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Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN Notebook Review

Overpriced. The Aspire cannot boast with exceedingly high computing power. Then again, it pleases with a very low operating noise and decent keyboard. However, Acer demands the ridiculous price of 500 Euros (~$557) for the laptop.

For the original German review, see here.

Like virtually all laptop builders, Acer also uses the same casing for multiple laptop lineups. That is also the case for our present Aspire ES1-521. Its build is the same as in the Aspire ES1-512 and Extensa 2519 lineups we have tested. Differences are found inside: The ES1-521 models are furnished with AMD APUs. Its siblings come with Intel processors. Besides its own siblings, rivals of the Aspire are also found in laptops like HP's 350/355 G2Fujitsu's LifeBook A514Lenovo's IdeaPad 100-15IBD, and Toshiba's Satellite C50D-B.

Since the Aspire's build is identical with that of the Aspire ES1-512 and Extensa 2519, we will not go in-depth about casing, connectivity, input devices, screen or speakers. Corresponding information can be found in the reviews of the Aspire ES1-512 and Extensa 2519.

Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN (Aspire ES1 Series)
Processor
AMD A8-6410 4 x 2 - 2.4 GHz, Beema
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), Core: 800 MHz, single-channel, Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1 (15.301.1201.0 WHQL)
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, single-channel, two memory banks (both filled)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, Chi Mei N156BGE-E32, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD KernCZ
Storage
Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX, 500 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 420 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC235 @ AMD Avalon FCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, AMD PSP 1.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Broadcom BCM43142 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUC0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26.1 x 381.6 x 258 ( = 1.03 x 15.02 x 10.16 in)
Battery
41 Wh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink PowerDVD 12, Foxit PhantomPDF, McAfee LiveSafe - Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), WPS Office, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.4 kg ( = 84.66 oz / 5.29 pounds), Power Supply: 270 g ( = 9.52 oz / 0.6 pounds)
Price
499 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The Aspire sports the same matte, 15.6-inch screen as the previously tested Extensa 2519. Nevertheless, the measured rates deviate slightly. That is normal since two identical panels will never correspond to 100%. We are dealing with a screen that can boast with decent contrast but a somewhat too low brightness. The screen displays PWM flickering at a frequency of 1000 Hz in brightness levels of 90% and lower. Sensitive users should not experience problems with this high frequency.

255
cd/m²
253
cd/m²
248
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
245
cd/m²
231
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
225
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N156BGE-E32 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 255 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 237.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 245 cd/m²
Contrast: 583:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.47 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
60% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.19% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.83% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.52

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 1000 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1000 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.

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

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
26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
47 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 24 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. » 78 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Performance

Acer has a basic 15.6-inch office laptop in its lineup with the Aspire ES1-521. It is suitable for applications from the office and Internet sectors. Our review sample is available at just below 500 Euros (~$557). Acer has diverse configurations in its portfolio. The presently lowest priced Aspire ES1-521-60RY (A6-6310, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, no Windows operating system) is sold for approximately 350 Euros (~$390). The identically built models of the Aspire ES1-512 and Extensa 2519 lineups considerably expand the selection.

Processor

Acer installs an A8-6410 APU (Beema) by AMD in our review sample. The quad-core processor of the APU clocks at a base speed of 2 GHz that can be boosted up to 2.4 GHz via Turbo. The full performance cannot always be retrieved. The CPU only clocks at full speed when processing single-thread applications in AC mode. Multithread applications are performed at 2 to 2.2 GHz. The speeds drop slightly in battery mode (single-thread: 2 to 2.4 GHz; multithread: 1.8 to 2 GHz). AMD's processor finds opponents in the Bay Trail and Braswell processors by Intel. It cannot compete with Intel's Core i models.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2339
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
5659
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1883
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
15.38 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.96 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.6 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
16.96 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
156 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
49 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
156 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
158 Points +1%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
65 Points -58%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
157 Points +1%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
157 Points +1%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
171 Points +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
210 Points +35%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
187 Points +20%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
146 Points -6%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
129 Points -17%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
164 Points +5%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
119 Points -24%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
127 Points -19%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
49 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
43 Points -12%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
34 Points -31%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
42 Points -14%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
47 Points -4%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
39 Points -20%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
82 Points +67%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
70 Points +43%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
46 Points -6%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
67 Points +37%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
49 Points 0%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
32 Points -35%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
37 Points -24%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.96 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.9 Points -3%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.8 Points -59%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.92 Points -2%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.94 Points -1%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
1.84 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
2.27 Points +16%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2.01 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.62 Points -17%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.45 Points -26%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.04 Points +4%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1.43 Points -27%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.74 Points -11%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.6 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.5 Points -17%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.41 Points -32%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.5 Points -17%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
0.57 Points -5%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
0.75 Points +25%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
0.96 Points +60%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.79 Points +32%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.55 Points -8%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.74 Points +23%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.6 Points 0%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.39 Points -35%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.45 Points -25%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5659 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
4759 Points -16%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2150 Points -62%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4750 Points -16%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5575 Points -1%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
5730 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
6953 Points +23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5309 Points -6%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4852 Points -14%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
5785 Points +2%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
4171 Points -26%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3598 Points -36%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1883 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1383 Points -27%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1134 Points -40%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1379 Points -27%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1858 Points -1%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
2528 Points +34%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3151 Points +67%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1709 Points -9%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2510 Points +33%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1850 Points -2%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1205 Points -36%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1381 Points -27%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1270 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
992 Points -22%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
829 Points -35%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
988 Points -22%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1244 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1907 Points +50%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1209 Points -5%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1468 Points +16%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1287 Points +1%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
868 Points -32%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
991 Points -22%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3756 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3223 Points -14%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1167 Points -69%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3267 Points -13%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3534 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
4093 Points +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3230 Points -14%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2592 Points -31%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3792 Points +1%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2762 Points -26%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3146 Points -16%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
270.2 ms *
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
321.1 ms * -19%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
444.5 ms * -65%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
303.3 ms * -12%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
254.3 ms * +6%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
182.1 ms * +33%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
164.3 ms * +39%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
309.2 ms * -14%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
181.5 ms * +33%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
253 ms * +6%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
427.3 ms * -58%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
346.9 ms * -28%
Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C9GR
HD Graphics (Broadwell), 3205U
334.7 ms * -24%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
75.7 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
36.67 Points -52%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
75.1 Points -1%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3876 ms *
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6182 ms * -59%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5790 ms * -49%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
6205 ms * -60%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
6279 ms * -62%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3333 ms * +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6880 ms * -78%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4080 ms * -5%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6200 ms * -60%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
9672 ms * -150%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
8268 ms * -113%
Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C9GR
HD Graphics (Broadwell), 3205U
2332 ms * +40%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
11133 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5006 Points -55%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5606 Points -50%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5052 Points -55%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5574 Points -50%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
9479 Points -15%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5334 Points -52%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
7963 Points -28%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6074 Points -45%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3727 Points -67%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4580 Points -59%
Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C9GR
HD Graphics (Broadwell), 3205U
13238 Points +19%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1038 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
861 Points -17%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
587 Points -43%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
842 Points -19%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1108 Points +7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1926 Points +86%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
957 Points -8%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1793 Points +73%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1136 Points +9%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
720 Points -31%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
868 Points -16%
Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C9GR
HD Graphics (Broadwell), 3205U
2905 Points +180%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system runs smoothly. We did not experience problems. The PCMark benchmark scores correspond to the installed APU's performance. It is also possible to increase the Aspire's system performance by replacing the HDD with an SSD. The system then operates faster. Although the laptop is furnished with two working memory modules, the storage does not operate in dual-channel mode. The installed memory controller only supports single-channel mode. Thus, the graphics performance cannot be increased.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1872 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1992 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
2813 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1872 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1462 Points -22%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1634 Points -13%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1946 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
2720 Points +45%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2092 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1880 Points 0%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2151 Points +15%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2451 Points +31%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1685 Points -10%

Storage Device

The Aspire sports a 2.5-inch hard drive by Western Digital. It spins at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a capacity of 500 GB. The drive's transfer rates are on a normal level for a 5400 RPM model.

Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Transfer Rate Minimum: 2.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 116.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 89.2 MB/s
Access Time: 18.5 ms
Burst Rate: 192.7 MB/s
CPU Usage: 9.8 %

Graphics Card

AMD's Radeon R5 (Beema) graphics core takes care of video output. The GPU supports DirectX 11.2 and clocks at speeds of up to 800 MHz. The 3DMark benchmark results are as expected for this graphics core. The GPU is roughly on par with Intel's HD Graphics 4400 graphics core.

3DMark 11 Performance
829 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
24304 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2071 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
510 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
829 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
238 Points -71%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
442 Points -47%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
268 Points -68%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
788 Points -5%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
752 Points -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
1045 Points +26%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
784 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
782 Points -6%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
574 Points -31%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1640 Points +98%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
592 Points -29%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
688 Points -17%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
24304 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
17547 Points -28%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
18186 Points -25%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
17701 Points -27%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
31626 Points +30%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
30090 Points +24%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
39323 Points +62%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
33875 Points +39%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
30714 Points +26%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
27941 Points +15%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
39458 Points +62%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
27138 Points +12%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
23939 Points -2%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2071 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1417 Points -32%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1529 Points -26%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1444 Points -30%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2853 Points +38%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
3276 Points +58%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
3989 Points +93%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3581 Points +73%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2763 Points +33%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2426 Points +17%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4032 Points +95%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2244 Points +8%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2291 Points +11%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1823 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
500 Points -73%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1032 Points -43%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1846 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
2287 Points +25%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2244 Points +23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1773 Points -3%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1493 Points -18%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1780 Points -2%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1348 Points -26%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1545 Points -15%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
510 Points
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
236 Points -54%
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
473 Points -7%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
446 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
545 Points +7%
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
479 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
472 Points -7%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
316 Points -38%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
843 Points +65%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
347 Points -32%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
427 Points -16%

Gaming Performance

AMD's APU renders some games smoothly using a low resolution and low quality settings. Games with low hardware requirements even allow higher settings. Performance-driven smash hits like Just Cause 3 or Star Wars Battlefront are not playable. The gaming performance is too weak for a 500-Euro (~$557) laptop. Considerably stronger laptops are found in this price range, such as Acer's own Aspire E5-573G-36P1 (price: 500 Euros, ~$557). It features a Core i5-5005U processor and GeForce 920M GPU. It provides more CPU and GPU power than our present review sample and consequently also produces higher frame rates.

low med. high ultra
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) 35.4 35.3 27.6
Tomb Raider (2013) 35.6 18.1 13.8
The Evil Within (2014) 14 10.3
Far Cry 4 (2014) 14.3 10.7
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) 15.9 12
Evolve (2015) 12.7 9.2
Dirt Rally (2015) 52.2 16.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 9.4 6.2
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 8 7
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 28.1 18.5
World of Warships (2015) 28.6 20.3
FIFA 16 (2015) 33.5 20.7
Anno 2205 (2015) 16.6 8
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015) 16.1 8.7
Fallout 4 (2015) 13.4 7.8
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) 18.2 11
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 24.8 15
Just Cause 3 (2015) 10.8 8.7
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 11 6.7

Emissions & Energy Management

System Noise

The Aspire operates quietly over the entire load range. Only the hard drive's subdued noise is audible in idle. The fan often stands still. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would ensure even more quietness. The noise level reaches 33.2 dB in the stress test. Processor throttling becomes evident here.

Noise Level

Idle
31.7 / 31.8 / 31.8 dB(A)
HDD
31.8 dB(A)
DVD
36.5 / dB(A)
Load
33.2 / 33.2 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)

Temperature

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

The Aspire performs our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) differently in AC and battery modes. The processor clocks at 1.4 GHz and the graphics core at 800 MHz in AC mode. They reach rates of 1.2 to 1.4 GHZ (CPU) and 300 to 400 MHz (GPU) in battery mode. The laptop heats up quite a bit at two measuring points despite CPU throttling. We measured rates of approximately 50 °C. These temperatures will unlikely be reached in routine use. The stress test represents a worst case scenario that will not occur during normal use.

 26.9 °C
80 F
26.5 °C
80 F
24.5 °C
76 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
27 °C
81 F
23.1 °C
74 F
 
 21.5 °C
71 F
22.6 °C
73 F
23.1 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 28 °C = 82 F
Average: 24.8 °C = 77 F
23.1 °C
74 F
28.3 °C
83 F
25 °C
77 F
23 °C
73 F
28.3 °C
83 F
27.5 °C
82 F
22 °C
72 F
23 °C
73 F
23 °C
73 F
Maximum: 28.3 °C = 83 F
Average: 24.8 °C = 77 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.8 °C = 86 F | Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.5 °C / 87 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 39.1 °C / 102 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 50.2 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.8 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 25.2 °C / 77.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+2.5 °C / 4.5 F).

Power Consumption

We measure a maximum idle power consumption of 9.6 watts - an acceptable yet not outstanding rate. The requirement climbed to 29.3 watts in the stress test, which is only slightly higher than during medium load (27 watts). The processor's strong throttling in the stress test is responsible for that. The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.22 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.5 / 8.3 / 9.6 Watt
Load midlight 27 / 29.3 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 Runtime

We simulate the load needed for opening websites in our real-world Wi-Fi test. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Aspire manages a runtime of 4:50 hours. That is roughly 50 minutes shorter than that of its Aspire ES1-512 and Extensa 2519 sister models.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 25.10586.0.0)
4h 50min
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3 (sort by value)
Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN
Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L), A8-6410, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
290 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
199 min
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
340 min
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
349 min
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
350 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD
HD Graphics 5500, 5005U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024
255 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 305-15ABM
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
238 min
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
290 min
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
190 min
Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C9GR
HD Graphics (Broadwell), 3205U
540 min
WiFi (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
427 min
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
350 min
Acer Extensa 2510-34Z4
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
391 min
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
283 min
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
338 min

Pros

+ matte screen
+ noiseless operation
+ decent keyboard
+ 2-year warrranty

Cons

- no maintenance hatch

Verdict

In review: Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.de
In review: Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.de

The laptop has not been furnished with exceedingly high computing power. The APU in the Aspire will satisfy the requirements of applications from the office and Internet sectors. It can also render all standard video formats. The laptop's advantages are found in other aspects. It operates very quietly over the entire load range. Beyond that, it - like its sister models - features a decent keyboard. A matte screen with good contrast is also part of the bundle. However, it could be brighter. Unfortunately, the Aspire does not have a maintenance hatch, like many other laptops nowadays. Replacing the hard drive requires a bit of effort. The Aspire's casing would have to be opened for that. Acer includes a two-year warranty on the laptop.

The price-performance ratio of the Aspire ES1-521-87DN does not seem right.

The laptop was listed at 499 Euros (~$556) in diverse online shops while testing it. We deem the price too high. Users generally interested in the Aspire and explicitly wanting an AMD APU will find cheaper models within the ES1-521 lineup. Corresponding configurations with the A6-6310 only lead to an insignificantly lower computing performance.

Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN - 03/03/2016 v5(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
72 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
41 / 80 → 51%
Weight
60 / 20-67 → 85%
Battery
88%
Display
76%
Games Performance
57 / 68 → 84%
Application Performance
60 / 92 → 65%
Temperature
90%
Noise
91%
Audio
31%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
67%
78%
Office - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Sascha Mölck, 2016-02- 6 (Update: 2018-05-15)