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Acer Aspire Switch 10 Full HD Convertible Review Update

Brillant. Acer's smallest convertible is now available with a Full-HD display. The price difference is only 30 Euro (~$37) and seems to be well worth it. But is the battery life is shorter than before and how fast is the new CPU? In our review, we try to answer both questions and take a detailed look at the display as well.
Acer Aspire Switch 10: is the Full-HD version a worthwhile investment?
Acer Aspire Switch 10: is the Full-HD version a worthwhile investment?

For the original German review, see here.

In July of 2014 we took a look at the Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU. The convertible, which competes against the Asus Transformer Book T100TA, starts at a very reasonable 300 Euro (~$375), has a decent battery life of about five hours and offers a functional multi-mode design with a solid hinge. The bright IPS panel also impressed us with an average DeltaE-deviaton of only 2.26. If there's one area that we thought could need some improvement, it was the resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Some potential buyers simply prefer a Full-HD screen. Acer now targets exactly those customers with a FHD version of the convertible and tries to upstage the main competitor Asus T100TA, which has no such option.

This review is an update with a detailed look at the new display, the performance, as well as the battery life. As far as the chassis, the physical ports, build quality, input devices, sound quality, power consumption, and emissions are concerned, we encourage you to take a look at our previous review of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU.

Display

The 10.1-inch panel from AUO (identified as AUO17D8) has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels,  a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a pixel density of 218 ppi. The panel supports 5-finger touch inputs, which should be sufficient for normal use, even though most touchscreens now can handle 10 fingers simultaneously.

With an average brightness of 407 cd/m², the display is even brighter than that of the HD version of the Switch 10, which topped out at "only" 330 cd/m². Outdoor usability increases, since the full brightness is also available when the switch is running on battery. For this purpose, the ambient light sensor needs to be disabled in the power settings or through the driver settings of the HD Graphics.

The brightness distribution is extremely even and even at maximum brightness, we didn't notice any clouding or bleeding along the edges when we looking at a black background.

393
cd/m²
396
cd/m²
390
cd/m²
413
cd/m²
435
cd/m²
419
cd/m²
415
cd/m²
398
cd/m²
405
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO17D8 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 435 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 407.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 435 cd/m²
Contrast: 777:1 (Black: 0.56 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.81 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
45% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
49.24% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
47.57% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
IPS 1920x1080
Lenovo Miix 2 10
IPS 1920x1200
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
IPS 1366x768
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
IPS 1366x768
Acer Iconia W510
IPS 1366x768
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
IPS 1366x768
Display
-5%
-9%
-15%
-9%
Display P3 Coverage
47.57
45.21
-5%
43.47
-9%
40.34
-15%
43.15
-9%
sRGB Coverage
70.2
66.1
-6%
64.5
-8%
60.2
-14%
64.5
-8%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
49.24
46.96
-5%
45.03
-9%
41.78
-15%
44.62
-9%
Screen
-11%
-11%
-10%
-6%
9%
Brightness middle
435
385.8
-11%
329
-24%
248
-43%
273
-37%
357
-18%
Brightness
407
371
-9%
315
-23%
238
-42%
278
-32%
330
-19%
Brightness Distribution
90
87
-3%
85
-6%
91
1%
92
2%
87
-3%
Black Level *
0.56
0.749
-34%
0.41
27%
0.24
57%
0.35
37%
0.37
34%
Contrast
777
515
-34%
802
3%
1033
33%
780
0%
965
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.12
5.19
-1%
6.41
-25%
7
-37%
3.88
24%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.81
4.45
7%
6.3
-31%
6.54
-36%
2.79
42%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2 110%
2.54 87%
2.58 85%
2.26 97%
CCT
6723 97%
6674 97%
6206 105%
6707 97%
6849 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
45
43
-4%
38
-16%
40.92
-9%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / -10%
-10% / -11%
-13% / -12%
-6% / -6%
0% / 4%

* ... smaller is better

AdobeRGB, 45% coverage
AdobeRGB, 45% coverage
sRGB, 61% coverage
sRGB, 61% coverage

The contrast of the new panel is slightly lower at 777:1, which is simply a side effect of the higher maximum brightness. We always measure the contrast ratio at maximum brightness on external power and in the middle of the panel.

We use the tool CalMan and a photospectrometer to evaluate the panel as it's shipped from the factory. The graylevels show a very low DeltaE deviation of 5, which is not perfect, but actually quite good. A value of under three would be ideal, as the untrained eye then is unable to see the difference between the sRGB reference and the displayed color.

The ColorChecker DeltaE deviation of 5 is also very good. As typical for IPS displays, the panel does not exhibit a bluish cast. The display only covers 45 % of the AdobeRGB color space, which is in line with the main competitor T100TA. The panel of the sister model Aspire Switch 10 HD has a better contrast ratio; all the other competitors don't even come close. As far as the resolution is concerned, the IdeaTab Miix 2 10 is a true alternative - and it only costs about 50 Euro (~$63) more with a starting price of 380 Euro (~$600).

It gets even better: with the display calibrated, the DeltaE for the graylevels drops to an excellent 1, while the colors have a DeltaE of about 3.5. The color accuracy is unmatched by any direct competitor.


CalMAN Graylevles, DeltaE < 5
CalMAN Graylevles, DeltaE < 5
CalMAN Saturation - deviation blue
CalMAN Saturation - deviation blue
CalMAN Colors, DeltaE 5
CalMAN Colors, DeltaE 5
CalMAN Graylevels calibrated, DeltaE close to 1
CalMAN Graylevels calibrated, DeltaE close to 1
CalMAN Saturation calibration - DeltaE drops further
CalMAN Saturation calibration - DeltaE drops further
CalMAN Colors calibrated, DeltaE 3,5
CalMAN Colors calibrated, DeltaE 3,5

Despite its glare-type panel, the Switch 10 is quite usable outdoors thanks to the high brightness, generous viewing angles, and the high contrast. The display colors don't invert even at extremely shallow viewing angles, the contrast doesn't change, and both symbols and text are exceedingly sharp. The display couldn't be any better.

Viewing angles Acer Aspire Switch 10 FHD
Viewing angles Acer Aspire Switch 10 FHD
Outdoors - cloudy conditions
Outdoors - cloudy conditions
Outdoors - cloudy conditions
Outdoors - cloudy conditions

Performance

The two models differ as far as the CPU is concerned: our review convertible is equipped with an Intel Atom Z3735F (1.33 GHz), the sister model Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU with the HD panel comes with the Z3745D (1.33 GHz). The clock rates are identical with the frequency for both quad-core SoCs ranging from 1.330 to 1.830 MHz. Intel Atom Z3735F Tablet SoCCompared to the Z3745D (313-792 MHz), the Z3735F has the slightly slower Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail, 313-646 MHz). The SDP of 2.2 watts is identical according to Intel.

The 32 GB Hynix (HGB4E) flash drive is the clear bottleneck of the system as far as storage is concerned. As shipped, the system only has 10 GB of free space and the recovery partition needs another few GB. The sister model with its Hynix HFS128G3MNM (128 GB) has significantly more space available.

Processor

The performance of the Intel Atom Z3735F lags behind the Atom Z3745D. Especially the results of the shading 32-bit test favor the Atom D-SoCs (Switch 10 HD, Miix 2 10). The T100TA with the Z3740 also offers better GPU and CPU performance. During our tests the SoC didn't behave in an unexpected manner and maintained 1.58 GHz when running Prime95 Multi.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745D, Hynix HCG8E 64 GB
Lenovo Miix 2 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, SanDisk U100 128 GB
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia W510
Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3650, Z2760, 64 GB SSD
Cinebench R10
63%
56%
57%
-17%
Rendering Single 32Bit
774
972
26%
968
25%
940
21%
1004
30%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2424
3389
40%
3226
33%
3334
38%
1685
-30%
Shading 32Bit
898
2004
123%
1875
109%
1898
111%
435
-52%
3DMark 06 - CPU
CPU Score
856
1827
113%
1880
120%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
63% / 63%
85% / 70%
89% / 73%
-17% / -17%
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
774
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2424
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
898
Help

System Performance

The system performance of the review convertible trails the Switch 10 HD slightly because of the lower processor performance. The Switch 10 Full-HD manages to almost catch up to the Lenovo Miix 2 10, however, even though the Computation Score is slightly lower. The reason: the very decent Storage Score.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745D, Hynix HCG8E 64 GB
Lenovo Miix 2 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, SanDisk U100 128 GB
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia W510
Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3650, Z2760, 64 GB SSD
PCMark 7
15%
3%
1%
-45%
Score
2252
2530
12%
2342
4%
2339
4%
1248
-45%
Lightweight
1219
1316
8%
1246
2%
1258
3%
Productivity
850
940
11%
945
11%
983
16%
Entertainment
1479
1779
20%
1620
10%
1674
13%
Creativity
4422
4775
8%
4214
-5%
3938
-11%
Computation
5409
8333
54%
6069
12%
5138
-5%
System Storage
3730
3351
-10%
3243
-13%
3255
-13%
PCMark 7 Score
2252 points
Help
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745D, Hynix HCG8E 64 GB
Lenovo Miix 2 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, SanDisk U100 128 GB
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia W510
Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3650, Z2760, 64 GB SSD
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-29%
-51%
-42%
-64%
Read Seq
169.3
138.1
-18%
75.4
-55%
109
-36%
78.2
-54%
Write Seq
72.8
45.14
-38%
31.83
-56%
43.2
-41%
23.04
-68%
Read 512
151.1
121.2
-20%
69.3
-54%
104.7
-31%
74.1
-51%
Write 512
72.7
43.87
-40%
19.8
-73%
18.93
-74%
10.47
-86%
Read 4k
18.31
14.4
-21%
7.856
-57%
10.33
-44%
7.116
-61%
Write 4k
5.603
3.855
-31%
3.639
-35%
4.034
-28%
2.367
-58%
Read 4k QD32
26.66
16.68
-37%
11.89
-55%
10.44
-61%
7.403
-72%
Write 4k QD32
5.642
4.272
-24%
4.585
-19%
4.408
-22%
1.967
-65%
32 GB eMMC Flash
Sequential Read: 169.3 MB/s
Sequential Write: 72.8 MB/s
512K Read: 151.1 MB/s
512K Write: 72.7 MB/s
4K Read: 18.31 MB/s
4K Write: 5.603 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 26.66 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 5.642 MB/s

GPU Performance

As we mentioned earlier, the integrated HD Graphics is a bit slower than the GPUs in the other Atom Bay Trail SoCs.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745D, Hynix HCG8E 64 GB
Lenovo Miix 2 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, SanDisk U100 128 GB
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3DMark 11
23%
6%
13%
1280x720 Performance
206
233
13%
215
4%
209
1%
1280x720 Performance GPU
178
199
12%
184
3%
178
0%
1280x720 Performance Physics
898
1345
50%
1186
32%
1327
48%
1280x720 Performance Combined
217
251
16%
185
-15%
225
4%
3DMark 06
1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x
1395
2009
44%
1692
21%
1868
34%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
34% / 27%
14% / 9%
24% / 17%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
1395 points
3DMark 11 Performance
206 points
Help
low med. high ultra
Anno 2070 (2011) 17.4 6.8 4.1

Emissions & Energy Consumption

Temperature

Max. Load
 40.2 °C
104 F
35.2 °C
95 F
35.8 °C
96 F
 
 44 °C
111 F
33.2 °C
92 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
 39.4 °C
103 F
37 °C
99 F
38.1 °C
101 F
 
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
38.1 °C
101 F
32.5 °C
91 F
37.6 °C
100 F
28.6 °C
83 F
33 °C
91 F
37.4 °C
99 F
29.6 °C
85 F
32.6 °C
91 F
35.5 °C
96 F
Maximum: 38.1 °C = 101 F
Average: 33.9 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.6 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 22.1 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.6 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 39.4 °C / 102.9 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-11.3 °C / -20.3 F).
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.2 / 5.1 / 5.5 Watt
Load midlight 9.2 / 10.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 960
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745D, Hynix HCG8E 64 GB
Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Iconia W510
Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3650, Z2760, 64 GB SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S (Haswell)
HD Graphics 4200, 4210Y, Samsung MZMPC128HBFU
Power Consumption
7%
10%
7%
-81%
Idle Minimum *
2.2
1.7
23%
1.7
23%
1.7
23%
3.3
-50%
Idle Average *
5.1
3.1
39%
3.9
24%
4.2
18%
7
-37%
Idle Maximum *
5.5
4.1
25%
3.9
29%
6.9
-25%
8.3
-51%
Load Average *
9.2
9.3
-1%
10.7
-16%
8.2
11%
22.8
-148%
Load Maximum *
10.8
16.1
-49%
11.8
-9%
9.7
10%
23.4
-117%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

A spot check of the battery life with our WLAN test showed a run time increase of almost 30 % compared to the HD Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU. Even though the battery capacity is identical at 24 Wh, the lower performance and lower power consumption under load are responsible for the increase. Wireless web browsing with the FHD version is possible for about 7.5 hours. For this test, we lowered the brightness to 127 cd/m² (maximum brightness lowered by 7 steps to get as close to the standard of 150 cd/m² we normally use for this test).

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
7h 33min

Verdict

Although the FHD Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP is slightly slower than the HD version, the battery life is longer and the display brighter. The decrease in performance will hardly be noticeable, since our review convertible was able to make up most of the difference with its very fast eMMC flash storage drive. Equipped with an outstanding IPS display, the Switch 10 FHD's only real disadvantage is the lack of available storage space. We would definitely recommend the 64 GB version, which costs 70 Euro (~$85) more.

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In Review: Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP. Test model courtesy of Acer Germany
In Review: Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP. Test model courtesy of Acer Germany

Specifications

Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP (Aspire Switch Series)
Processor
Intel Atom Z3735F 4 x 1.3 - 1.8 GHz, Bay Trail-T, Bay Trail T
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail) - 1029 MB VRAM, Core: 792 MHz, DDR3, Intel HD Graphics Gen7 4EU, 10.18.10.3383
Memory
2048 MB 
, onboard
Display
10.10 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel, 5 Finger Touch, AUO17D8, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, Hynix HGB4E, 10 GB free
Soundcard
HD Audio
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: kombinierter Headset-Anschluss, Card Reader: MicroSD, Sensors: Ambient light sensor, rotational sensor, Invensense Sensor Package
Networking
Realtek RTL8723BS (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20 x 262 x 189 ( = 0.79 x 10.31 x 7.44 in)
Battery
24 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 32 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2MP located on the front
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty, TPM2.0, hard drive encryption, CS (InstantGo),
Weight
1.05 kg ( = 37.04 oz / 2.31 pounds), Power Supply: 70 g ( = 2.47 oz / 0.15 pounds)

 

Acer Aspire Switch 10 - now with FHD IPS panel
Acer Aspire Switch 10 - now with FHD IPS panel
Viewing angles ...
Viewing angles ...
... of over ...
... of over ...
... 160 degrees are possible.
... 160 degrees are possible.
The contrast of 663:1 is just sufficient, however.
The contrast of 663:1 is just sufficient, however.

Similar Convertibles

Similar devices with the Same Specs

Similar devices from a different Manufacturer

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

HP Pavilion x2 10-n013dx Convertible Review
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Atom Z3736F
Asus Transformer Book T100TAL Convertible Review
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Atom Z3735D

Links

  • Manufacturer's Information

Price Comparison

Pros

+good ergonomics for this type of device (keyboard, trackpad, display)
+good multi-mode design with a solid hinge
+vivid, bright FHD panel
+nice quality speakers
+price
 

Cons

-plastic used for the chassis feels a little cheap

Shortcut

What we like

A versatile and light 2-in-1 convertible for at home and while travelling.

What we'd like to see

A larger flash storage drive.

What surprises us

The quality of the display give the price.

The competition

Asus Transformer Book T100TA
Lenovo Miix 2 10
Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S

Rating

Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-13DP - 11/05/2014 v4(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
68 / 98 → 69%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
72%
Connectivity
47 / 80 → 59%
Weight
74 / 35-78 → 91%
Battery
90%
Display
84%
Games Performance
44 / 68 → 65%
Application Performance
57 / 87 → 66%
Temperature
86%
Noise
100%
Audio
70 / 91 → 77%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
69%
78%
Convertible - Weighted Average
Sebastian Jentsch, 2014-11-11 (Update: 2020-06-11)