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MagyarAcer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
The Aspire V 15 Nitro series seems to be a success: Launched last year, Acer now offers a new version of its scalable Nitro lineup. We just reviewed the Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-72L0 earlier in November. The spec sheet of the multimedia all-rounder already promised a decent performance, and the low-voltage Skylake processor Intel Core i7-6500U (15 Watts, 14 nm) in combination with the graphics card GeForce GTX 950M left a good impression. This was also the case for the display: It convinced with IPS, Full HD and a good color quality. A combination of SSD and HDD was a great solution as well.
This lush hardware equipment retails for around 1,200 Euros (~$1274). Our current review sample, the Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG, only costs around 900 Euros (~$955). In return, you have to waive the SSD, because it "only" has a 1 TB hard drive. It is equipped with an Intel Core i5-6200U processor as well as a GeForce 945M graphics card. Chassis and display are identical, which is why we skip these sections in this update and refer to the detailed review of the VN7-572G-72L0.
Display
Even though it is the same display that we checked in the review of the VN7-572G-72L0, we once again checked the quality to rule-out that Acer uses a worse panel in favor of the price. But this is not the case, we cannot determine any differences.
The LG display (LP156WF6-SPB1, IPS) not only features the Full HD resolution, but it can also convince with excellent measurements: The maximum brightness of more than 342 cd/m² is pretty rare in a device with a three-digit price point. The picture quality is exemplary with a low black value, a high contrast and comparatively low color deviations. A detailed analysis is available in the review of the Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-72L0. We also included a comparison with the siblings.
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Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 342 cd/m²
Contrast: 950:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.22 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.53 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
82% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
54% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.47
| Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG GeForce 945M, 6200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-792G-55SF GeForce 945M, 6300HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD | Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 11% | 2% | 8% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 64 | 68 6% | 66.9 5% | 67 5% |
| sRGB Coverage | 83.4 | 94.6 13% | 84 1% | 91.3 9% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 60.9 | 68.6 13% | 61.4 1% | 66.7 10% |
| Response Times | -5% | -74% | ||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 28 ? | 36 ? -29% | 58 ? -107% | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 20 ? | 16 ? 20% | 28 ? -40% | |
| PWM Frequency | ||||
| Screen | 10% | -10% | 10% | |
| Brightness middle | 342 | 277 -19% | 317 -7% | 346 1% |
| Brightness | 321 | 261 -19% | 319 -1% | 326 2% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 88 1% | 87 0% | 88 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.26 28% | 0.46 -28% | 0.32 11% |
| Contrast | 950 | 1065 12% | 689 -27% | 1081 14% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.22 | 3.49 33% | 5.79 -11% | 4.01 23% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.53 | 3.27 28% | 5.01 -11% | 3.58 21% |
| Gamma | 2.47 89% | 2.35 94% | 2.35 94% | 2.23 99% |
| CCT | 6900 94% | 6801 96% | 7347 88% | 6426 101% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 54 | 61.5 14% | 55 2% | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 82 | 94.6 15% | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 5% /
8% | -4% /
-7% | -19% /
-4% |
* ... smaller is better
The situation could not be better for use outdoors: A matte IPS panel with a good luminance above 300 nits and excellent colors. Using the notebook under direct sunlight is still not really possible, even with such a good panel.
We already found out that the IPS display convinces with good viewing angles in the review of the sibling VN7-572G-72L0. Our photo montage shows that nothing changed and that the picture stays pretty stable even from flat angles.
Performance
The Skylake processor Intel Core i5-6200U as well as the graphics card GeForce 945M should be sufficient for multimedia and office purposes for the majority of private users without special requirements. Thanks to the dedicated GPU, the notebook can also handle games, even though we will see that it can require some compromises later in this review. You also get 8 GB DDR4 memory and a generous storage capacity of 1 TB. An SSD or at least a hybrid drive, however, is not included for this price. Flash storage is reserved for the more expensive models of the Aspire V 15 Nitro.
Processor
Just like all the other current Nitro devices, our review sample uses an Intel CPU based on the current Skylake architecture. It is the least expensive Nitro, so it is obviously equipped with the least powerful processor of all Nitro devices. The CPU has the designation Intel Core i5-6200U and is a frugal low-voltage CPU with Hyper-Threading support. The dual-core has a TDP of 15 Watts and runs at a nominal clock of 2.3 GHz. We can see the maximum Turbo Boost of up to 2.7 GHz in the single-core benchmarks of Cinebench R15.
The other tested devices from the Nitro series cost more than 1,000 Euros (~$1061, and sometimes much more) are equipped with quad-cores like the Intel Core i5-6300HQ in the Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-792G-55SF or the Intel Core i7-6700HQ in the Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4. Our benchmarks show that the ULV processor from the review sample obviously cannot compete with these chips, but this is the compromise you will have to make for an Aspire V Nitro that costs less than 1,000 Euros (~$1061).
System Performance
A comparison of the PCMark results meets the expectations: The much more expensive Nitros also have an advantage in respect of the general system performance, because our model only uses a conventional hard drive, while the other Nitros are equipped with SSDs. The processor and the storage device are the bottlenecks in this case. Still, the differences are not that big at 6 up to 16%. The performance of the dual-core will be sufficient for many private users. A quad-core will only be the better choice if you plan to use workstation applications that benefit from multi-threading. This includes simulations, CAD or audio and video decoding.
| PCMark 7 Score | 2764 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3237 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3878 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
The majority of Nitros are equipped with HDD-SSD combinations for fast transfer rates as well as a decent storage capacity. Because of the low retail price of just 900 Euros (~$955), our review sample is only equipped with a 1 TB hard drive and around 868 GB is free. It is a mainstream drive from Western Digital (WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0) with 8 MB cache and 5400 revolutions per minute. Its read and write rates are average and nothing special.
GPU Performance
Due to the similar designations, you might think that the performance of the Nvidia GeForce 945M is similar to the 940M. But this is not the case: The 945M is actually much closer to the GeForce GTX models like the GTX 950M and 3DMark shows that it clearly beats the 940M. However, the big difference is already visible when you look at the specs: The GeForce 940M only has 384 shaders and a 64-bit memory interface, while the 945M has 512 shaders and a 128-bit interface.
For the sake of completeness, we also want to mention the integrated GPU of the Intel chip: It has the designation Intel HD Graphics 520 in the current Skylake processors and replaces the Intel HD Graphics from the Broadwell generation. The performance of the HD Graphics 520 can compete with entry-level GPUs from Nvidia like the GeForce 820M, for example.
Thanks to Nividia's Optimus technology, the device automatically switches between the GPUs. The more frugal Intel GPU is used for simple tasks on the desktop. By the way, Acer does not reduce the performance on battery power.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 2877 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 49633 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 7913 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2434 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
We just mentioned that the performance of the GeForce 945M is close to more powerful GPUs that can handle games. Even current titles will run on the reviewed Aspire V 15 Nitro when you look at the frame rates: The brand-new Fallout 4, for instance, runs completely smooth as long as you avoid the Full HD resolution and the highest details. Older but not necessarily less demanding games can even be enjoyed in the native FHD resolution and the highest details, like the four-year old Skyrim.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) | 50 | 48 | 40 | |
| Total War: Rome II (2013) | 133 | 101 | 73 | 17 |
| Fallout 4 (2015) | 54 | 33 | 18 | 15 |
Emissions
System Noise
The two fans are conveniently restrained as long as you are on the desktop or perform simple office tasks. The device is therefore almost silent, which we already noticed in the reviews of other models from this series. You can only hear the hard drive when it is active. We measured a pretty high noise of 33 dB(A) while idling, but it should not be distracting for the user.
Looking at the noise under load and we can see that this Nitro model is not quieter than other versions with more powerful hardware. The standard-voltage CPU does create more heat in these cases, but Acer obviously uses identical fans to dissipate the heat. You can clearly hear them in GPU-demanding applications. The ULV processor therefore does not necessarily result in a quieter cooling solution.
| Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG GeForce 945M, 6200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0 GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128 | Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-792G-55SF GeForce 945M, 6300HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD | Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 2% | 12% | 3% | 2% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 33.5 | 29.6 12% | 30.1 10% | 29.6 12% | 32.6 3% |
| Idle Average * | 33.5 | 32.1 4% | 30.1 10% | 30.6 9% | 32.6 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 33.5 | 32.8 2% | 30.9 8% | 31.4 6% | 33.4 -0% |
| Load Average * | 39.8 | 41.4 -4% | 33.6 16% | 44.4 -12% | 36.5 8% |
| Load Maximum * | 45.5 | 48.4 -6% | 38.6 15% | 44.6 2% | 48 -5% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 33.5 / 33.5 / 33.5 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 33.5 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 39.8 / 45.5 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
Our stress test for the notebook uses the tools Prime95 and FurMark to determine if the device throttles due to temperature restraints. The chassis reaches more than 50 °C at the fan exhaust, so the keyboard can get pretty warm was well at some points. The CPU sensors determine a maximum temperature of up to 91 °C, which is not uncommon, while the clock is limited to the nominal clock of 2.3 GHz. There is at least no throttling.
Compared to other 15-inch devices from the Nitro series, we cannot determine significantly lower temperatures, which you might assume due to the less powerful hardware. Only the 17-inch devices have slightly lower temperatures thanks to their larger cases.
The models hardly differ while idling: All devices only reach about 30 °C.
| Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG GeForce 945M, 6200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0 GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128 | Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-792G-55SF GeForce 945M, 6300HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD | Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 5% | 3% | -1% | 4% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 56.4 | 48.4 14% | 42.1 25% | 48 15% | 43.8 22% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 43.2 | 46 -6% | 42 3% | 47.6 -10% | 41.4 4% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 30.6 | 28.9 6% | 31.2 -2% | 32.3 -6% | 30.7 -0% |
| Idle Bottom * | 30 | 27.9 7% | 34 -13% | 30.8 -3% | 33 -10% |
* ... smaller is better
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 56.4 °C / 134 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.3 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.4 °C / 90.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-3.6 °C / -6.5 F).
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The notebook does not consume significantly less power than the more powerful siblings in practice. The low-voltage CPU is therefore not necessarily more efficient than the standard-voltage CPUs based on the same processor architecture. The Acer Aspire V 17 Nitro VN7-792G-55SF with an Intel Core i5-6300HQ, for example, only consumes between 6 and 14 Watts. The maximum performance, and therefore the maximum consumption, is obviously much higher.
| Off / Standby | 0.2 / 0.75 Watt |
| Idle | 6.1 / 10.2 / 13 Watt |
| Load |
54 / 74 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Runtime
Similar to all notebooks from the Nitro series, our review unit is equipped with a 52-Wh 3-cell battery. The power consumption does not differ from the siblings, either, so it is not surprising that the runtimes are similar as well. The reading test at the minimum brightness runs for almost 13 hours on the Aspire V 15 Nitro. The VN7-572G-72L0 with similar but slightly better hardware only falls 15 minutes short. Our review sample clearly beats this sibling in the Wi-Fi test: While we just determined almost 6 hours for this model, our review sample lasted almost 7.5 hours and does not fall behind the good runtime of the model from last year, the Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G. It can clearly protect its reputation as an enduring notebook.
| Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG GeForce 945M, 6200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Acer Aspire VN7-572G-72L0 GeForce GTX 950M, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B128 | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -14% | 4% | -39% | |
| Reader / Idle | 779 | 761 -2% | 797 2% | 596 -23% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 441 | 359 -19% | 448 2% | |
| Load | 148 | 118 -20% | 161 9% | 68 -54% |
| H.264 | 427 | 221 | ||
| WiFi | 277 | |||
| Gaming | 45 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Acer uses components for our review unit – including the case, input devices and the display – that it uses for the other Nitro devices, which retail for more than 1,000 Euros (~$1061). The processor and the graphics card are less expensive, but the Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG is still a sophisticated multimedia notebook for around 900 Euros (~$955).
Except for the CPU, GPU and the hard drive, the review sample is identical to the previously reviewed model Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-72L0. We already called it a clever evolution compared to the successful Nitro from last year: The old Haswell and Broadwell generation was replaced by fresh Skylake hardware, and you get a USB 3.1 jack, even though it only supports 3.0 transfer speeds in combination with the Skylake architecture.
The majority of private users do not necessarily need the performance of i7 processors or GTX graphics cards. For these users, the "low-end Nitro" is a good alternative for a fair price.
We still like the design, haptics and the build quality of the chassis, and the less expensive Nitro model uses the same high-quality display. Even though this model is a couple of hundred Euros cheaper, the CPU-GPU combination is still powerful enough for complex applications, like current 3D games.
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-572G-54YG
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11/19/2015 v4(old)
Manuel Christa
Pricecompare
