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Review Acer Aspire 5552G Notebook

Structured. Simplicity is convincing. The mainstream 15.6" all-rounder goes without aluminum and high-gloss (mostly). The non-slip surfaces are pleasant, but they are no good for boasting. We'll clarify which office and multimedia qualities the 5552G has.
Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk (LX.R4S02.042)
Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk (LX.R4S02.042)

Acer's 5552G series supplies simply structured all-rounders and multimedia systems for little money. The maximum of performance is given by four cores (Phenom II X4 N950) beside ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 5650 in the version N954G50Mnkk (LX.R4302.072). We, however, have also spotted a version of our test device without dedicated graphics (P324G32Mnkk, LX.R4402.087).

We've invited the inexpensive configuration of Athlon II P340 (2 x 2.20 GHz) and ATI HD 5470 to our office. Potential notebook buyers get office suitable computing performance with a bit of gaming ability (for older games) starting at 579 euro. Find out how much performance you can expect of the AMD processor in this review. What do the battery life and workmanship look like? Is the keyboard feasible to type the dissertation? All answers can be found in our detailed review.

Case

Solid case
Solid case
made of structured plastic
made of structured plastic
and plain looks
and plain looks

The Aspire 5552G's case is just as suitable for mobile use as for a serious workplace or for the student quarters. Our hands are spoiled by a pleasantly matt and structured texture on the work surface. Fingerprints haven't got a chance. They only find a retreat on the black, glossy display bezel.

The case is sufficiently stable and makes a long-lasting impression with clean gaps. We can only twist the base unit to a certain extent with both hands. The wrist-rest can be dented marginally on the right. The key bed yields obviously under light pressure, though. The base plate can be depressed selectively with a finger - in particular at the vent. The large opening on the bottom provides upgrade possibilities: You have access to the hard disk, RAM and WLAN module (mini PCIe).

We can twist the lid evidently. However, its rigid surface and the grip convey a solid impression. The non-slip structure also provides a very good everyday suitability without a notebook case.

The battery can be removed for permanent desktop use. No gap in the work environment is created and the battery pack doesn't have any feet.

The hinges keep the lid securely in place and it hardly teeters. They are fastened tightly so that we need both hands to open the lid. The hinges sit securely in their latch on the case. The maximum opening angle is fully sufficient for a use on the lap. The angle is a wide 160 degrees.

Connectivity

VGA, LAN, HDMI, USB 2.0, analog audio
VGA, LAN, HDMI, USB 2.0, analog audio

The Aspire 5552G only supplies a limited amount of interfaces for connecting peripherals, like printer, router, mouse or hard disk. eSATA (fast external HDDs), ExpressCard (controller cards, etc.) or FireWire (camcorder, external HDDs) don't belong to the array.

External flat screens or even TV sets can be connected to the HDMI. There are only three USB ports. The right and left ports' positioning doesn't make much sense. Righties and lefties could be at an equal disadvantage when using a mouse with the notebook. USB cables, as well as HDMI / VGA impair mouse use.

Interfaces on the rear or at least in the notebook's back lateral areas would have made more sense. As so often, the sunken hinge prevents port placement on the rear. Thus, all sockets, including the DC-in, are compiled on the visible sides.

Front: Cardreader 2in1, SD, MMC
Front: Cardreader 2in1, SD, MMC
Left: AC, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0, microphone, headphone
Left: AC, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0, microphone, headphone
Rear: No connections
Rear: No connections
Right: 2 USB 2.0 ports, DVD burner, Kensington
Right: 2 USB 2.0 ports, DVD burner, Kensington

Communication

The Atheros AR5B97 wireless card supports WLAN in the fastest draft-n standard. It also contains the integrated Bluetooth 3.0 module. If you want to connect the 15.6 incher with the gigabit switch at home, you will find the matching LAN card in the Broadcom NetLink Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. The 5552G is state-of-the-art in terms of network technology.

Supplies

The user has to create his own recovery data carriers for Windows via Acer's Recovery Manager. The desktop isn't crowded by preinstalled software and links (Acer GameZone, Accessory Shop, registration, updater). The perpetual reminder of Norton Internet Security and registration gets annoying after a while. HP notebooks prove that this isn't necessary. Such killjoys can be unselected during the initial start.

Warranty

The warranty is a 24 month pickup and return service. The two years are made up of 1 year product warranty plus a 1 year Advantage warranty extension. No registration procedure is necessary to attain the latter. Almost 90 euro has to be invested for Acer's Advantage warranty extension for a warranty period of 3 years. However, you buy an onsite service for the entire period that isn't included in the standard warranty.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keys bid a clear pressure point and sufficient key stroke. Depending on the positioning, the key stroke is spongy though (right & left) or firm (center). The keys yield palpably on the right and left and thus supply a very pliable typing feel.

Acer installs a complete number pad and thus emphasizes the office notebook claim. The number pad simplifies entering numbers. The arrow keys are only half the size of standard letter keys, but at least a gap separates them from the shift key. That makes touch-typing a lot easier.

Touchpad

The mouse replacement is a Synaptics multi-touchpad (V7.2). It surface is smooth and can be used pleasantly accurate and fast. The touch surface doesn't have a marked horizontal scroll bar, but it has a visibly marked vertical scroll field. The lower scroll area can be enabled in the Synaptic software, though.

The keys click fairly loud, the pressure point doesn't need too much force and they supply a good feedback. Overall, the pad that is sensitive to its edges makes a usable impression. But the feedback is too weak for a perfect office mouse pad.

Keyboard
Keyboard
Number pad
Number pad
Touchpad
Touchpad

Display

The reflective LG Philips screen (model: LP156WH1-TLC1) has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The WXGA resolution is acceptable for a 15.6 incher. The pixel distribution comes very close to an aspect ratio of 16:9.

The LG Philips screen is weak in every way. However, it's unfortunately standard for the office and multimedia category. It starts with a low contrast of 138:1. The glare type display improves the color reproduction a bit visibly, but the result remains unchanged. Colors aren't as high in contrast and brilliant, black isn't as deep black as it should be.

The office fan will want a matt display because of the reflections. The screen isn't suitable for professionals because of the narrow color spectrum to begin with. An extended color space is out of reach. We have compared the screen with AdobeRGB (t) and the professional RGB-LED of Dell's Studio XPS 16 (t).

AS5552G vs. AdobeRGB (t)
AS5552G vs. AdobeRGB (t)
AS5552G vs. sRGB (t)
AS5552G vs. sRGB (t)
AS5552G vs. Dell Studio XPX RGBLED (t)
AS5552G vs. Dell Studio XPX RGBLED (t)
177
cd/m²
182
cd/m²
169
cd/m²
180
cd/m²
194
cd/m²
184
cd/m²
180
cd/m²
191
cd/m²
188
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with Gossen Mavo-Monitor
Maximum: 194 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 182.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 194 cd/m²
Contrast: 138:1 (Black: 1.41 cd/m²)52.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
74.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
51% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)

The display distributes the brightness evenly over the screen (87%) This means, the LED backlight's deviations are acceptable. There aren't any spots visible on the homogeneous surface. Overall, the luminosity with an average of 183 cd/m2 is low.

The 5552G's display isn't suitable for outdoor use. The very low luminosity is sufficient for the office, but fails in the sun. The desktop is simply too dark. There are also annoying reflections because of the glare type TFT.

Lateral view: sunlight from the back
Lateral view: sunlight from the back
Lateral view: sunlight from the back, reflections
Lateral view: sunlight from the back, reflections
Frontal view: sunlight from the right
Frontal view: sunlight from the right

We can deviate up to 40 degrees from the front on the horizontal plane. After this the display dims and colors falsify. This effect already starts with the slightest deviation of 15 degrees on the vertical plane. The image darkens visibly and the colors invert. We experience the most major restrictions in a lateral view from above or below. When several people watch a movie or look at pictures, the one or other will have difficulties seeing a good image.

Viewing angles: Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk
Viewing angles: Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk

Performance

Acer equips its 15.6 incher with the AMD dual core, Athlon II P340 (2 x 2.2 GHz). The CPU only has a cache of 1024 KB. The processor, with a TDP of 25 watts, is on the AMD chipset and is supported by a 4096 MB RAM. The dual channel memory controller (DDR3-1066) is incorporated in the processor.

According to GPU-Z, the ATI Radeon HD 5470 has an own 512 MB GDDR3 memory. However, the manufacturer's common practice would indicate a DDR3 video memory (higher price of GDDR3). The DirectX 11 capable GPU supports the processor with a video decoder (UVD 2) in HD videos (MPEG-2, H.264, VC-1). Additionally, there is ATI Stream, OpenCL and DirectCompute 11 (shaders take over calculations, e.g. PowerDirector). The GPU power consumption is between 12 and 15 watts.

System info CPUZ CPU
System info CPUZ Cache
System info CPUZ Mainboard
System info CPUZ RAM
System info CPUZ RAM SPD
System info GPUZ
DPC Latency Checker idle, spontaneous latencies
DPC Latency Checker WLAN on/off, short latencies
System information: Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk
Athlon II P340 2x 2.20GHz & ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 512MB
Athlon II P340 2x 2.20GHz & ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 512MB

We've compared the Athlon II P340 (2.2 GHz) with Intel's current i3 processors, which can be found in the same price range, in the processor benchmarks. Cinebench R10's multi core test (64bit: 3928 points) shows the P340 as significantly inferior to the Core i3-330M (circa 6500 points). Even the older Core 2 Duo T660 (4948 points) and the triple core AMD Phenom II N830 (6021) process a lot faster. Although the i3-330M only has 2 x 2.16 GHz, it can compute with four threads due to Hyperthreading (HT).

HT isn't of any help in Cinebench R10's single core calculations and thus the processors are closer. But Intel still has the lead. The P340 reaches 2071 points; the i3-330M achieves 1932 to 2931 points (23 test devices).

5
Windows 7 Experience Index
Processor
Calculations per second
5.3
Memory (RAM)
Memory operations per second
7.1
Graphics
Desktop performance for Windows Aero
5
Gaming graphics
3D business and gaming graphics
6
Primary hard disk
Disk data transfer rate
5.7
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1869
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
3597
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
3589
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
2071 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
3928 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
3524 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
7.75 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.08 Points
Help
PCMark 05 Standard
4664 points
PCMark Vantage Result
3188 points
Help

The synthetic example calculations don't advocate the Athlon II P340. What does the application performance say about that? We use PCMark Vantage, a test that checks all components of the computer, including the DDR3-RAM, the hard disk and the HD 5470. The efforts result in 3188 points. 330M systems have always proved to be faster, no matter in which configuration. Toshiba's Satellite A660-151 (GeForce GT 330M; 5052 points) looks particularly good. Samsung's P530 Pro (Intel HD; 4000 points) suffers under its slow hard disk (both i3-330M).

If you want performance, you should prefer a Core i3. However, if you have to decide among an AMD P340 and an Intel Pentium (T4200, T4100; are still sold), you should opt for the AMD. All four Pentium T4200 systems in our data base are defeated by the 5552G with the AMD P340. 2730 to 3004 points (HP Pavilion dv6-1211sg, Lenovo G550).

The experienced application performance is fast and there is no reason for wavering. When many applications are executed simultaneously, the processing speed deteriorates noticeably.

3DMark 05 Standard
5147 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
2903 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
926 points
Help
Hitachi Travelstar 5K500.B HTS545050B9A300
Transfer Rate Minimum: 21.6 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 79.1 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 58.1 MB/s
Access Time: 19.6 ms
Burst Rate: 117.8 MB/s
CPU Usage: 1 %

A Hitachi 5400 rpm hard disk (HTS545050B9A300) is installed in the 5552G. The 500 GB HDD reads data from the rotating disks with 58.1 MB/s in sequential read. The test device only receives a below average HDD score in PCMark Vantage due to this (2629 points).

Hitachi HTS545050B9A300
Hitachi HTS545050B9A300
HD Tune 58.1 MB/s read
HD Tune 58.1 MB/s read

Gaming Performance

Wie wir testen - Leistung

The 5552G has no ambitions to become a real gaming notebook. Nevertheless, we would like to deal with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470's limited capabilities. The entry level midrange GPU's memory clocks with 800 MHz, the core with 750 MHz. Although the core clocks a bit faster than in a HD 5650, there are only 80 MADD cores available instead of 400. Thus, we determined a very poor 2903 points in 3DMark06. Not a good omen for current games. We've executed two gaming tests.

StarCraft 2

The real-time strategy game needs strong GPU support and a fast multi core processor. But both aren't available in the Aspire 5552G. Thus, medium details are unplayable (17 fps). Merely the lowest detail level ran smoothly in a disagreeable 1024x768 pixels.

StarCraft 2: unplayable in medium
StarCraft 2: unplayable in medium
Fifa 2011: In-game sequence 800x600, smooth
Fifa 2011: In-game sequence 800x600, smooth
Fifa 2011: In-game sequence 1024x768, smooth
Fifa 2011: In-game sequence 1024x768, smooth
Fifa 2011: game play 1360x768, smooth
Fifa 2011: game play 1360x768, smooth
StarCraft 2
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1360x768high10.9 fps
 1360x768medium16.7 fps
 1024x768low96.8 fps

Fifa 2011

Since the football fun only has low hardware requirements, it's very suitable for weak graphic solutions, like the HD 5470. Thus, even high details are smoothly playable in the native resolution (1366x768). That's a lifesaver for casual gamers.

Fifa 11
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1360x768high, 2xAA, 0xAF33.3 fps
 1024x768medium, 0xAA, 0xAF62.2 fps
 800x600low, 0xAA, 0xAF137 fps

Gaming Verdict

Both gaming tests prove that you have to forgo on current games that have high requirements with the ATI HD 5470. Previous tests with the HD 5470 also classify Mafia 2, Metro 2033, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Modern Warfare 2 or Risen as unplayable (medium & high details). Current and especially demanding games shouldn't be on the wish list. The performance is nevertheless sufficient for older and less demanding games, the like of Left4Dead (2008) in high settings.

low med. high ultra
StarCraft 2 (2010) 96.8 16.7 10.9
Fifa 11 (2010) 137 62.2 33.3

Emissions

Air outlet
Air outlet

System Noise

Acer's 15.6 incher shows itself from a pleasant side in terms of system noise. The fan runs with a low speed while surfing, listening to music or typing. But it never shuts itself off completely. We measure 30.9 dB(A) in idle. The fans rotation speed doesn't fluctuate during this. The hard disk is only slightly audible during activity in this state. 31.3 dB(A).

The cooling system remained calm in both of our test games: 32.7 dB(A). The fan only turns up to a maximum of 35.7 dB(A) in the usual stress test (Furmark & Prime) where the CPU has to compute to its full. The fan rotates constantly here, too. Overall, the fan management makes a good impression. The Aspire 5552G is only audible when CPU and GPU have to process at the same time. Many users won't even notice the fan in undemanding office use.

Noise Level

Idle
30.9 / 30.9 / 31.1 dB(A)
HDD
31.3 dB(A)
DVD
34 / dB(A)
Load
32.7 / 32.2 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)
Stress test: CPU & GPU 70 degrees maximum
Stress test: CPU & GPU 70 degrees maximum

Temperature

The bottom's average temperature merely reaches 32 degrees during a scenario of word processing and web surfing. The wrist-rest only heats up to 30 degrees. The temperatures stay low and only reach the 38 degree mark selectively during the artificial stress test. This provides for warm fingers. We measure 38.5 degrees from the keyboard's center. Inside, it doesn't look hazardous at all: CPU and GPU heat up to a maximum of 70 degrees.

Max. Load
 35.1 °C
95 F
35.6 °C
96 F
28.6 °C
83 F
 
 38.5 °C
101 F
38.5 °C
101 F
28.4 °C
83 F
 
 30.7 °C
87 F
36.1 °C
97 F
30.1 °C
86 F
 
Maximum: 38.5 °C = 101 F
Average: 33.5 °C = 92 F
26.6 °C
80 F
34.4 °C
94 F
37.8 °C
100 F
26.7 °C
80 F
33.8 °C
93 F
37.2 °C
99 F
28.1 °C
83 F
28.6 °C
83 F
30.2 °C
86 F
Maximum: 37.8 °C = 100 F
Average: 31.5 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.5 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.5 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.5 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.8 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36.1 °C / 97 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-7.3 °C / -13.2 F).

Speakers

The stereo speakers are located above the keyboard under a perforated black grid. The test device doesn't meet the sound expectations on a multimedia notebook. The sound emphasizes the midranges, whilst both high and deep pitches are neglected. The installed speaker's sound can hardly, if not at all, be improved by the sound enhancements (e.g. virtual surround). The volume is relatively high. However, it should be limited in the volume balance because scratching occurs at maximum level.

Connecting external speakers to the 3.5 mm headphone out will be the option of choice. We test this with two Yamaha speakers (YST-M20SDP). The volume tethered to the notebook hardly emits an audible static noise (audio test, no measurement).

Battery Life

Netbooks have made the expectations on notebooks' battery life skyrocket. Thus, the Aspire 5552G won't get anywhere with its two and a half hours. The weak AMD P340 that is nevertheless engrossed by a TDP of 25 watts takes its toll. Moreover, there is the relatively weak 48 Wh battery.

The battery life for internet surfing with enabled WLAN is 2:34 hours (154 minutes). We visited news portals and downloaded a few things in this time. Undemanding users can push the battery life up to 2:59 hours. These 179 minutes, determined with BatteryEater's Reader's test, are of no importance for routine use (idle, lowest brightness, disabled wireless modules).

The DVD movie battery life test determined 119 minutes (1:59 hours). The 4400 mAh battery is ready for the next movie session after 1:31 hours (92 minutes, recharging).

Recharging: 92min
Recharging: 92min
WLAN surfing: 154min.
WLAN surfing: 154min.
Idle: 179min.
Idle: 179min.
Load: 63min.
Load: 63min.
DVD movie: 119min.
DVD movie: 119min.
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
2h 59min
WiFi Surfing
2h 34min
DVD
1h 59min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 03min

When all energy savings options are exhausted and the brightness is dimmed to the lowest level, the idle power consumption is 12.6 watts. An average of 24.6 watts is realistic, though. This is the maximum power consumption that the 15.6 incher treats itself to. So, the Aspire 5552G isn't exactly economical. The Aspire 5741G-334G50Mn (i3-330M, HD 5470) only consumes 10.5 watts, the Lenovo Thinkpad L512 (i3-330M, Intel HD) is satisfied with 9.2 watts (all minimum power consumption). However, the 5552G is on a low level for a notebook with a graphics card that can't be disabled.

When the HD 5470 is active during a 3DMark2006, the total effective power increases to 54.4 watts. We assess the maximum requirement in a stress test of Prime95 and Furmark. The multimeter now indicates 61.1 watts. The 90 watt adapter seems to be suitably sized. Battery recharging needs about 20 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 12.6 / 18.6 / 24.6 Watt
Load midlight 54.4 / 61.1 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.

Verdict

The Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk with an Athlon II P340 (2x 2.20 GHz) is an all-rounder that has low, but in most cases, sufficient office performance data. The entry level GPU, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 can only reproduce current 3D games in extremely reduced details and resolutions. Serious gamers should better look around for an HD 5650 or Nvidia GT 330M/425M.

The Aspire's advantages score with a sufficiently stable, but especially with a resistant, case. The ergonomic key data is good (temperature, system noise) and the touchpad is compliant. The 15.6 incher remains quiet, or just audible, at every time. Unfortunately, the keyboard fails in every average typing demand because it yields and thus gives a spongy feel. In return, the layout including a number pad is successful.

The 15.6 incher's battery life doesn't meet the expectations. Two and a half hours of WLAN surfing or two hours of DVD playback isn't great. It also has a reflective and too dark display that makes working in sunlight difficult.

If you aren't dependent on gaming performance and high mobility, you'll get a fair offer in the Aspire 5552G. The 15.6 incher is available for a bit less than 600 euro. Alternatives with stronger graphics cards (HD 5650) and quad/triple core CPUs (Phenom II X4 N930, X3 N830) can also be found on virtual shelves.

Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: Inexpensive and resistant all-rounder
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: Inexpensive and resistant all-rounder
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In Review:  Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk
In Review: Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk, by courtesy of:

Specifications

Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk (Aspire 5552 Series)
Processor
AMD Athlon II P340 2 x 2.2 GHz, Champlain
Graphics adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 - 512 MB VRAM, Core: 750 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, GDDR3, 8.713.3.3000
Memory
4 GB 
, PC3-10600
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, LP156WH1-TLC1, glossy: yes
Mainboard
AMD RS880M
Storage
Soundcard
Realtek ALC272 @ ATI SB800 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: line-out, mic, Card Reader: SD, MMC
Networking
Broadcom NetLink Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000MBit/s), Atheros AR5B97 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 3.0+HS
Optical drive
Slimtype DVD A DS8A5SH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 381 x 253 ( = 1.34 x 15 x 9.96 in)
Battery
48 Wh Lithium-Ion, 10.8V 4400mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1280x1024
Additional features
24 Months Warranty, <br />
Weight
2.498 kg ( = 88.11 oz / 5.51 pounds), Power Supply: 368 g ( = 12.98 oz / 0.81 pounds)

 

Acer Aspire 5552G (version: P344G50Mnkk)
Acer Aspire 5552G (version: P344G50Mnkk)
and the DDR3 RAM (two bases) can be removed.
and the DDR3 RAM (two bases) can be removed.
This small bay doesn't have a base. The length would indicate a full size mini PCIe.
This small bay doesn't have a base. The length would indicate a full size mini PCIe.
The elongated battery keeps the 15.6 incher going for 2:00 to 2:30 hours.
The elongated battery keeps the 15.6 incher going for 2:00 to 2:30 hours.
It has a capacity of 48 Wh (4400 mAh).
It has a capacity of 48 Wh (4400 mAh).
The battery is rolled out and thus has a secure fit.
The battery is rolled out and thus has a secure fit.
The 90 watt seems oversized (368 grams).
The 90 watt seems oversized (368 grams).
But it's needed for the maximum power consumption of 61 watts
But it's needed for the maximum power consumption of 61 watts
plus charging.
plus charging.
No DVDs, only this quick start guide and warranty card are part of the supplies.
No DVDs, only this quick start guide and warranty card are part of the supplies.
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: AMD driven all-rounder with an ATI HD 5470.
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: AMD driven all-rounder with an ATI HD 5470.
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: The plain and non-slip plastic appeals to the office user.
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: The plain and non-slip plastic appeals to the office user.
Besides the 2.5 inch hard disk, the mini PCIe WLAN module
Besides the 2.5 inch hard disk, the mini PCIe WLAN module
all upgradeable components can be found.
all upgradeable components can be found.
introduces itself as a resistant all-rounder.
introduces itself as a resistant all-rounder.
The matt surfaces with a haptic pattern,
The matt surfaces with a haptic pattern,
are resistant against scratches and fingerprints.
are resistant against scratches and fingerprints.
The uniform color and unobtrusive details (power on)
The uniform color and unobtrusive details (power on)
don't deter from office work (power on illuminated)
don't deter from office work (power on illuminated)
The separated arrow keys support typing.
The separated arrow keys support typing.
The most sensitive area is the reflective display.
The most sensitive area is the reflective display.
The hardware is just right for starters: Office computing power with Athlon II P340 and a bit of gaming with ATI's HD 5470.
The hardware is just right for starters: Office computing power with Athlon II P340 and a bit of gaming with ATI's HD 5470.
The connectivity turns out modest. No USB 3.0, no eSATA and no ExpressCard either (picture: cardreader).
The connectivity turns out modest. No USB 3.0, no eSATA and no ExpressCard either (picture: cardreader).
The base plate can be dented here and there, but is basically solid.
The base plate can be dented here and there, but is basically solid.
Underneath a large cover,
Underneath a large cover,
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: The yielding keys aren't really any fun, though.
Acer 5552G-P344G50Mnkk: The yielding keys aren't really any fun, though.

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Pros

+Quiet and cool
+Resistant surfaces
+Good touchpad
+Low idle power consumption
 

Cons

-Short battery life
-Poor 3D performance
-TFT not AR coated
-Poor contrasts
-TFT too dark (outdoors)
-Spongy keys
-Few interfaces

Shortcut

What we like

Resistant, but also conservative plastic surfaces that don't inevitably look "cheap".

What we miss

A matt display would have made the 15.6 incher to a good office laptop.

What surprises us

The courage to use a plastic look without aluminum or aluminum imitation.

The competitors

Office for 500 to 700 euro: Fujitsu LifeBook A530: Core i3; Lenovo G560: i3 starting at 430 euro; Samsung P530 Pro i3-330M Pitts: very quiet; HP ProBook 6555b: superior keyboard, more interfaces; HP 625: matt TFT; Asus X52J: 330M alternative starting at 590 euro; MSI CR620: Core i3-350M

All-rounders under 700 euro: Acer Aspire 5741G: Radeon 5470; Aspire 5551G: AMD X3 triple core; Lenovo IdeaPad Z565-4311: high-end looks; MSI CX620MX: interfaces on the rear.

Rating

Acer Aspire 5552G-P344G50Mnkk - 12/03/2010 v2(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
85%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
65%
Weight
81%
Battery
70%
Display
68%
Games Performance
60%
Application Performance
77%
Temperature
89%
Noise
93%
Add Points
84%
Average
78%
77%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Sebastian Jentsch, 2010-11-19 (Update: 2013-06- 6)