A kilo of tech that inspires - Acer TravelMate P6 Business laptop in review

Without a doubt, the TravelMate P6's remarkable battery life is its most notable feature, even considering its carbon chassis. Over 22 hours in our Wi-Fi test is a bold statement and clearly overshadows even strong competitors. This is precisely the key difference when compared to its direct rival, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

The choice between these two devices is ultimately a matter of priorities. The ThinkPad is a touch lighter and offers objectively more brilliant, vibrant colors with its OLED screen. However, this visual treat comes at the cost of significantly shorter battery life. The TravelMate P6 is more straightforward in this regard: its good IPS display may not be quite as color-intensive, but it is energy-efficient and, in combination with the frugal Lunar Lake platform, ensures outstanding endurance.

The TravelMate P6 is available with different processors from the Lunar Lake series, allowing it to be configured according to individual needs. In our test configuration, the Acer notebook does a lot of things right. It is very light, stays mostly quiet and cool, and has a comfortable keyboard. The performance is more than sufficient for all everyday tasks, and the graphics are even powerful enough for an occasional game.

The Acer TravelMate P6 is available in the US across various configurations. Our specific test model, equipped with the Core Ultra 5 226V, is listed at retailers like Insight for around US $1,585. Other variants can be found at Newegg starting at approximately US $1,780.

The TravelMate P6 is consistently designed for mobility. Weighing just 1.04 kg, it is one of the lightest business laptops available. This is achieved by using a magnesium-aluminum alloy and carbon, which provide the black chassis with high stability despite its low weight. There is hardly any creaking when bending or twisting it.

The device is also generous with its ports. Two classic USB-A ports are available for existing peripherals, while two modern Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports handle charging, connecting monitors, and high-speed data transfers. An HDMI port is also included. For wireless connectivity, the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard is already built-in. A small highlight is the webcam with its QHD resolution. A fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button ensures a quick login.

The image quality is also impressive. A high contrast ratio of over 1600:1 makes the picture look crisp and vivid, with rich blacks. Covering 95% of the sRGB standard, colors are well-represented for all everyday tasks and are already solidly calibrated ex-factory – deviations from the ideal (Delta E < 4) are barely noticeable to the naked eye. In addition, the image remains stable from nearly any viewing angle, and the colors are not distorted, thanks to the IPS technology employed.

The heart of the TravelMate is Intel's new "Lunar Lake" platform. The test unit is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V. A special feature of this architecture is the on-package memory, which is integrated directly with the processor. This results in very low access times and high energy efficiency. The 16 GB of RAM installed here are sufficient for everyday office tasks and most demanding programs. However, it might become a bottleneck for intensive, locally-run AI applications that heavily rely on memory. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel Arc Graphics 130V.

For the performance measurements and benchmarks, the "Performance" mode was selected in Acer TravelMateSense. This handy program, which can be accessed via a dedicated key on the keyboard, contains not only performance control options but also maintenance features, display adjustments, and many other tweaks.

The CPU performance is in the lower tier when compared directly to other business notebooks available today. However, it's worth noting that the entire competitive field is extremely close, and the differences are often just nuances. Under sustained load, an interesting detail is revealed: the TravelMate is capable of surprisingly maintaining a competitive edge over devices such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G13, despite the latter's nominally more powerful Core Ultra 7 processor. This points to well-tuned power management and effective cooling under continuous load. Deficits, on the other hand, are evident in the short-term boost performance, where the chip's full potential isn't realized. As a result, tasks that require full power for only a few seconds are completed more slowly than on some competitors.

In practice, the subtle differences in processor performance are hardly noticeable. The system feels responsive at all times. For standard office software as well as more complex applications like image editing, the system's performance is more than adequate.