Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54 in Review: Core i5 power for little money
The Acer Extensa 15 is a simple 15.6-inch office laptop that belongs to the entry-level business segment that is equally aimed at business and private customers. Competitor devices include the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, Fujitsu LifeBook A3510, and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78 % | 02/2022 | Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.9 kg | 19.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
79.9 % | 01/2022 | Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.7 kg | 18.99 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
81.2 % | 01/2022 | Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) i3-1005G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) | 1.8 kg | 23.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
80.4 % | 12/2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 R3 5300U, Vega 6 | 1.7 kg | 19.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case and features: No USB-C for the EX215
The Extensa is not made of high-quality case materials such as aluminum or magnesium. The chassis is made of black plastic, but processing flaws are not noticeable. The base unit and lid seem to have higher stiffness. The battery is non-removable, and there is no maintenance hatch provided.
The EX215's port selection mainly includes three USB-A ports (1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1). An external monitor can be connected via HDMI. Acer includes both a USB-C port and a memory card reader in the laptop.
The WLAN data rates determined under optimal conditions (no other WLAN devices in the near vicinity, short distance between notebook and server PC) do not seem to be on par with the competition. This can probably be attributed to the choice of the installed WLAN chip (Intel Wireless-AC 9462) that allows maximum transfer rates of only up to 433 MBit/s.
The laptop should be compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11. However, our variant came without a Windows operating system. Acer equips the device with a token operating system called "eShell" — its own Linux distribution. Thus, full Linux compatibility is a given. A test installation of Ubuntu 20.04.03 LTS (64 bit) runs without problems. All hardware is recognized and set up, and all function keys can be used.
Input devices: The Extensa does not have a backlit key
The flat, slightly roughened keys of the unlit chiclet keyboard offer a short stroke and a clear pressure point. The keyboard flexes a bit during typing, though it did not prove to be annoying. All in all, Acer delivers a keyboard that is suitable for everyday use.
A multi-touch capable ClickPad (about 10.6 x 7.8 cm) serves as a mouse replacement. Its smooth surface makes it easy for the fingers to glide. The pad also responds to inputs in the corners. It has a short stroke and a clear pressure point.
Display: The Acer 15 has an outdated panel
The brightness (203.1 cd/m²) and contrast (512:1) of the matte 15.6-inch screen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) turn out to be much low. We consider values beyond 300 cd/m² or 1,000:1 as good. Flickering with a frequency of 52 Hz occurs at every brightness level. This can cause headaches and/or eye problems to people sensitive to PWM.
|
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 224 cd/m²
Contrast: 512:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.74 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.44
ΔE Greyscale 13.29 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
38.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.63
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 AU Optronics B156HTN06.1, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 BOE NV15T06, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 BOE CQ NV156FHM-T07, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 8% | 7% | 7% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 37 | 40.1 8% | 39.9 8% | 40 8% |
sRGB Coverage | 55.7 | 58.8 6% | 58.9 6% | 57.7 4% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 38.2 | 41.5 9% | 41.3 8% | 41.2 8% |
Response Times | 2% | -35% | 0% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38 ? | 31.6 ? 17% | 45 ? -18% | 24.8 ? 35% |
Response Time Black / White * | 21 ? | 24 ? -14% | 32 ? -52% | 28.4 ? -35% |
PWM Frequency | 52 ? | |||
Screen | 40% | 61% | 54% | |
Brightness middle | 220 | 239.9 9% | 218 -1% | 336.4 53% |
Brightness | 203 | 230 13% | 209 3% | 318 57% |
Brightness Distribution | 82 | 87 6% | 64 -22% | 84 2% |
Black Level * | 0.43 | 0.21 51% | 0.11 74% | 0.24 44% |
Contrast | 512 | 1142 123% | 1982 287% | 1402 174% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 10.74 | 6.34 41% | 4.89 54% | 6.46 40% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 20.92 | 21.03 -1% | 8.3 60% | 19.75 6% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 4.44 | 2.08 53% | 3.88 13% | 2.09 53% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 13.29 | 5.1 62% | 2.57 81% | 5.6 58% |
Gamma | 2.63 84% | 2.41 91% | 2.22 99% | 2.25 98% |
CCT | 14880 44% | 6169 105% | 6272 104% | 5934 110% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 17% /
27% | 11% /
36% | 20% /
36% |
* ... smaller is better
The screen's color reproduction is not convincing out of the box — we observe colors significantly deviating from the target. Furthermore, the display suffers from a blue cast. Calibration eliminates the bluish cast and ensures a decent color reproduction. The display cannot adequately cover AdobeRGB (38%), sRGB (56%), and DCI-P3 (37%) color spaces.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
21 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise | |
↘ 4 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise | |
↘ 20 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 49 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 52 Hz | ≤ 100 % brightness setting | |
The display backlight flickers at 52 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 52 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17924 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The TN panel has unstable viewing angle and is thus not readable from every position. It is just about possible to read the screen outdoors if the sun is not too bright. Otherwise, the low display brightness is not very helpful in this regard.
Performance: Acer relies on Tiger Lake
Acer delivers a simple office notebook in a 15.6-inch format with the Extensa 15 EX215-54 that offers enough computing power for office and Internet applications.
Test conditions
We used the "Balanced" energy profile in Windows as other energy modes are not available. The CPU power limits in this mode are 28 W (PL1) and 64 W (PL2).
Processor
The Core i5-1135G7 quad-core processor (Tiger Lake) operates at a base clock of 2.4 GHz. An increase to 3.8 GHz (all cores) or up to 4.2 GHz (one core) is possible via Turbo Boost and hyperthreading (two threads per core) is supported as well. Cinebench R15 tests run at 3.4 to 3.8 GHz (multi-thread), or 2 to 4.2 GHz (single-thread). The clock rates are significantly lower in battery mode.
We check whether the CPU boost is used permanently while running on DC power operation by running a looped multi-thread test of the Cinebench R15 benchmark for at least 30 minutes. Three of the four CPU cores operate with average values around the base clock. The fourth core works at the boost frequency in a sustained manner.
Cinebench R15 Multi loop test
CPU Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Office | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Cinebench R23 | |
Multi Core | |
Average of class Office (1056 - 15743, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (2786 - 6136, n=55) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Single Core | |
Average of class Office (529 - 1995, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (1062 - 1373, n=53) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Cinebench R20 | |
CPU (Multi Core) | |
Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (979 - 2382, n=62) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
CPU (Single Core) | |
Average of class Office (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (375 - 527, n=62) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (431 - 941, n=65) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (141.4 - 205, n=61) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (499 - 1044, n=60) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 |
7-Zip 18.03 | |
7z b 4 | |
Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (14745 - 24873, n=62) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (3924 - 4921, n=62) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Geekbench 5.5 | |
Multi-Core | |
Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (3475 - 5472, n=58) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Single-Core | |
Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (1147 - 1428, n=58) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (3.57 - 7.6, n=57) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (44.2 - 62.9, n=60) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) |
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (0.619 - 0.727, n=59) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=119, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Average of class Office | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Average of class Office (763 - 24250, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4313 - 7952, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Average of class Office (4027 - 102228, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (19402 - 32283, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average of class Office (279 - 4442, n=119, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (1316 - 2172, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Average of class Office (8031 - 113016, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (39000 - 46951, n=45) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average of class Office (404 - 14288, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (3497 - 4445, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Average of class Office (2054 - 54365, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (12569 - 19635, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (28988 - 67977, n=45) | |
Average of class Office (5226 - 147611, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Average of class Office (67.6 - 1018, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (265 - 373, n=51) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Average of class Office (432 - 12755, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (2226 - 4291, n=45) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Average of class Office (4814 - 48177, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (9004 - 45366, n=45) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) |
System Performance
The nimble and smooth-running system did not cause any problems in our test, and the device scores good PCMark results as well. The CPU provides enough performance for office and Internet applications. Some of the computing power does not come to fruition because the soldered-on working memory (8 GB) only runs in single-channel mode. Fortunately, there is still an unoccupied working memory bank inside the notebook. The dual-channel mode can be activated by installing a memory module.
PCMark 10 Score | 4703 points | |
Help |
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Average of class Office (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (4026 - 4952, n=53) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Average of class Office (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (8149 - 9917, n=53) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Average of class Office (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (5040 - 6619, n=53) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Average of class Office (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (3548 - 5255, n=53) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Average of class Office (348 - 1891, n=106, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1058 - 1293, n=11) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Average of class Office (393 - 1870, n=106, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1148 - 1332, n=11) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Average of class Office (340 - 1982, n=106, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (895 - 1263, n=11) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Average of class Office (258 - 2017, n=106, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (923 - 1320, n=11) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Average of class Office (7158 - 88119, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (17443 - 63889, n=45) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Average of class Office (7325 - 87297, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (19716 - 63705, n=45) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Average of class Office (7579 - 94965, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (18722 - 66778, n=45) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (v6.50.5800) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (v6.50.5800) | |
Average of class Office (44.3 - 188.3, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Core i5-1135G7 (68.3 - 107, n=51) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (v6.50.5800) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (v6.50.5800) |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
Acer installs an NVMe SSD (M.2 2280) from Western Digital in the EX215, which has a storage capacity of 256 GB. The transfer rates are good in our benchmarks.
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics Card
Intel's Iris-Xe-Graphics-G7 80 EUs GPU achieves a working clock of up to 1,300 MHz, which can be maintained in a sustained manner as proven by The Witcher 3 test. The Extensa is not a gaming notebook. Nevertheless, the installed hardware can render a few games smoothly at low resolutions and low quality settings. Titles with moderate hardware requirements such as Dota 2: Reborn should be playable on this laptop at low to medium settings.
The GPU performs well-below its capabilities because the working memory only runs in single-channel mode. Enabling dual-channel mode (i.e. installing a memory module) would increase both benchmark results and frame rates in games (see comparison tables below).
3DMark 11 Performance | 3880 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 58193 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 11907 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1860 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 897 points | |
Help |
3DMark Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Office | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
Average of class Office (1474 - 13132, n=113, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (2246 - 6477, n=105) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
Average of class Office (5681 - 58068, n=93, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (6361 - 30894, n=92) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
Average of class Office (712 - 9228, n=114, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1560 - 5305, n=107) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
Average of class Office (242 - 3242, n=110, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (561 - 1511, n=104) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
The Witcher 3 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
Average of class Office (7.82 - 106.3, n=96, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (21.8 - 56.9, n=100) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Dota 2 Reborn - 1366x768 med (1/3) | |
Average of class Office (10.9 - 146.2, n=123, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (10.9 - 119.5, n=106) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
X-Plane 11.11 - 1280x720 low (fps_test=1) | |
Average of class Office (9.12 - 128.2, n=123, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9.12 - 74.4, n=106) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
Average of class Office (5.42 - 103.1, n=115, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (8.32 - 45.6, n=101) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (1.3) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (1.3, Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (1.3) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (1.3) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (1.3) |
GTA V - 1366x768 Normal/Off AF:4x | |
Average of class Office (7.47 - 171.4, n=102, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (28.9 - 133.8, n=80) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (Dual-Channel) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) |
Strange Brigade - 1280x720 lowest AF:1 | |
Average of class Office (16.3 - 175.7, n=109, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (22.7 - 98.7, n=78) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (1.47.22.14 D3D12, Dual-Channel) | |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (1.47.22.14 D3D12) |
F1 2021 - 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset | |
Average of class Office (18.2 - 197.8, n=27, last 2 years) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (843175, Dual-Channel) | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (15.6 - 102, n=18) | |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 (843175) | |
Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) (840701) |
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 42.3 | 31.9 | 8.55 | 3.42 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 33.6 | 21.8 | 10.2 | 6.59 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 65.9 | 41.9 | 24 | 22.2 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 18.4 | 10 | 7.84 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 39 | 28.6 | 26 | |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 35.5 | 13.3 | 11.8 | |
F1 2021 (2021) | 41.5 |
Emissions & energy: Extensa 15 delivers mediocre battery runtimes
Noise emissions
In everyday workloads (office, Internet), the fan does not spin up and operation is generally quiet. Under load, the sound pressure level rises up to 50 dB(A), which is quite high for a simple office notebook. The competition seems to perform better in this aspect.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 25 / 25 / 27 dB(A) |
Load |
| 32.3 / 50 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25 dB(A) |
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-265G | Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC711 HFM256GD3GX013N | Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ256HAJD | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 Vega 6, R3 5300U, Samsung PM991a MZALQ512HBLU | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | 14% | 1% | 2% | |
off / environment * | 25 | 23.2 7% | 25 -0% | 25.2 -1% |
Idle Minimum * | 25 | 23.3 7% | 25 -0% | 25.8 -3% |
Idle Average * | 25 | 23.3 7% | 25 -0% | 25.8 -3% |
Idle Maximum * | 27 | 23.3 14% | 25 7% | 25.8 4% |
Load Average * | 32.3 | 23.3 28% | 39.2 -21% | 32.3 -0% |
Load Maximum * | 50 | 39.2 22% | 39 22% | 44 12% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 31.5 | 32 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
This 15.6-inch laptop does not heat up very much. Temperatures beyond 40 degrees Celsius were registered at two measuring points during the stress test. In everyday use (office, Internet), the temperatures are within the green zone. The CPU temperatures do not indicate any cause for concern either.
At the beginning of the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour), the CPU works with 3.1 to 3.5 GHz clock. Further, the clocks drop between 1.4 and 2.1 GHz. The graphics core's clock ranges between 1,100 and 1,300 MHz.
Of note, our stress test represents an extreme scenario. We use this to check whether the system runs stably under full load.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.3 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.9 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28 °C / 82.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-0.3 °C / -0.5 F).
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Fujitsu Lifebook A3510 (FPC04905BP) Intel Core i3-1005G1, Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU) | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ALC6 AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | -4% | 13% | 11% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 42 | 37.8 10% | 34.4 18% | 31.2 26% |
Maximum Bottom * | 43.3 | 55.6 -28% | 30.9 29% | 43 1% |
Idle Upper Side * | 27.9 | 26.2 6% | 27.7 1% | 24.8 11% |
Idle Bottom * | 30.4 | 32 -5% | 29.2 4% | 28.2 7% |
* ... smaller is better
Loudspeaker
The stereo speakers produce decent sound, but there is hardly any bass.
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 34.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 56% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy consumption
The maximum power consumption of just under 45 W is reached at the beginning of the stress test. The value drops after a few seconds because the CPU lowers its clocks. The notebook runs through The Witcher 3 test with a consistent power consumption. The power supply has a nominal rating of 45 W.
Off / Standby | 0.15 / 0.46 Watt |
Idle | 3.5 / 7.1 / 8 Watt |
Load |
28 / 44 Watt |
Power consumption Witcher 3 / Stress test
Battery life
The Extensia 15 EX215 achieves a runtime of about 6:58 hours in our practical WLAN test that uses a script to browse through defined web pages.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Solid office machine
A Core i5-1135G7-CPU, 8 GB of working memory, and a 256 GB NVMe SSD equip the Acer Extensia EX215 for office and Internet use. Noise and heat emissions are at moderate levels. One battery charge is sufficient for a WLAN runtime of just under 7 hours — a reasonable but not an outstanding run time.
Acer relies on an underwhelming screen for the Extensa 15 EX215-54.
The combination of a Tiger Lake Core i5 processor and a relatively moderate price tag of just under 500 Euros gives the Extensa a certain appeal. Performance per Euro is relatively high, but you will have to compromise in other areas.
Perhaps, the main drawback is with the display. Acer opts for a TN display with unstable viewing angles, which also offers only low brightness and low contrast levels. Color space coverage and color reproduction are also not convincing. To make matters worse, the panel shows PWM flickering at every brightness level.
Since the device is delivered without a Windows operating system, Linux can be a good choice. Ubuntu 20.04.03 LTS (64 bit) can be installed without problems — the entire hardware is recognized and set up easily, including all the function keys.
An alternative to the Extensa would be the Lenovo Ideapad 3 15ALC6. It offers a bright, high-contrast IPS screen with stable viewing angles, a backlit keyboard, and significantly better battery run times.
Price and availability
The Acer Extensa EX215 is available in the tested configuration (Core i5-1135G7, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, no Windows) for €486.30 (~$552) at Office-Partner.de. Cyberport.de charges €536 (~$608) for the laptop.
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-54-5103
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02/17/2022 v7
Sascha Mölck