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Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 (N4200, 1 TB HDD, HD+) Laptop Review

Simple office laptop. Acer's new budget 17.3-inch laptop features an Apollo Lake processor, plenty of storage and a decent keyboard. In short, the Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 is a simple office laptop that is suited for home use.

The Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 succeeds the Aspire ES1-731, which we reviewed in early 2016. The two devices look similar, but Acer has replaced the Braswell processor that it used in the ES1-731 for a more powerful Apollo Lake CPU, while the company has also made the ES1-732 around 200 g lighter than its predecessor.

We have chosen to compare the Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 against other similarly priced 17.3-inch laptops. Our comparison devices include the ASUS VivoBook X751BP, the HP 17 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-17AST. We will be assessing the ES1-732 against the ASUS VivoBook 17 X705UA too, which is comparably priced but is powered by a more powerful Intel Core i3-7100U processor.

Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA (Aspire ES1 Series)
Processor
Intel Pentium N4200 4 x 1.1 - 2.5 GHz, Apollo Lake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 505, Core: 750 MHz, Single-Channel, 25.20.100.6444 DCH
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3-1600, single-channel, one memory bank (occupied)
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1600 x 900 pixel 106 PPI, Chi Mei N173FGE-E23, TN LED, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Apollo Lake
Storage
Toshiba MQ01ABD100, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 908 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC233 @ Intel Apollo Lake SoC - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: SDXC, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUE1N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27.3 x 423.3 x 289.9 ( = 1.07 x 16.67 x 11.41 in)
Battery
37 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: VGA
Primary Camera: 0.3 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, MS Office 365 trial, Firefox 52, Norton Security trial, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.8 kg ( = 98.77 oz / 6.17 pounds), Power Supply: 255 g ( = 8.99 oz / 0.56 pounds)
Price
299 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

Acer has made the Aspire ES1-732 entirely from matte black plastic with there being no premium material in sight. The display lid and top case both have a swirly textured finish, the inclusion of which appears to be a stylistic decision rather than a practical one.

Our test device is well-built, with there being no uneven gaps between materials or processing defects. Acer could have made the ES1-732 sturdier in our opinion though. The battery is firmly installed, but the company has included a maintenance cover, behind which sit the SO-DIMM RAM slot and the HDD. The inclusion of a maintenance cover is useful because it provides easy access to components without having to take off the entire bottom case, which can be a lengthy and sometimes awkward process.

The ES1-732 has a typical selection of ports for a large budget laptop. Acer has equipped the device with three USB Type-A ports, two of which are USB 2.0 with the third being USB 3.1 Gen 1. Moreover, there is an HDMI port for connecting the ES1-732 to an external monitor and a full-sized SD card reader, from which SD cards protrude by around 15 mm.

Our test device averaged less than 30 MB/s in both our SD card reader tests with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card. These transfer speeds put it on par with our comparison devices, but they are all around 60% slower than the class average.

Acer has equipped the ES1-732 with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 Wi-Fi module, which supports modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11 ac. Our test device can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks and achieved respectable transfer speeds in our iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests. The ES1-732 averaged around 280 Mb/s in both tests, which puts it way behind the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-17AST, but well ahead of the ASUS VivoBook X751BP with its Qualcomm Atheros modem.

Please note: We conduct our Wi-Fi tests with no other Wi-Fi connected devices nearby and with our test device next to our test router. These are optimal conditions, so your experience may vary with the Wi-Fi performance of your ES1-732.

Size Comparison

423.3 mm / 16.7 inch 289.9 mm / 11.4 inch 27.3 mm / 1.075 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 31.5 mm / 1.24 inch 2.6 kg5.72 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 292.6 mm / 11.5 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs417 mm / 16.4 inch 279 mm / 11 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.6 kg5.62 lbs411 mm / 16.2 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 22.6 mm / 0.89 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Right-hand side: SD card reader, headphone jack, USB 2.0 Type-A, DVD drive
Right-hand side: SD card reader, headphone jack, USB 2.0 Type-A, DVD drive
Rear: power connector, HDMI, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, Gigabit Ethernet
Rear: power connector, HDMI, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, Gigabit Ethernet
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s +135%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28 MB/s +18%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.6 MB/s +16%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.7 MB/s
HP 17-x066ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
22.2 MB/s -6%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19 MB/s -20%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s +143%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
39.3 MB/s +47%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.7 MB/s +29%
HP 17-x066ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.4 MB/s +10%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.8 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
353 MBit/s +26%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
302 MBit/s +8%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
280 (191min - 292max) MBit/s
HP 17-x066ng
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
93 MBit/s -67%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
Qualcomm Atheros AR956x
62 MBit/s -78%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
315 MBit/s +12%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
288 MBit/s +2%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
281 (268min - 293max) MBit/s
HP 17-x066ng
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
96 MBit/s -66%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
Qualcomm Atheros AR956x
92 MBit/s -67%
0153045607590105120135150165180195210225240255270285Tooltip
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø280 (268-293)
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø279 (191-292)

Input Devices

Keyboard

The ES1-732 has an unlit chiclet keyboard and number pad. The keys are flat with a roughened texture and all have a medium stroke to them while retaining a clear pressure point. The right-hand side of the keyboard deck gives way slightly while typing, but not annoyingly so. Overall, Acer has equipped the ES1-732 with a decent keyboard that is good enough for daily use.

Trackpad

There is also a multi-touch trackpad that measures 10.6 x 7.8 cm. The trackpad sits below the space bar and has a smooth finish that makes it easy to perform multi-finger gestures. Moreover, the trackpad has a short stroke and a clear pressure point when depressed, while the surface is responsive even at its corners, which is not a given for budget laptops.

A look at the keyboard and trackpad
A look at the keyboard and trackpad

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The ES1-732 has a 17.3-inch display that operates at a 1600x900 native resolution. Our test device achieves an average maximum brightness of 208.7 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is unimpressive but on par with many of our comparison devices. The display is bright enough for using the ES1-732 inside buildings or under artificial lights, but the HP 17 would be easy to read under bright lights thanks to its higher maximum luminosity.

However, our test device has a 0.15 cd/m² black value, which is surprisingly low and results in an impressive 1,513:1 contrast ratio. Our comparison devices cannot match the ES1-732 in this regard, with only the HP 17 achieving a contrast ratio higher than 1,000:1. Unfortunately, our test device uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate its display brightness, which could cause eye strain and headaches for some people who are PWM sensitive. The display in our test device flickers at 961 Hz across the entire brightness range, which should be high enough not to cause issues for most people; we cannot guarantee this though.

221
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
191
cd/m²
207
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
182
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
219
cd/m²
193
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N173FGE-E23 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 227 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 208.7 cd/m² Minimum: 19.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 232 cd/m²
Contrast: 1513:1 (Black: 0.15 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.93 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 14.69 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
80% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
51% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
54.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
80.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
53.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
HP 17-x066ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Display
-5%
-6%
14%
4%
Display P3 Coverage
53.5
51.2
-4%
50.5
-6%
63.6
19%
55.5
4%
sRGB Coverage
80.1
75.2
-6%
73.3
-8%
86.5
8%
81.9
2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
54.9
52.9
-4%
52.1
-5%
63.3
15%
57.4
5%
Response Times
15%
-8%
-26%
-25%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
49 ?(28, 21)
41 ?(21, 20)
16%
40 ?(22, 18)
18%
38 ?(21, 17)
22%
47 ?(26, 21)
4%
Response Time Black / White *
15 ?(10, 5)
13 ?(8, 5)
13%
20 ?(16, 4)
-33%
26 ?(15, 11)
-73%
15 ?(9, 6)
-0%
PWM Frequency
961
200 ?(40)
-79%
Screen
-33%
-34%
15%
-2%
Brightness middle
227
237
4%
205
-10%
331
46%
266
17%
Brightness
209
216
3%
209
0%
310
48%
259
24%
Brightness Distribution
80
82
3%
81
1%
87
9%
83
4%
Black Level *
0.15
0.58
-287%
0.55
-267%
0.33
-120%
0.45
-200%
Contrast
1513
409
-73%
373
-75%
1003
-34%
591
-61%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
12.93
10.78
17%
11.26
13%
4.58
65%
4.53
65%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.92
19.24
8%
19.86
5%
7.83
63%
7.2
66%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
14.69
13.38
9%
13.85
6%
6.18
58%
5.48
63%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.51 88%
2.48 89%
2.34 94%
2.23 99%
CCT
19863 33%
15051 43%
15307 42%
6076 107%
7726 84%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
51
49
-4%
47
-8%
56
10%
53
4%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
80
75
-6%
73
-9%
86
8%
82
3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / -21%
-16% / -25%
1% / 10%
-8% / -5%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 961 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 961 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 961 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our test device has a comparatively colour inaccurate display out of the box with a DeltaE ColorChecker deviation of 12.93, which is much higher than the ideal value of 3. The display suffers from a blue tint too, which we noticed when running CalMAN analysis software. By contrast, the HP 17 and VivoBook X751BP both have DeltaE ColorChecker deviations of less than 5, which is much closer to the ideal value.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Greyscale
CalMAN - Greyscale
CalMAN – Colour Saturation
CalMAN – Colour Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
15 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 5 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. » 30 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
49 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28 ms rise
↘ 21 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. » 82 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Acer has equipped the ES1-732 with a TN panel, which has poor viewing angles. Moreover, the display is generally too dark for using the device outside, but it is readable on overcast days. The display’s glossy finish will attract reflections regardless of the weather though.

Using the Aspire ES 17 outside on an overcast day.
Using the Aspire ES 17 outside on an overcast day.

Performance

The ES1-732 is powerful enough for Office and Internet applications, but resource-intensive programs will overwhelm it. Acer currently sells the same configuration as our test device for around 400 Euros (~$457), but there are numerous other variants too should you want a different processor or HDD, for example.

Processor

Our test device is equipped with an Intel Pentium N4200 processor, which is a quad-core CPU based on Intel’s Apollo Lake architecture. The N4200 has a 1.1 GHz base clock speed that can increase up to 2.5 GHz when required. Moreover, the CPU has a 6 W maximum TDP, which is low enough for the processor to be cooled passively. Acer has equipped the ES1-732 with a fan though to ensure that the CPU does not overheat. 

Unfortunately, our test device cannot maintain peak CPU performance when it is subjected to sustained load. The N4200 operates at 2.4 GHz for the first few sections of a Cinebench R15 multithreaded benchmark, after which the clock speed then drops to 2.1/2.2 GHz. Our test device experienced no thermal throttling in a looped multi-core Cinebench R15 benchmark though, the behaviour of which is replicated by our comparison devices.

By contrast, the CPU ran consistently at 2.4/2.5 GHz in the corresponding single-core benchmark. Our test device performs just as well on battery as it does on mains power too.

0153045607590105120135150165180195210225240255Tooltip
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA Intel Pentium N4200, Intel Pentium N4200: Ø176.5 (172.67-178.42)
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T Intel Core i3-7100U, Intel Core i3-7100U: Ø255 (250.88-257.12)
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE AMD E2-9000, AMD E2-9000: Ø81.6 (77.74-84.74)
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T AMD A9-9420, AMD A9-9420: Ø129.9 (127.34-133.02)
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1636
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
5409
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2989
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
53 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
178 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
17.79 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +306%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Intel Core i3-7100U
100 Points +89%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD A9-9420
81 Points +53%
HP 17-x066ng
Intel Core i3-6006U
70 Points +32%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
53 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (47 - 53, n=15)
51.7 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
47 Points -11%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +675%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Intel Core i3-7100U
256 Points +44%
HP 17-x066ng
Intel Core i3-6006U
208 Points +17%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
178 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (128 - 178, n=15)
157.2 Points -12%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD A9-9420
134 Points -25%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
84 Points -53%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Office
  (3465 - 9351, n=12, last 2 years)
6404 Points +291%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD A9-9420
2875 Points +76%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
1787 Points +9%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (1630 - 1680, n=8)
1655 Points +1%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
1636 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Office
  (6611 - 40266, n=12, last 2 years)
27456 Points +408%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
5409 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (4673 - 5440, n=8)
5132 Points -5%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD A9-9420
5022 Points -7%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
2897 Points -46%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (last 2 years)
16771 Points +271%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (4425 - 4736, n=6)
4593 Points +2%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
4522 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
2323 Points -49%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (last 2 years)
4096 Points +196%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
1430 Points +3%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (1362 - 1430, n=6)
1394 Points +1%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
1383 Points
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (4162 - 4558, n=6)
4385 Points +1%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
4347 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
2371 Points -45%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
1566 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (1526 - 1609, n=6)
1563 Points 0%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
1543 Points -1%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (4762 - 35532, n=19, last 2 years)
18933 Points +324%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (4468 - 4729, n=4)
4604 Points +3%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
4468 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
2461 Points -45%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (2776 - 7072, n=19, last 2 years)
5099 Points +224%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000
1591 Points +1%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (1544 - 1616, n=4)
1576 Points 0%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200
1572 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Office
  (117.1 - 544, n=19, last 2 years)
369 Points +391%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD A9-9420 (EDGE: 40.15063.674.0)
134.1 Points +79%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Intel Core i3-7100U
114.1 Points +52%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD E2-9000 (Edge 40)
82.8 Points +10%
Average Intel Pentium N4200
  (56.4 - 91.5, n=14)
79.2 Points +5%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Pentium N4200 (Edge 44)
75.1 Points

System Performance

The ES1-732 generally performed above average for a Pentium N4200-powered device in PCMark benchmarks. Our test device works smoothly in daily use, but the HDD may make the system feel sluggish compared to those that run from SSDs. Acer does sell the ES1-732 with an SSD should you prefer faster system performance over storage space. You could also swap out the HDD for an SSD and re-install Windows 10 on the new drive if you like to tinker with your devices.

We would have expected the ES1-732 to get the most from its processor given the limited performance of the N4200. However, Acer has equipped the device with only one SO-DIMM RAM module that restricts the system to running in single-channel mode, which limits performance. Unfortunately, there is only one SO-DIMM slot, so there is no way to activate dual-channel mode and improve performance.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2052 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
2344 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
2717 points
PCMark 10 Score
1361 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +290%
Average Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505
  (1283 - 1577, n=6)
1402 Points +3%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), E2-9000, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
1385 Points +2%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1361 Points
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +231%
Average Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505
  (2957 - 4115, n=6)
3650 Points +23%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), E2-9000, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3186 Points +8%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2957 Points
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +267%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), E2-9000, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
2580 Points +27%
Average Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505
  (1900 - 2535, n=6)
2087 Points +3%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2025 Points
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +401%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1145 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505
  (895 - 1145, n=6)
991 Points -13%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), E2-9000, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
878 Points -23%
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +108%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
HD Graphics 620, i3-7100U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3121 Points +52%
HP 17-x066ng
HD Graphics 520, 6006U, WDC WD10JPVX-08JC3T5
2801 Points +37%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge), A9-9420, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
2745 Points +34%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2052 Points
Average Intel Pentium N4200, Intel HD Graphics 505
  (1337 - 2314, n=14)
1962 Points -4%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), E2-9000, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
1844 Points -10%

Storage Devices

Acer has equipped our test device with a Toshiba MQ01ABD100 2.5-inch HDD. The 1 TB drive operates at 5,400 RPM and performs on par with other 5,400 RPM HDDs, although it achieved around 8% slower transfer speeds in CrystalDiskMark 3.0 than the average of devices that we have already tested with the same HDD.

Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Sequential Read: 118.7 MB/s
Sequential Write: 110 MB/s
512K Read: 35.2 MB/s
512K Write: 30.03 MB/s
4K Read: 0.441 MB/s
4K Write: 0.952 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 0.858 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 0.96 MB/s
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
HP 17-x066ng
WDC WD10JPVX-08JC3T5
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Average Toshiba MQ01ABD100
 
Average of class Office
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-10%
4%
4%
-10%
-9%
14907%
Write 4k QD32
0.96
0.479
-50%
0.154
-84%
0.959
0%
0.305
-68%
0.861 ?(0.646 - 1.092, n=38)
-10%
341 ?(222 - 526, n=3, last 2 years)
35421%
Read 4k QD32
0.858
0.709
-17%
1.088
27%
1.039
21%
1.074
25%
0.783 ?(0.647 - 1.023, n=38)
-9%
433 ?(186.4 - 761, n=3, last 2 years)
50366%
Write 4k
0.952
0.602
-37%
0.316
-67%
0.96
1%
0.009
-99%
0.877 ?(0.708 - 1.136, n=38)
-8%
132.5 ?(45.9 - 214, n=3, last 2 years)
13818%
Read 4k
0.441
0.399
-10%
0.448
2%
0.395
-10%
0.461
5%
0.3942 ?(0.292 - 0.515, n=38)
-11%
43.3 ?(19.7 - 68.2, n=3, last 2 years)
9719%
Write 512
30.03
76.8
156%
92.2
207%
45.98
53%
91.9
206%
30.5 ?(23.4 - 45, n=38)
2%
1297 ?(389 - 2096, n=3, last 2 years)
4219%
Read 512
35.2
22.83
-35%
30.3
-14%
33.8
-4%
22.3
-37%
32.2 ?(22.5 - 41.6, n=38)
-9%
878 ?(392 - 1221, n=3, last 2 years)
2394%
Write Seq
110
68.5
-38%
87
-21%
98.2
-11%
55.8
-49%
99 ?(84.8 - 114.7, n=38)
-10%
2113 ?(459 - 3702, n=3, last 2 years)
1821%
Read Seq
118.7
62
-48%
98.6
-17%
98.6
-17%
48.63
-59%
103.5 ?(89.4 - 118.7, n=38)
-13%
1895 ?(508 - 3536, n=3, last 2 years)
1496%

Graphics Card

The Pentium N4200 integrates an Intel HD Graphics 505 GPU, which handles graphics. The integrated GPU supports DirectX 12 and can decode video codecs like H.264, H.265 and VP9, which relieves some of the pressure placed on the CPU. The HD Graphics 505 can clock up to 750 MHz and achieved comparable scores in 3DMark benchmarks to other devices that are equipped with the same GPU.

3DMark 11 Performance
721 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2856 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
378 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +791%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge), AMD A9-9420
1356 Points +105%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-7100U
1298 Points +97%
HP 17-x066ng
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i3-6006U
1177 Points +78%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), AMD E2-9000
747 Points +13%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Intel Pentium N4200
660 Points
Average Intel HD Graphics 505
  (424 - 825, n=16)
632 Points -4%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +910%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), AMD E2-9000
520 Points +29%
Average Intel HD Graphics 505
  (344 - 606, n=7)
449 Points +11%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Intel Pentium N4200
403 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +639%
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), AMD E2-9000
3634 Points +13%
Average Intel HD Graphics 505
  (2844 - 4738, n=8)
3609 Points +12%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Intel Pentium N4200
3229 Points

Gaming Performance

Our test device can play some games at smooth frame rates, but only those that have low system requirements like casual games on the Microsoft Store. Older complex games like BioShock Infinite are too graphically intensive even at minimum graphics though.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 23.9 12.9 11
Monster Hunter World (2018) 3.7
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 2
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 1
Just Cause 4 (2018) 4.8

Emissions & Energy

Fan Noise

The ES1-732 is a relatively quiet device. The fan is usually quiet at idle, but the device does not run silently because of its HDD, which can always be heard. Swapping the HDD out for an SSD would resolve this, although the fan will reach a maximum of 35.1 dB(A) under sustained load.

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 31 / 31 dB(A)
HDD
31.8 dB(A)
DVD
39.5 / dB(A)
Load
35.1 / 35.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.944.541.542.637.241.92536.439.838.338.23636.43131.232.732.230.831.231.24031.73130.430.128.531.75031.831.831.731.432.231.86329.831.731.529.428.729.88027.727.227.327.528.627.710028.328.728.72827.528.312526.727.728.12625.126.716026.727.127.626.525.526.720025.325.824.824.823.625.325026.126.826.723.62326.131525.526.125.423.622.125.540025.425.224.921.72125.450024.324.523.621.220.224.363023.924.222.820.32023.98002424.522.72018.724100024.825.12319.617.924.8125023.623.621.718.91823.6160025.22523.519.117.325.2200024.524.321.118.317.324.5250023.823.720.817.817.323.8315022.622.220.417.617.222.6400020.22018.917.71720.2500018.618.818.117.61718.6630018.318.617.817.517.118.3800017.917.817.817.417.117.91000017.517.717.717.417.317.51250017.517.617.617.417.317.51600017.717.917.817.617.517.7SPL3535.133.53130.235N2.12.11.81.41.22.1median 24median 24.3median 22.7median 19.1median 17.9median 24Delta2.93.13.42.41.92.9hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA

Temperature

The Aspire ES 17 during a stress test
The Aspire ES 17 during a stress test

Our test device runs our combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test, which we run for at least an hour, just as well on battery power as it does on mains power. The CPU runs at 1.4/1.6 GHz during the combined stress test, while the GPU downclocks to 200/250 MHz because both components share the 6 W TDP.

The ES1-732 manages its surface temperatures well too. The bottom of our test device reaches a maximum of 37.1 °C during a stress test, while the top case heats up to 35.7 °C. Surface temperatures remain below 30 °C at idle too.

Please note: Our stress test puts devices under extreme load that will not occur in daily use. The ES1-732 should remain cooler, even when pushed hard, than it did during our stress test.

Max. Load
 28 °C
82 F
35.7 °C
96 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
 29.6 °C
85 F
31.8 °C
89 F
26.9 °C
80 F
 
 24.9 °C
77 F
26.1 °C
79 F
24.9 °C
77 F
 
Maximum: 35.7 °C = 96 F
Average: 28.4 °C = 83 F
27 °C
81 F
37.1 °C
99 F
26 °C
79 F
27.6 °C
82 F
34.2 °C
94 F
32.9 °C
91 F
24.6 °C
76 F
26 °C
79 F
24.6 °C
76 F
Maximum: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Average: 28.9 °C = 84 F
Power Supply (max.)  44.2 °C = 112 F | Room Temperature 22.9 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.7 °C / 96 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 37.1 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.6 °C / 78 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 26.1 °C / 79 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 (+1.6 °C / 2.9 F).
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle

Speakers

The ES1-732 has stereo speakers that are located on the bottom of the device. The speakers get rather loud, but the sound produced lacks bass, which is predictable for laptop speakers. We would recommend using external speakers or headphones for a better listening experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.837.240.82540.63640.63135.231.235.24036.328.536.35037.432.237.46336.728.736.78038.528.638.510039.227.539.21254025.14016041.225.541.220043.523.643.525046.62346.631549.522.149.540049.82149.85005120.25163053.42053.480061.318.761.3100065.917.965.9125068.41868.416006717.367200071.117.371.1250072.917.372.9315073.717.273.7400072.71772.7500071.91771.9630067.717.167.7800066.117.166.11000056.317.356.3125005417.3541600058.717.558.7SPL81.830.281.8N44.81.244.8median 58.7median 17.9median 58.7Delta9.51.99.538.335.538.339.438.639.444.648.244.638.135.638.133.73433.731.232.231.230.528.230.527.92727.927.424.327.430.923.230.937.122.837.152.922.352.961.221.561.262.620.262.659.319.259.363.918.963.96018.46057.317.957.362.71862.759.217.659.263.317.563.36717.96766.91866.964.918.264.968.918.568.962.418.662.458.918.858.955.118.755.160.918.960.962.219.162.276.230.776.237.11.537.1median 60.9median 18.8median 60.96.726.742.343.342.33739.3373531.93536.828.536.838.132.838.140.536.340.542.229.742.242.630.342.643.925.943.94827.24852.326.252.348.224.348.254.923.354.957.322.157.357.121.257.161.120.361.160.919.460.957.618.557.65517.85558.617.658.657.816.957.854.516.354.55715.9575515.65560.315.660.359.815.559.858.815.358.85515.25553.915.253.944.715.144.77031.130.17027.91.61.427.9median 55median 17.8median 55median 48.94.63.56.321.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Aspire ES1-732-P7YALenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GEAsus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 80% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 42% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 51% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (61.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Consumption

The ES1-732 is relatively energy-efficient for such a large laptop, which should come as no surprise given its economical CPU. Our test device consumes a minimum of 6 W at idle, which rises to a maximum of 26 W under load.

Acer includes a 45 W power supply with the ES1-732, which is therefore powerful enough to keep charging the device even when it is pushed hard.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.17 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6 / 9.6 / 10.7 Watt
Load midlight 21.2 / 26 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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 Life

The ES1-732 has a 37 Wh battery, which lasted for 5:08 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. This puts our test device in the midfield of our comparison table and 1:05 hours behind the VivoBook 17 X705UA in first place.

Please note: We conduct our practical Wi-Fi battery life test by running a script that simulates the load required to render websites. We set the Windows 10 power plan to “Balanced”, disable any power-saving features and set the display luminosity to approximately 150 cd/m².

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
5h 08min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Average of class Office
  (272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
589 min +91%
Asus VivoBook 17 X705UA-BX022T
i3-7100U, HD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
413 min +34%
HP 17-x066ng
6006U, HD Graphics 520, 41.5 Wh
375 min +22%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Pentium N4200, HD Graphics 505, 37 Wh
308 min
Lenovo Ideapad 320-17AST-80XW0013GE
E2-9000, Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge), 30 Wh
224 min -27%
Asus VivoBook X751BP-TY048T
A9-9420, Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge), 37 Wh
163 min -47%

Pros

+ contrast-rich display
+ plenty of storage
+ maintenance cover
+ two years warranty

Cons

- low maximum brightness
- glossy display finish
- only a single SO-DIMM RAM module

Verdict

The Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732-P7YA laptop review. Test device courtesy of Cyberport.
The Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732-P7YA laptop review. Test device courtesy of Cyberport.

The Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732-P7YA is powerful enough for Office and Internet applications. The integrated GPU can also use its decoder to relieve the processor of any heavy lifting while playing videos. Hence, the Aspire can handle video-streaming services with ease, while the laptop hardly heats up regardless of how hard we pushed it. Our test device generally runs quietly too.

Our test device has plenty of storage thanks to its 1 TB HDD. The ES1-732 has a maintenance cover too, which makes it comparatively easy to swap the HDD out for a faster 2.5-inch SSD. Acer has equipped the device with a decent keyboard too, but it is a shame that there is no backlight. Our test device also has comparatively good battery life, while its two-year manufacturer’s warranty is a bonus.

The Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 is a simple writing, surfing and streaming home laptop with few frills.

The display is one of the laptop’s biggest weaknesses, as is the case with many cheap devices. Acer has equipped the ES1-732 with a dark TN panel that has poor viewing angles. It has an impressively high contrast ratio though, which surprised us.

Our test device cost 390 Euros (~$446) at the time of writing, but this is not a bargain in our opinion. The Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB, specifically the 81DK0040GE variant, is better value for money with its Intel Pentium 4415U processor, 4 GB of RAM and its 128 GB SSD. The CPU is significantly more powerful than the N4200 in our test device, while its SSD provides better system performance. The best part? It currently costs 40 Euros (~$45) less than the ES1-732. We would recommend considering the IdeaPad over the ES1-732 if it is available in your region.

Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA - 09/26/2019 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
70 / 98 → 72%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
85%
Connectivity
44 / 80 → 56%
Weight
58 / 20-75 → 69%
Battery
64%
Display
70%
Games Performance
16 / 78 → 20%
Application Performance
51 / 95 → 53%
Temperature
95%
Noise
92%
Audio
40%
Camera
38 / 85 → 45%
Average
61%
72%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Aspire ES 17 ES1-732 (N4200, 1 TB HDD, HD+) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2018-12-28 (Update: 2018-12-28)