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Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW Notebook Review Update

Too thirsty. AMD's new FX-7500 APU wants to show what it is capable of. The combination of a dedicated Radeon GPU, a Full HD screen and 1 TB hard drive, turns the Aspire into a game-suitable all-rounder.

For the original German review, see here.

After testing the Aspire E5-551 a few weeks ago, we now have our hands on the Aspire E5-551G, with a dedicated GPU. Both Aspire models are equipped with APUs from AMD. The "G" model should cope a lot better with computer games, making it a decent all-rounder. Our test report reveals whether that is true.

Competitors of the Aspire are the all-rounders from other manufacturers in a price range of around 600 Euros (~$748). Examples would be HP's Pavilion 15-p008ng and Dell's Inspiron 15 3542-2293.

Since both Aspire E5 models feature an identical build, we will not go into details about casing, connectivity, input devices, and the speakers. The relevant information can be found in the review of the Aspire E5-551.

Display

The 15.6-inch screen of the Aspire features a matte surface and a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. A brightness of 249.6 cd/m² is absolutely acceptable, and corresponds to our minimum expectations of a modern day screen. The screen in the Pavilion (329.4 cd/m²) is much brighter, and the Inspiron (211 cd/m²) lags behind its rivals.

225
cd/m²
259
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
262
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
246
cd/m²
247
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N156HGE-EA2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 265 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 249.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 254 cd/m²
Contrast: 403:1 (Black: 0.63 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
50% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.91% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.57% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Display
19%
-4%
-6%
Display P3 Coverage
40.57
48.78
20%
38.83
-4%
38.41
-5%
sRGB Coverage
61.1
71.3
17%
58.2
-5%
56.8
-7%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.91
50.4
20%
40.16
-4%
39.9
-5%
Screen
-6%
9%
-5%
Brightness middle
254
343
35%
228
-10%
178
-30%
Brightness
250
329
32%
211
-16%
179
-28%
Brightness Distribution
85
87
2%
86
1%
94
11%
Black Level *
0.63
1.02
-62%
0.33
48%
0.44
30%
Contrast
403
336
-17%
691
71%
405
0%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.71
10.9
-12%
9.6
1%
9.78
-1%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.4
12.09
-16%
10.17
2%
10.01
4%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.01 109%
2.55 86%
2.06 107%
CCT
11978 54%
10388 63%
12431 52%
11038 59%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
50
46.1
-8%
37
-26%
37
-26%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
7% / 1%
3% / 5%
-6% / -5%

* ... smaller is better

Aspire vs. sRGB
Aspire vs. sRGB
Aspire vs. AdobeRGB
Aspire vs. AdobeRGB

Both the contrast ratio of 403:1, and black level of 0.63 cd/m² are quite decent. Nevertheless, laptops in this price range should definitely have a contrast ratio of beyond 500:1, such as the Inspiron 15 3542 (691:1; 0.33 cd/m²). The Pavilion's screen (336:1; 1.02 cd/m²) has the poorest rates among the comparison devices. The Aspire's screen cannot reproduce either the AdobeRGB or sRGB color spaces. The coverage rates here are 50% (AdobeRGB), and 72% (sRGB).

The screen does not show any surprises in terms color reproduction. It has an average DeltaE 2000 shift of 9.71 in state of delivery - a common rate in this price range. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. The screen also exhibits a clear bluish cast.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

The screen's matte surface and decent brightness allow using the Aspire outdoors. However, since Acer installs a TN screen in its Aspire, the laptop can only serve with limited viewing angles.

Viewing angles: Aspire
Viewing angles: Aspire
The Aspire outdoors
The Aspire outdoors

Performance

Acer's Aspire E1-551G is an affordable, 15-6-inch all-round laptop. It provides enough computing power for routine tasks, and can even be used for playing computer games. Our review sample is sold for approximately 599 Euros (~$747). Other configurations are also available.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
HWInfo
System information: Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW

Processor

The Aspire is powered by AMD's FX-7500 APU (Kaveri). The CPU part of the APU consists of four processor cores that clock with a base speed of 2.1 GHz. The speed can be accelerated up to 3.3 GHz via Turbo. The APU's TDP of 19 Watts is slightly higher than that of Intel's Haswell ULV processors (15 Watts). Like the processor in the recently tested ThinkPad E555, the Aspire's APU cannot develop its full processing power. The single-thread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks were performed with 2.5 to 2.8 GHz, and it processed the multi-thread tests with 1.9 to 2.5 GHz. The processor clocked with stable 2.1 GHz when the tests were performed in battery mode. All in all, the processor's performance is on par with Intel's Core i3-4010U processor. If AMD's APU could max out its Turbo, it would outperform Intel's processor - abundantly clear in multi-thread applications.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
5369
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
4043
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1943
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.89 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
25.34 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.68 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
27.93 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
169 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
56 Points
Help
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
0.68 Points
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.49 Points -28%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75
Radeon R6 M255DX, A8-7100, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
0.54 Points -21%
Lenovo Thinkpad E555
Radeon R5 (Kaveri), A8-7100, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
0.56 Points -18%
Acer Aspire E1-572-34014G50Dnkk
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
0.76 Points +12%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.79 Points +16%
Lenovo B50-70
Radeon R5 M230, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1.11 Points +63%
Asus X555LN-XO112H
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.13 Points +66%
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
1.18 Points +74%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.18 Points +74%
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.89 Points
Lenovo Thinkpad E555
Radeon R5 (Kaveri), A8-7100, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
1.55 Points -18%
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.74 Points -8%
Acer Aspire E1-572-34014G50Dnkk
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
1.87 Points -1%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75
Radeon R6 M255DX, A8-7100, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
1.97 Points +4%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2.01 Points +6%
Lenovo B50-70
Radeon R5 M230, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2.5 Points +32%
Asus X555LN-XO112H
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.54 Points +34%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2.58 Points +37%
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
2.59 Points +37%

System Performance

The system runs smoothly. We did not experience any difficulties. The PCMark benchmark scores are also very good.

PCMark 7 Score
2788 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2685 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3632 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2685 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2261 Points -16%
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
2457 Points -8%
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2574 Points -4%
Lenovo B50-70
Radeon R5 M230, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2797 Points +4%
Asus X555LN-XO112H
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2945 Points +10%

Storage Devices

Aspire buyers will not find themselves wanting more storage any time soon. The hybrid hard drive provides a capacity of 1 TB, and spins with 5400 revolutions per minute. The drive is supported by an integrated 8 GB SSD cache that ensures fast loading of frequently used applications. The drive's transfer speeds are good overall. One final note: The recorded HD Tune access time to the drive varied greatly every time that the tool was run. This is due to the SSD cache.

Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Transfer Rate Minimum: 53.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 114 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 90.2 MB/s
Access Time: 10.3 ms
Burst Rate: 138.7 MB/s
CPU Usage: 2.6 %

Graphics Card

The Aspire is equipped with two graphics cores - the integrated Radeon R7 (Kaveri) chip, and the dedicated Radeon R7 M265 GPU. At a first glance it is not clear whether the cores operate in a Crossfire array (dual-graphics), or an Enduro array (graphics switching). Acer could not give us a clear answer concerning this either. Looking at the configuration menu and the scores of our multiple benchmarks, we assume it is an Enduo array. The integrated GPU is enabled in routine use and battery mode, and the dedicated GPU is used when high graphics performance is needed, such as in games. Both GPUs support DirectX 11.2. The Radeon R7 M265 graphics core is a mid-range GPU. It clocks with speeds of up to 825 MHz. The 3Dmark benchmark scores are roughly on par with other laptops that feature the Radeon R7 M265 chip, for example the Aspire V5-561G and Aspire E1-572G. The extremely minor lag of the Aspire is due to the slightly weaker APU.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
7170 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
5737 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1899 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
35590 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4561 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1207 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1899 Points
Lenovo B50-70
Radeon R5 M230, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1265 Points -33%
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1363 Points -28%
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1383 Points -27%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75
Radeon R6 M255DX, A8-7100, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
1857 Points -2%
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2012 Points +6%
Acer Aspire E1-572G-54204G50Mnkk
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
2012 Points +6%
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
2316 Points +22%
Asus X555LN-XO112H
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2327 Points +23%

Gaming Performance

The Aspire renders many games in the HD resolution (1366x769 pixels) smoothly, using medium to sometimes high quality settings. However, the laptop reaches its limits in performance-devouring games like Ryse: Son of Rome or The Evil Within. Comparing the Aspire with other laptops that feature the Radeon R7 M265 graphics core and an Intel processor, shows that the Aspire marginally lags behind these laptops. Such laptops achieve higher frame rates, partially due to their stronger processors.

HP's Pavilion 15-p008ng would be an alternative for the Aspire when more gaming power is needed. HP's laptop is about the same price as the Aspire, and also features a matte, Full HD screen.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 69 45.2 30.7 14.7
BioShock Infinite (2013) 45.8 35.7 30.9 10.9
Thief (2014) 14 12.9 12
GRID: Autosport (2014) 55.8 24.3 21.5 14
Sims 4 (2014) 90 33.7 26 20.1
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 31.3 24.1 11.9
Alien: Isolation (2014) 33.6 28.3 17.6 13.8
Ryse: Son of Rome (2014) 28.3 19.8 9.9
F1 2014 (2014) 33 27 23 17
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) 25 19.3 13
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Tomb Raider
10%
-8%
14%
-34%
1024x768 Low Preset
69
85.1
23%
74.8
8%
95.2
38%
51.6
-25%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x
45.2
52.2
15%
40
-12%
45.8
1%
26.9
-40%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
30.7
28.1
-8%
24.6
-20%
31.5
3%
19
-38%
BioShock Infinite
50%
0%
25%
-18%
1280x720 Very Low Preset
45.8
87.2
90%
57.3
25%
71.8
57%
45.85
0%
1366x768 Medium Preset
35.7
48.2
35%
31.9
-11%
40
12%
26.23
-27%
1366x768 High Preset
30.9
38.6
25%
27
-13%
33.2
7%
22.36
-28%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
30% / 30%
-4% / -4%
20% / 20%
-26% / -26%

Emissions

System Noise

The Aspire is virtually silent while idling. The fan spins with low speeds, and the hard drive operates quieter than the fan. The Aspire does not produce too much noise, even during load. The noise development is absolutely acceptable considering the laptop's computing power. Both the Pavilion 15-p008ng and Inspiron 15 produce more noise under full load because - unlike the Aspire - neither the CPU nor GPU are throttled.

Noise Level

Idle
32 / 32 / 32.9 dB(A)
DVD
36.7 / dB(A)
Load
37.5 / 40.7 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

The Aspire in the stress test.
The Aspire in the stress test.

The Aspire performed the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) differently in AC and battery mode. The graphics core clocked with its full speed in AC mode (825 MHz). The APU ran with 1.1 to 1.9 GHz in AC mode. The speed dropped to 1.1 to 1.6 GHz as the test progressed. The GPU was throttled to 300 MHz when the laptop ran on battery power. The processor clocked stably with 2.1 GHz. Although the APU's speed was throttled during the stress test (AC mode), the temperature on the casing exceeded fifty degrees Celsius (~122 °F) at some measuring points, Competitors like thePavilion 15-p008ng and Inspiron 15 3542 do not heat up as much. The Aspire also presented higher temperatures than its rivals while idling.

Max. Load
 40.4 °C
105 F
47.3 °C
117 F
29.6 °C
85 F
 
 38.8 °C
102 F
47 °C
117 F
29.5 °C
85 F
 
 29.3 °C
85 F
36.7 °C
98 F
35.5 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 47.3 °C = 117 F
Average: 37.1 °C = 99 F
28.5 °C
83 F
41.5 °C
107 F
52.2 °C
126 F
29.5 °C
85 F
39.2 °C
103 F
51.6 °C
125 F
27.5 °C
82 F
36.7 °C
98 F
33.8 °C
93 F
Maximum: 52.2 °C = 126 F
Average: 37.8 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  55.3 °C = 132 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.1 °C / 99 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 47.3 °C / 117 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 52.2 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 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 36.7 °C / 98.1 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-7.9 °C / -14.3 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Laptops like the Pavilion 15-p008ng and Inspiron 15 3542 that feature Haswell ULV processors, have an idle power consumption below 10 Watts. The Aspire cannot compete with that here. The idle power consumption of Acer's laptop ranges from 10.2 to 16.3 Watts. The Aspire also consumes more power than its rivals in medium load (via 3DMark 06), and full load (stress test via Prime95 and FurMark). It is interesting to know that the Pavilion has more CPU and GPU power than the Aspire.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 10.2 / 14.3 / 16.3 Watt
Load midlight 50.9 / 61.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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

The Aspire's battery lasted for 6:08 hours while idling. The Pavilion (8:41 h), and Inspiron (13:53 h) achieve considerably better runtimes. The idle mode is measured with Battery Eater Reader's test using minimum screen brightness, the energy saving profile and disabled wireless modules. The Aspire shut down after 1:49 hours of load. Both the Pavilion (1:40 h) and Inspiron (1:41 h) are close behind. The load runtime is determined with Battery Eater Classic test. The screen's brightness is set to maximum, the High Performance mode and wireless modules are enabled.

Acer's laptop lasted for 4:32 hours during the Wi-Fi test . The Pavilion (4:45 h) and particularly the Inspiron (6:11 h) score better here. Websites are opened automatically every 40 seconds using the energy-saving profile and a screen brightness of approximately 150 cd/m² in this test. We check the video playback time by running the short movie Big Buck Bunny (H.265 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The energy saving profile is enabled and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Aspire managed 3:32 hours. Again, both the Pavilion (4:47 h) and Inspiron (6:05 h) clearly do a better job.

On the whole, the battery life is still satisfactory. However, it has to be called poor considering the battery capacity (Acer: 56 Wh; HP: 41 Wh; Dell: 40 Wh). The Aspire's high idle power consumption takes its toll here. The possible battery runtimes can be seen based on the recently tested Acer Aspire V3-572PG-604M (Core i5-4200UGeForce 840M). It is equipped with the same battery as the Aspire E5, but has more computing power. It achieved a runtime of 8:02 hours in the practical Wi-Fi test.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 08min
WiFi Surfing
4h 32min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
3h 23min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 49min
Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW
Radeon R7 M265, FX-7500, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive
HP Pavilion 15-p008ng
GeForce 840M, 4210U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293
GeForce 820M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3
Radeon R6 (Kaveri), A10-7300, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Battery Runtime
20%
59%
15%
Reader / Idle
368
521
42%
833
126%
481
31%
H.264
203
287
41%
365
80%
WiFi
272
285
5%
371
36%
280
3%
Load
109
100
-8%
101
-7%
120
10%

Verdict

The Aspire E5-551G-F1EW is a 15.6-inch all-round laptop. It has enough computing power for everyday use, and can render games smoothly. There is no lack of storage thanks to the 1 TB hard drive. In addition, the laptop usually runs quietly. The matte, Full HD screen is also very pleasing. Nevertheless, the rates could be a bit better. The idle power consumption is too high, and consequently the laptop shows shortcomings in its battery life. Users who do not place much importance on battery runtimes, can confidently opt for the Aspire.

HP's Pavilion 15-p008ng is an alternative when more gaming power is needed. Like the Aspire, the laptop costs 600 Euros (~$748; including Windows 8.1) and also features a matte, Full HD screen. Dell's Inspiron 15 3542-2293 has more CPU power and a longer battery life than the Aspire. Beyond that, it is cheaper than its rivals with a price tag of approximately 530 Euros (~$660).

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In Review: Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de
In Review: Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de

Specifications

Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW (Aspire E15 E5 Series)
Processor
AMD FX-7500 4 x 2.1 - 3.3 GHz, Kaveri
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R7 M265 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 825 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, GDDR3, 14.301.1006.0
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, dual-channel, two memory banks (both filled)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, Chi Mei N156HGE-EA2, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD A76M
Storage
Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 1000 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Hudson-2 High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio jack, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Broadcom BCM43142 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
Matshita DVD-RAM UJ8HC
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 382 x 256 ( = 0.98 x 15.04 x 10.08 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Linpus Linux Lite
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, driver DVD, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.5 kg ( = 88.19 oz / 5.51 pounds), Power Supply: 452 g ( = 15.94 oz / 1 pounds)
Price
599 Euro

 

The entire casing is comprised of plastic.
The entire casing is comprised of plastic.
There is no maintenance cover.
There is no maintenance cover.
A number pad is installed.
A number pad is installed.
It even has a DVD burner.
It even has a DVD burner.
The speakers are on the devices' underside.
The speakers are on the devices' underside.
The hinges...
The hinges...
...keep the lid firmly in position.
...keep the lid firmly in position.
The battery has a capacity of 56 Wh.
The battery has a capacity of 56 Wh.

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Links

  • Manufacturer's information

Compare Prices

Pros

+Matte, Full HD screen
+High-capacity storage
+Decent keyboard
+Mostly quiet operation
+Gaming suitable
 

Cons

-Middling battery life
-No maintenance cover
-Relatively high idle power consumption

Shortcut

What we like

The matte, Full HD screen.

What we'd like to see

A longer battery life and a lower idle power consumption.

What surprises us

Nothing.

The competition

HP Pavilion 15-p008ng, Dell Inspiron 15 3542-2293, Lenovo B50-70, Acer Aspire E5-551-T8X3, Lenovo IdeaPad Z50-75, Asus X555LN-XO112H, Acer Aspire E1-572G

Rating

Acer Aspire E5-551G-F1EW - 11/06/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
76 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
64 / 81 → 79%
Weight
60 / 20-67 → 85%
Battery
83%
Display
77%
Games Performance
70 / 85 → 82%
Application Performance
64 / 92 → 70%
Temperature
80%
Noise
87 / 95 → 92%
Audio
70%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
72%
77%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-11-12 (Update: 2014-11-14)