Idle Minimum *
29.6
30.6
-3%
30.1
-2%
30
-1%
28
5%
Idle Average *
29.6
31.9
-8%
30.7
-4%
30.2
-2%
30
-1%
28
5%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
32.2
-9%
30.4
-3%
30.2
-2%
28
5%
Load Average *
29.6
31.9
-8%
39.4
-33%
31.9
-8%
35.9
-21%
28
5%
Load Maximum *
29.6
31.9
-8%
40.6
-37%
44.4
-50%
36.1
-22%
30.1
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
HDD
31 dB(A)
Load
29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Stress test start Prime95&FurMark CPU@1.5-1.6 GHz at 70 °C
Stress test start Prime95&FurMark [email protected] GHz at 70 °C
Stress test 1h Prime95&FurMark CPU@900-1,000 MHz
Stress test 1h Prime95&FurMark CPU@900-1,000 MHz

The Switch 11 barely warmed up under light workloads with longer idle periods, where the idle chart roughly shows the temperatures of the tablet. We did not measure the temperatures at the dock. The situation quickly changes under load, where we can see some hot spots at the right side with up to 47 and 46 °C at the top and the bottom, respectively.

Our review cannot execute the stress test without throttling. After the Core i5-4202Y can maintain 1.6 GHz for a couple of minutes (70 °C), it throttles to 900 up to 1,000 MHz for the rest of the test, which resulted in a SoC temperature of around 60 °C. This throttling should not be an issue during everyday use, even though the Turbo utilization is pretty limited (also see Performance).

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
i5-4202Y HDD fanless
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
Pentium N3520 HDD fanless
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
i7-4500U HDD
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
i5-4300U SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
i5-4210 SSD
Lenovo Miix 2 11
i3-4012Y SSD
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
M-5Y10a SSD
Heat
-6%
3%
-10%
-2%
3%
-6%
Maximum Upper Side *
47.5
42.3
11%
40.4
15%
45.2
5%
39.6
17%
35.3
26%
46.3
3%
Maximum Bottom *
45.7
40
12%
40.8
11%
46.4
-2%
52.5
-15%
41.3
10%
47
-3%
Idle Upper Side *
29.1
31.5
-8%
30.1
-3%
35.2
-21%
28.6
2%
32.4
-11%
30.6
-5%
Idle Bottom *
28.2
38.7
-37%
31.7
-12%
34.4
-22%
31.1
-10%
32.3
-15%
33.3
-18%

* ... smaller is better

 23.4 °C
74 F
25.6 °C
78 F
29.1 °C
84 F
 
 25.4 °C
78 F
25.6 °C
78 F
28.7 °C
84 F
 
 28.1 °C
83 F
29 °C
84 F
29 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 29.1 °C = 84 F
Average: 27.1 °C = 81 F
28.2 °C
83 F
27.2 °C
81 F
25.3 °C
78 F
28.1 °C
83 F
26.8 °C
80 F
25.1 °C
77 F
27.2 °C
81 F
26.4 °C
80 F
28.1 °C
83 F
Maximum: 28.2 °C = 83 F
Average: 26.9 °C = 80 F
Power Supply (max.)  31 °C = 88 F | Room Temperature 22.1 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47.5 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.7 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 43.2 °C / 109.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-15.1 °C / -27.2 F).

Speakers

The speakers are located at the front under the panel, but the position does not really pay off. The sound is thin, focuses on the medium tones and the maximum volume is not really high. There is no sign of bass of differentiated high-tones, either. This means you should use headphones, which can be attached at the combined microphone port with the stereo jack.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption is very similar to the IdeaPad Yoga 2 11, despite the different chipsets. We measure 3 up to 8 Watts while idling and the dock was always attached for our measurements. The 8 Watts is a result of the active HDD, the brightness alone does not cause such a big difference. On a very similar level under load is the Core M in the Venue 11 Pro 7140. However, this 10-inch device manages much better runtimes thanks to its lower idle consumption.

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock
i5-4202Y HDD fanless
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11
Pentium N3520 HDD fanless
Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
i7-4500U HDD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
i5-4300U SSD
Lenovo Miix 2 11
i5-4210 SSD
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
i3-4012Y SSD
Power Consumption
3%
-51%
-14%
21%
13%
Idle Minimum *
3.2
3.8
-19%
6
-88%
3.3
-3%
2.9
9%
2
37%
Idle Average *
6.6
7
-6%
7.7
-17%
7
-6%
5.3
20%
5.9
11%
Idle Maximum *
7.7
7.2
6%
7.9
-3%
8.3
-8%
6.2
19%
6.2
19%
Load Average *
17.7
14.6
18%
33.7
-90%
22.8
-29%
14.4
19%
19.1
-8%
Load Maximum *
19
16.2
15%
30.1
-58%
23.4
-23%
11.7
38%
18.2
4%

* ... smaller is better

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.05 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.2 / 6.6 / 7.7 Watt
Load midlight 17.7 / 19 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 960
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

45-Watt power adaptor
45-Watt power adaptor

The power adaptor needed around 3:30 hours to charge the battery, which is a disappointing result when you consider the short runtimes, like 4:20 hours in the WLAN test, for example. Even the idle runtime of almost eight hours is far away from the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (WLAN 504 minutes) or the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140. The rivals Yoga 2 11 and Transformer Book Trio TX201LA, however, are not much better with half-an-hour more in the WLAN test. We would have liked to see an additional battery in the dock, similar to the Venue 11 Pro. This would have increased the weight, but also prevented the device from tipping over.

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-DockLenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 11Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LAMicrosoft Surface Pro 3Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)Lenovo Miix 2 11Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140
Battery Runtime
26%
2%
78%
32%
42%
97%
Reader / Idle
472
502
6%
450
-5%
1096
132%
625
32%
682
44%
777
65%
WiFi
260
290
12%
291
12%
504
94%
387
49%
284
9%
562
116%
WiFi v1.3
351
Load
116
185
59%
116
0%
124
7%
135
16%
202
74%
244
110%
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 52min
WiFi Surfing
4h 20min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 51min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 56min

Verdict

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB with keyboard dock and HDD
Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB with keyboard dock and HDD

Acer’s Aspire Switch 11 Pro with a keyboard dock is an ambitious project. The identical chassis is supposed to attract users in different price ranges from 400, 600 up to 900 Euros (~$454, ~$682 to ~$1023), which is realized with different CPU, memory and display configurations. This is actually the biggest problem of the device. The quality of the chassis does not really meet the price tag of 900 Euros (~$1023), where high-end tablets like Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 are dominating the market. Even the cheaper and more powerful Transformer Book Trio TX201LA has a more sophisticated construction and better input devices. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 2 11 has a better build quality as well and is available for 500 Euros (~$568).

However, the Aspire Switch 11 Pro also has some advantages: The application performance will be sufficient for many users and easily beats the devices with Intel Atom/Pentium chips (Bay Trail). The temperatures are low with simple tasks and the system does not require a fan. The Full HD panel (IPS) meets the price tag, but it unfortunately suffers from strong clouding at the edges as well as the comparatively low brightness. Two of the few selling points for the Switch 11 are the hard drive in the dock and the digitizer panel with the included active pen. But that’s pretty much it, which results in the low rating.

Because of the mentioned issues we cannot give a real recommendation for the device. If you like the concept with an HDD in a convertible, you should have a closer look at the IdeaPad Yoga 2 11 and the Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA.

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In review: Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB + keyboard dock. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.
In review: Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB + keyboard dock. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.

Specifications

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock (Aspire Switch Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-4202Y 2 x 1.6 - 2 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 4200, Core: 850 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, Dual-Channel
Memory
4 GB 
, 2 x 2048 MB
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, 10 fingers capacitive, Chi Mei CMN1133, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Lynx Point-LP
Storage
128 GB SATA SSD, 128 GB 
, Lite-On IT L8T-128L9G, 554 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: combined headphones and microphone port, Card Reader: microSDHC, Sensors: Light sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer
Networking
Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 298 x 205.4 ( = 0.98 x 11.73 x 8.09 in)
Battery
32 Wh Lithium-Ion, 3 cells, 2850 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1280x720
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Acer Active Pen, white power adaptor, Acer Video Player, Quick Access, Care Center, Hover Access, Touch Tools, Power Management, Acer Portal, Acer Screen Grasp, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.643 kg ( = 57.96 oz / 3.62 pounds), Power Supply: 267 g ( = 9.42 oz / 0.59 pounds)
Price
930 Euro

 

Acer's Switch 10 was a sophisticated convertible.
Acer's Switch 10 was a sophisticated convertible.
Only the performance of the Intel Atom SoC was a bit low.
Only the performance of the Intel Atom SoC was a bit low.
This calls for a performance option,...
This calls for a performance option,...
...and Acer sells it as the Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro.
...and Acer sells it as the Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro.
Not only do you get a powerful Core i5-4202Y (Haswell),...
Not only do you get a powerful Core i5-4202Y (Haswell),...
...but also an IPS panel with 1920x1080 pixels.
...but also an IPS panel with 1920x1080 pixels.
The tablet doesn't require an active cooling solution (fanless).
The tablet doesn't require an active cooling solution (fanless).
The keyboard dock doesn't accommodate a secondary battery...
The keyboard dock doesn't accommodate a secondary battery...
...but a 500 GB hard drive that is attached via USB.
...but a 500 GB hard drive that is attached via USB.
Intel Core, a lot of storage and a real keyboard,...
Intel Core, a lot of storage and a real keyboard,...
...but still a handy tablet if necessary,...
...but still a handy tablet if necessary,...
...those are probably the biggest selling points for the Aspire Switch 11 Pro.
...those are probably the biggest selling points for the Aspire Switch 11 Pro.
The docking mechanism...
The docking mechanism...
...works with these two bars, they fix the tablet unit...
...works with these two bars, they fix the tablet unit...
...but the tablet doesn't snap into a shaft.
...but the tablet doesn't snap into a shaft.
The comparatively thick tablet...
The comparatively thick tablet...
...has a full-sized USB 3.0 port.
...has a full-sized USB 3.0 port.
The Windows button (Home) is not located underneath the display, but on the left side.
The Windows button (Home) is not located underneath the display, but on the left side.
The torsion resistance of the tablet is not perfect.
The torsion resistance of the tablet is not perfect.
WLAN range: The module has problems with larger distances...
WLAN range: The module has problems with larger distances...
...and the connection drops at around 20 meters.
...and the connection drops at around 20 meters.
The keys sound hollow and can be pushed in under pressure, but they have a long travel.
The keys sound hollow and can be pushed in under pressure, but they have a long travel.
This is the opened keyboard dock.
This is the opened keyboard dock.
The 2.5-inch SATA SSD is attached via USB.
The 2.5-inch SATA SSD is attached via USB.
The plastic cover of the dock is reinforced with metal.
The plastic cover of the dock is reinforced with metal.
Aluminum panels reinforce the whole working environment.
Aluminum panels reinforce the whole working environment.
Still, you can twist the cover.
Still, you can twist the cover.
The firm hinges leave a solid impression.
The firm hinges leave a solid impression.
The IPS panel convinces with wide viewing angles (lowest brightness),...
The IPS panel convinces with wide viewing angles (lowest brightness),...
...but it only has a mediocre luminance (maximum brightness).
...but it only has a mediocre luminance (maximum brightness).
With a price of more than 900 Euros (~$1023),...
With a price of more than 900 Euros (~$1023),...
...Acer clearly targets high-end convertibles.
...Acer clearly targets high-end convertibles.
Good: The IPS panel with accurate colors.
Good: The IPS panel with accurate colors.
Compromise: The integrated hard drive is attached via USB and delivers poor transfer rates.
Compromise: The integrated hard drive is attached via USB and delivers poor transfer rates.
Keyboard: Generous layout and long travel.
Keyboard: Generous layout and long travel.
Connected: USB 3.0 type A is a must-have for a business device.
Connected: USB 3.0 type A is a must-have for a business device.
Bulky: The fanless cooling for the Haswell Core i5 requires a thick chassis.
Bulky: The fanless cooling for the Haswell Core i5 requires a thick chassis.

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HD Graphics 4200, Core i3 4012Y, 12.50", 1.86 kg
HP Split x2 13-m210eg Convertible Review
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Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 review: The 2-in-1 laptop with an active stylus
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Raptor Lake-U i5-1335U, 14.00", 1.62 kg
Acer TravelMate Spin B3 review: Robust 2-in-1 laptop with pen input
UHD Graphics 605, Gemini Lake Pentium N5030, 11.60", 1.49 kg
Acer Spin 3 SP314-21N review: A quiet 2-in-1 laptop with pen input
Vega 3, Picasso (Ryzen 3000 APU) R3 3250U, 14.00", 1.5 kg
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UHD Graphics 600, Gemini Lake Celeron N4120, 11.60", 1.18 kg

Links

Compare Prices

Pros

+Fast SATA-SSD
+Storage capacity with HDD
+IPS panel with wide viewing angles
+Two type A USB ports
+Digitizer pen included
 

Cons

-Feedback of the keyboard
-Comparatively short battery runtimes
-Brightness reduced on battery power
-Clouding at the edges
-Poor webcam/microphone
-Slow HDD in the dock

Shortcut

What we like

Quiet hard drive in the dock, so there is a lot of storage capacity. 

What we'd like to see

If you get a keyboard with a long travel, it should also have a good stability and a firm pressure point. An expensive tablet should have a good front camera nowadays. 

What surprises us

Why is there clouding at the edges when we just hold the tablet in our hands?

The competition

11.6-inch convertibles with a hard drive:

Without a hard drive but with a keyboard:

Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140

Rating

Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD-Dock - 01/05/2015 v4(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
63%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
52 / 80 → 65%
Weight
67 / 35-78 → 74%
Battery
84%
Display
80%
Games Performance
59 / 68 → 87%
Application Performance
61 / 87 → 70%
Temperature
84%
Noise
97%
Audio
38 / 91 → 42%
Camera
33 / 85 → 39%
Average
68%
76%
Convertible - Weighted Average
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > Acer Aspire Switch 11 Pro 128GB HDD Dock Convertible Review
Sebastian Jentsch, 2015-01-13 (Update: 2018-05-15)