Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
Within its Aspire V15 Nitro series, Acer offers two laptop models with a largely identical build that primarily differ in terms of innards. The models from the VN7-591G series are equipped with standard mobile processors and GeForce GTX 860M graphics core. It is targeted at gamers looking for a slim gaming laptop. The members of the VN7-571G series are equipped with ULV processors and GeForce 840M or GeForce GTX 850M cores. These models can also render computer games, but they focus on users who need an all-round laptop. We have already tested a representative of this range, the VN7-571G-56NX. The device we are currently facing also comes from this series. It features a new Broadwell processor. Our review will reveal whether it can compete with its sister model.
The Aspire is currently available for approximately 730 Euros (~$780). Toshiba's Satellite S50-B-12U is one of the laptop's rivals within the 700 Euros (~$748) price range. Lenovo's Y50 should be seen rather as a rival of the VN7-591G series. However, its low price makes it also a rival of the VN7-571G series. The Lenovo Y50-70 59428452 (Core i5-4200H, GeForce GTX 860M, no Windows operating system) was available for under 800 Euros (~$855) at the time of testing.
Since both VN7-571G models feature an identical build, we will not go into details about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the reviews of the Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX and Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9.
Display
The Aspire has been equipped with a matte, 15.6-inch screen with a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness rate of 283.2 cd/m² is satisfactory. However, in this price range, the rate should be above 300 cd/m². The screens in Toshiba's Satellite S50-B-12U (207.7 cd/m²; HD) and Lenovo's Y50-70 (221.3 cd/m²; Full HD) present lower rates.
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Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 320 cd/m²
Contrast: 1000:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.31 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.73 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
52.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
80.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.36
The screen's contrast of 1000:1 and black level of 0.32 cd/m² are also appealing. In this regard, the Aspire does a better job than both the Satellite (495:1; 0.41 cd/m²) and Lenovo's Y50 (315:1; 0.72 cd/m²). The screen cannot display the AdobeRGB or sRGB color space. The coverage rates are 72.2% (sRGB) and 52.9% (AdobeRGB). The screen's color reproduction is acceptable. The average DeltaE 2000 shift was 5.31 in state of delivery. The target should be a value less than 3. The screen did not exhibit any visible bluish cast.
Acer has installed an IPS screen in its Aspire. Consequently, the screen is easy to read from every angle. The screen's matte surface makes it possible to use the laptop outdoors.
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H IPS 1920x1080 | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX TN 1366x768 | Toshiba Satellite S50-B-12U TN 1366x768 | Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 TN 1920x1080 | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-75TD IPS 3840x2160 | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 IPS 1920x1080 | Asus N551JK-CN166H IPS 1920x1080 | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X TN 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -29% | -31% | -38% | 10% | 5% | 15% | -5% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 63.2 | 41.35 -35% | 39.83 -37% | 35.98 -43% | 64.5 2% | 66.9 6% | 67.3 6% | 55.9 -12% |
| sRGB Coverage | 80.6 | 61.2 -24% | 59.9 -26% | 52.8 -34% | 94.5 17% | 84 4% | 96.7 20% | 80.7 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 58.9 | 42.54 -28% | 41.15 -30% | 37.28 -37% | 66.2 12% | 61.4 4% | 69.4 18% | 57.8 -2% |
| Screen | -52% | -48% | -60% | 11% | -9% | -8% | -62% | |
| Brightness middle | 320 | 213 -33% | 203 -37% | 227.1 -29% | 301 -6% | 317 -1% | 323 1% | 223 -30% |
| Brightness | 283 | 208 -27% | 208 -27% | 221 -22% | 303 7% | 319 13% | 312 10% | 226 -20% |
| Brightness Distribution | 83 | 84 1% | 88 6% | 85 2% | 87 5% | 87 5% | 83 0% | 91 10% |
| Black Level * | 0.32 | 0.7 -119% | 0.41 -28% | 0.722 -126% | 0.3 6% | 0.46 -44% | 0.38 -19% | 0.77 -141% |
| Contrast | 1000 | 304 -70% | 495 -50% | 315 -68% | 1003 0% | 689 -31% | 850 -15% | 290 -71% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.31 | 7.59 -43% | 9.93 -87% | 10.13 -91% | 3.15 41% | 5.79 -9% | 7.4 -39% | 10.13 -91% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.73 | 9.23 -95% | 10.84 -129% | 10.04 -112% | 3.94 17% | 5.01 -6% | 6.24 -32% | 11.68 -147% |
| Gamma | 2.36 93% | 2.2 100% | 2.24 98% | 2.15 102% | 2.35 94% | 2.35 94% | 2.98 74% | 2.92 75% |
| CCT | 5980 109% | 9250 70% | 11605 56% | 10438 62% | 6855 95% | 7347 88% | 8098 80% | 12592 52% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 52.9 | 39 -26% | 38 -28% | 34.26 -35% | 61 15% | 55 4% | 69 30% | 52 -2% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 94.4 | |||||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -41% /
-45% | -40% /
-43% | -49% /
-54% | 11% /
11% | -2% /
-5% | 4% /
-2% | -34% /
-46% |
* ... smaller is better
Performance
Acer has a 15.6-inch, all-round laptop in its range with the Aspire. It has enough computing power for routine tasks, and allows playing computer games. Its long battery life makes it also suitable for mobile working. Our review sample is available for approximately 700 Euros (~$748). Acer also offers many other configurations.
Processor
The Broadwell CPU in the Aspire is the Core i5-5200U. It is a dual-core processor that clocks with a base speed of 2.2 GHz. Its speed can be boosted to 2.5 GHz (both cores) and 2.7 GHz (one core) via Turbo. The Turbo is utilized in both AC and battery mode. Our findings in other laptops also apply to the Aspire: The Broadwell processor achieves a performance increase of 5 to 15% compared with its Haswell precursors (Core i5-4200U, Core i5-4210U). The Core i5-5200U processor's slightly faster clock speed and the improvements of the Broadwell architecture are responsible for this.
The Broadwell Aspire cannot compete with either of the Aspire VN7-591G models we have tested. These laptops are equipped with standard mobile processors that clock with a higher speed and feature four processing cores.
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-75TD | |
| HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
| Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
In order to perform our benchmarks, we deleted the preloaded Linpus Linux and installed Windows 8.1. This functioned without any problems. The necessary drivers can be installed via the included driver DVD. The system ran smoothly and we did not encounter any problems after setting it up. The PCMark benchmark scores are also good. However, it is quite possible to increase the laptop's system performance. One suitable option would be replacing the hard drive with a solid-state drive.
| PCMark 7 Score | 3924 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3096 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3622 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4028 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
Acer has equipped the Aspire with a hybrid hard drive from Seagate. It has a capacity of 500 GB and spins with 5400 revolutions per minute. The integrated 8 GB SSD cache ensures that frequently used applications are loaded quickly. CrystalDiskMark recorded a read speed of 120.7 MB/s, and HD Tune delivered an average transfer rate of 88.3 MB/s. These are good rates for a 5400-rpm hard drive.
Graphics Card
Acer has treated its Aspire to two graphics cards: Intel's HD Graphics 5500 GPU and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 850M graphics core. They create a graphics switching solution (Optimus). While Intel's chip is used in routine applications and battery mode, Nvidia's GPU is enabled in performance-devouring applications like computer games. Switching is automatic, but the user can always intervene and define which application is to run on which GPU.
The GeForce core belongs to the upper GPU mid-range. It clocks with a base speed of 902 MHz, which can be increased to 1084 MHz via Turbo. The 3DMark benchmark scores are on the expected level. However, most GeForce GTX 850M laptops that we have tested presented slightly better 3DMark results because they featured stronger standard mobile processors (no ULV). To date, the Aspire is the fourth laptop with a combination of a GeForce GTX 850M GPU and ULV processor that we have tested.
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 16135 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 3912 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 47901 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 8783 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2632 points | |
Help | ||
| 3DMark 06 - 1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 | |
| HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
| Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
Gaming Performance
Games are not much of a challenge for the Aspire. The laptop can smoothly render virtually every up-to-date game in the HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) using medium to high quality settings. It is even possible to use the screen's native resolution in many games. However, stronger hardware will be required for permanently using high resolutions and quality settings in the latest blockbuster games. Here, Acer offers models from the Aspire V15 VN7-591G series. They are equipped with a standard mobile processor and a GeForce GTX 860 graphics core. The buyer would not have to pony up an excessive sum, either. The VN7-591G-50UG model (Core i5-4210H, Full HD screen, GeForce GTX 860M, Windows 8.1) was available for approximately 800 Euros (~$855) at review time.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trackmania Nations Forever (2008) | 300 | 120 | 62 | |
| Batman: Arkham City (2011) | 123 | 100 | 62 | 31 |
| CoD: Modern Warfare 3 (2011) | 101.2 | 87.3 | 53 | |
| Mass Effect 3 (2012) | 60 | 60 | 48.2 | |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 201.2 | 116.1 | 67.5 | 32.4 |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 118.7 | 82.4 | 68.3 | 23.6 |
| Thief (2014) | 50 | 35.9 | 31.1 | 17 |
| Batman: Arkham City | |
| 1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| 1366x768 High Preset DX11 AA:2x MS (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| Mass Effect 3 | |
| 1366x768 all on AA:on AF:4x (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-75TD | |
| HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
| 1920x1080 all on AA:on AF:8x (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-75TD | |
| CoD: Modern Warfare 3 | |
| 1366x768 Normal, all on, SSAO: Low (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
| 1366x768 High, all on, Image Quality: Native AA:2x (sort by value) | |
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Emissions
System Noise
The Aspire is virtually silent in idle mode. The fan spins very slowly, and only the hard drive's very quiet noise is audible. Replacing the hard drive with an SSD would eliminate this noise. The fan does not speed up excessively during load, either. We measured a noise level of 43.3 dB(A) during the stress test. Basically, the laptop's noise development is on par with that of its weaker Haswell sister model. However, the latter has a small advantage because it features an SSD ex-factory.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 31.9 / 31.9 / 32.2 dB(A) |
| DVD |
| 37.4 / dB(A) |
| Load |
| 37 / 43.3 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
The Aspire performed the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) differently in AC and battery mode. The graphics core clocked mostly with 1084 MHz in battery mode. It was regularly slowed down to 800 MHz for a short time. The CPU's speed permanently fluctuated between 500 MHz and 2.2 GHz. Both the CPU (2.5 GHz) and GPU (1084 MHz) operated at their full speeds for only a short time when the stress test was performed in AC mode. They then throttled slightly to 1.9 - 2.2 GHz (processor) and 1046 MHz (graphics core). The Aspire does not get unduly warm. During the stress test, only at one measuring point (in the area of the heat sink), did it exceed 40 degrees Celsius (~104 °F). Surprisingly, the laptop does not heat up quite as much as its Haswell sister model during load.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.2 °C / 119 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 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.2 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.9 °C / 85.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-1.1 °C / -2 F).
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The Aspire has proved rather more power hungry than its Haswell sister model while idling. We have already observed this characteristic in some Broadwell laptops. However, it is not surprising that the Broadwell Aspire consumes considerably more power than its sister model. After all, the laptop features a much stronger graphics core and a somewhat stronger CPU. In any event, the Broadwell Aspire's power consumption is within a normal field over the entire load range.
| Off / Standby | 0.4 / 0.7 Watt |
| Idle | 5.4 / 11.5 / 12.8 Watt |
| Load |
48.6 / 79.8 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Runtime
The Aspire's battery lasted for 13:17 hours while idling. Rivals like Toshiba's Satellite S50-B-12U (8:10 h) and Lenovo's Y50-70 (8:17 h) shut down sooner. Idle mode is simulated with Battery Eater Reader's test using minimum screen brightness, enabled energy-saving profile, and disabled wireless modules. The Aspire shut down after 2:41 hours of load. Again, it is clearly positioned ahead of the Satellite (1:56 h) and Lenovo's Y50 (1:28 h). The load runtime is ascertained with Battery Eater Classic test using maximum screen brightness, high-performance profile, and enabled wireless modules.
Acer's laptop stopped the Wi-Fi test after 7:28 hours. Once more, the Aspire clearly outruns both the Satellite (5:06 h) and Lenovo's Y50 (4:21 h). Websites are opened automatically every 40 seconds using the "Balanced" profile, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m² for this test. We check the video playback time by running the short movie Big Buck Bunny (H.264 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The wireless modules are off, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Aspire managed a runtime of 7:07 hours. We did not perform this test with either of the competitors.
The Aspire's battery life lags slightly behind that of its Haswell sister model. This was expected since it is equipped with a stronger processor and a considerably stronger graphics core. However, the Broadwell Aspire also provides excellent runtimes.
| Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GTX 850M/5200U | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX 840M/4210U | Toshiba Satellite S50-B-12U R7 M260/4210U | Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 GTX 860M/4700HQ | Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-591G-77A9 GTX 860M/4710HQ | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-591G-75TD GTX 860M/4710HQ | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng R7 M260/A10-5745M | Asus N551JK-CN166H GTX 850M/4200H | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X 840M/5200U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 26% | -34% | -42% | -44% | -59% | -49% | 2% | ||
| Reader / Idle | 797 | 1221 53% | 490 -39% | 497 -38% | 596 -25% | 351 -56% | 436 -45% | 795 0% | |
| H.264 | 427 | 507 19% | 221 -48% | 174 -59% | 424 -1% | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 448 | ||||||||
| Load | 161 | 172 7% | 116 -28% | 88 -45% | 68 -58% | 61 -62% | 76 -53% | 172 7% | |
| WiFi | 506 | 306 | 261 | 277 | 181 | 181 | 271 | 412 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Acer has managed a very good compromise of performance and ergonomics with its Aspire Nitro VN7-571G-574H. The laptop has enough computing power for routine tasks, and can render virtually every up-to-date computer game smoothly. At the same time, the owner does not have to give up a low operating noise and relatively low casing temperatures. The laptop can also serve with an outstanding battery life - which is not a matter of course in this performance category.
The long battery life alongside the decent keyboard (including backlight) makes the laptop interesting for mobile use. The screen does not disappoint, either. Acer has installed a bright, high-contrast IPS screen with a matte surface.
Acer has to accept criticism for the poor maintenance and upgrade options. For example, in order to upgrade the working memory to 16 GB, the casing would have to be opened and the motherboard removed.
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H
- 03/10/2015 v4 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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