Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793G (7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti, FHD) Laptop Review
For the original German review, see here.
The Aspire Nitro VN7-793G-5811 is one of Acer’s latest 17.3-inch Nitro generation, with our review unit representing the entry-level model of the series. It features a Kaby Lake quad-core Core i5 CPU and an Nvidia Pascal GPU. The device is no stranger to us: we have already had a pre-production model in our lab and were unable to detect any visible differences between the two. Its competitors are, among others, the HP Pavilion 17 and the Asus Strix GL753VD.
Given that our review unit is identical with aforementioned pre-production unit, we will not be addressing the case, the connectivity, the input devices, and the speakers in this article. Instead, we would like to refer you to the pre-production model's review.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
Display
The matte 17.3-inch display runs at a native resolution of 1920x1080. Even though brightness (270.3 nits) and contrast ratio (791:1) are okay, we expect a notebook in this price range to offer at least 300 nits and 1000:1, respectively. We were unable to detect any PWM flickering.
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Brightness Distribution: 79 %
Center on Battery: 301 cd/m²
Contrast: 792:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 1.88 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
86% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
56% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.35
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T LED IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6% | 2% | 1% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 63.1 | 67 6% | 65.2 3% | 67.1 6% |
| sRGB Coverage | 86.5 | 91.3 6% | 87.6 1% | 84.8 -2% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 63.3 | 66.7 5% | 64.1 1% | 62 -2% |
| Response Times | -29% | -1% | 3% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38 ? | 58 ? -53% | 36.8 3% | 33.2 ? 13% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 27 ? | 28 ? -4% | 28 -4% | 28.8 ? -7% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||
| Screen | -1% | -39% | -18% | |
| Brightness middle | 301 | 346 15% | 278.8 -7% | 349 16% |
| Brightness | 270 | 326 21% | 265 -2% | 337 25% |
| Brightness Distribution | 79 | 88 11% | 91 15% | 91 15% |
| Black Level * | 0.38 | 0.32 16% | 0.28 26% | 0.58 -53% |
| Contrast | 792 | 1081 36% | 996 26% | 602 -24% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.49 | 4.01 -15% | 5.8 -66% | 4.5 -29% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.49 | 10.6 -42% | 10.2 -36% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.88 | 3.58 -90% | 8.3 -341% | 3.3 -76% |
| Gamma | 2.35 94% | 2.23 99% | 2.1 105% | 2.15 102% |
| CCT | 6587 99% | 6426 101% | 5723 114% | 6103 107% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 56 | 57 2% | 55.7 -1% | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 86 | 87 1% | 75.7 -12% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -8% /
-4% | -13% /
-26% | -5% /
-11% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8631 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | ||
Color accuracy is very good out of the box, and our initial measurement revealed a DeltaE 2000 value of 3.49 (a value of less than 3 is what manufacturers should be aiming for). We did not detect a blue tint, and we were able to improve color accuracy somewhat through calibration: DeltaE was lowered to 2.81, and gray scales were much more balanced.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 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. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.7 ms). | ||
The notebook is equipped with an IPS panel with very good viewing angles. Thus, readability is good from all angles, perspectives, and positions. The notebook can even be used outdoors if it is not too bright.
Performance
The Aspire V17 Nitro is a 17.3-inch multimedia all-rounder that offers ample performance for the most common usage scenarios, and is also powerful enough to run most current games smoothly. Our review unit is the entry-level model in Acer’s Nitro line-up and is selling for around 1100 Euros ($1200) in Europe. This particular model is currently not listed on Acer’s US website. Thus, the entry-level model on this side of the Atlantic is the Core i7-7700HQ GTX 1060 equipped VN7-793G-758J, which sells for around 1440 Euros ($1600).
Processor
However, since we are talking about the entry-level model here, our review unit was not equipped with a Core i7 CPU but a Kaby Lake Core i5-7300HQ quad-core processor instead. It does not support Intel’s Hyperthreading, meaning that each one of the four 7300HQ cores can only work on one instead of an i7’s two simultaneous threads. Consequently, the Core i5-7300HQ offers a significantly lower multi-core performance than the Core i7-7700HQ. It runs at a base frequency of 2.5 GHz and turbo boosts up to 3.1 GHz on all four cores or up to 3.5 GHz on one core. Full turbo boost is applied on battery and when plugged in.
In order to determine whether or not the device is capable of running at its turbo boost frequency for prolonged periods of time we ran Cinebench R15’s multi-thread test for 30 minutes in a loop. The Aspire’s results were very consistent and we were unable to detect any drops in performance.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | |
| Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| Geekbench 4.0 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
System Performance
As expected, the system performed well and we did not encounter any problems whatsoever. PC Mark benchmark results are very good. The Aspire performed very well in all common usage scenarios. There is, however, some room for improvement. First and foremost would be the installation of an SSD drive for the operating system and the applications. This alone would improve loading times dramatically. A second memory module should also have a positive effect on the overall performance.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3596 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 4169 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4486 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
The primary storage device is a standard 1-TB 5400 RPM 2.5-inch Seagate hard drive. For a 5400 RPM model, it performed surprisingly well. However, access times were not the best.
The Aspire’s empty m.2 slot can be used for either a SATA or an NVMe SSD. Supported form factors are 2242, 2260, and 2280.
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035 | Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 Toshiba MQ02ABD100H | HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 Samsung CM871a MZNTY128HDHP | Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN) | Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793G-706L Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | -35% | 6706% | 4857% | 9559% | |
| Read Seq | 117.6 | 113.8 -3% | 520 342% | 475.7 305% | 1172 897% |
| Write Seq | 109.1 | 106.6 -2% | 353.6 224% | 419.1 284% | 1073 884% |
| Read 512 | 39.93 | 35.33 -12% | 376.2 842% | 336.1 742% | 760 1803% |
| Write 512 | 98.6 | 48.78 -51% | 118.5 20% | 346.6 252% | 878 790% |
| Read 4k | 0.435 | 0.539 24% | 32.7 7417% | 24.7 5578% | 21.04 4737% |
| Write 4k | 3.152 | 0.786 -75% | 85.3 2606% | 76.8 2337% | 59.8 1797% |
| Read 4k QD32 | 1.008 | 0.197 -80% | 399 39483% | 247.6 24463% | 573 56745% |
| Write 4k QD32 | 4.705 | 0.774 -84% | 132.5 2716% | 234.9 4893% | 419.8 8822% |
Graphics Card
The Aspire supports Nvidia Optimus, which means that during normal use it relies on Intel’s HD Graphics 630 for all its graphics and video needs. However, it quickly switches over to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for more demanding tasks. The upper mid-range GPU is based on the Pascal architecture, supports DirectX 12, clocks up to 1658 MHz, and has access to 4096 MB of GDDR5 video ram. 3D Mark benchmark results were at the expected level.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 8830 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 118843 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 16062 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 6500 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 3486 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2407 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The Aspire is capable of running all current games without a hitch. Most can even be played at the display’s native FHD resolution on medium to high details. Some games, such as “Mafia 3”, will require a lower resolution or less details. The Aspire gaming performance results were at a level comparable to other GTX 1050 Ti equipped notebooks.
We use “Witcher 3” to determine whether or not frame rates are consistent over prolonged periods of time by letting it run for around 60 minutes at full details and the panel’s native resolution (in this case: FHD). The player’s in-game character is stationary during the entire test. We were unable to detect any significant frame rate drops. Thus, there is no thermal throttling due to high temperatures.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 230 | 194.8 | 171.6 | 71 |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 128.5 | 115.7 | 73.1 | 57.7 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 126.5 | 86.2 | 46.7 | 25 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 139 | 112.1 | 89 | 84 |
| Resident Evil 7 (2017) | 251.5 | 121.9 | 67.5 | 52.8 |
| For Honor (2017) | 159.8 | 69.9 | 65.9 | 47.7 |
| Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) | 99.3 | 48.5 | 44.1 | 24.1 |
| Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) | 65.5 | 52.5 | 35.8 | 31.4 |
| Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) | 92.8 | 45.8 | 29.5 | 25.5 |
| Prey (2017) | 130.6 | 91.7 | 81.1 | 67.1 |
| BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) | |
| HP Omen 17-w100ng | |
| Nexoc G739 | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| HP Pavilion 17t-ab200 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Asus Strix GL753VD-GC045T | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| Resident Evil 7 - 1920x1080 Very High / On AA:FXAA+T | |
| Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 | |
| MSI GE72 7RE-046 | |
Emissions
System Noise
When idle, only one of the two system fans is running at low revs. Both the fan and the hard drive are barely audible. Under load the notebook gets significantly louder, and we measured a maximum of 42.6 dB(A) during our stress test. Everyday load scenarios, such as our “Witcher 3” test, produced a maximum level of 39.5 dB(A).
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 30.2 / 30.2 / 30.6 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 30.7 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 33.8 / 42.6 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 29.7 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The laptop performed differently in our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run simultaneously for at least one hour) depending on whether it was plugged in or running on battery. When plugged in, the CPU was running at 3.1 GHz most of the time with intermittent drops to 2.5 GHz, while the GPU was running between 1200 and 1500 MHz. On battery, the CPU clocked down to 800 MHz with intermittent single-core turbo boosts of up to 3.1 GHz, while the GPU was running between 1600 and 1658 MHz.
The device did not heat up too badly during our tests, and it never exceeded 50 °C (122 °F) during our stress test. The “Witcher 3” test results (one hour at FHD resolution and maximum details) are even better, during which the notebook managed to stay below 40 °C (104 °F) at all times.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48 °C / 118 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 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.3 °C / 88 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 27.6 °C / 81.7 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 (+1.2 °C / 2.1 F).
Speakers
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 6% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Frequency comparison (checkboxes selectable/deselectable!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
When idle, we measured a maximum draw of 15.4 W, which shot up to 130 W during the stress test. Given the high-end hardware the Aspire is equipped with, we expected as much. The power supply is rated at 135 W.
| Off / Standby | 0.25 / 0.8 Watt |
| Idle | 8.7 / 12.4 / 15.4 Watt |
| Load |
73 / 130 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Battery Life
Our real-life Wi-Fi test simulates the load that occurs while browsing the web. The energy profile is set to “Balanced”, all automatic power save features are disabled, and display brightness is set to 150 nits. With these settings, the Aspire ran out of juice after 4:38 hours.
Verdict
Pros
Cons
The Aspire VN7-793G-5811 is a relatively affordable 17.3-inch entry-level model into the world of Acer’s Nitro series. While its price of roughly 1100 Euros ($1200) does not get you a Core i7 CPU just yet, you do get a Core i5-7300HQ instead, which differs mainly from its i7 brethren in its clock speed and Hyperthreading capabilities. Nevertheless, the processor is more than powerful enough for the most common usage scenarios including modern games.
The combination of a quad-core Core i5 processor and a GTX 1050 Ti GPU ensures a smooth gaming experience.
In everyday use, the notebook is quiet and barely heats up. Its 1-TB hard drive offers ample storage space. The hard drive is user replaceable, but the case has to be opened since the laptop does not have any maintenance flaps. And since you have to open the case anyway, you might as well install an SSD into the device’s empty m.2 slot.
The matte IPS panel offers great viewing angles and decent color accuracy. Given the notebook’s high price, brightness and contrast ratio are nothing to write home about.
Our review unit did not include an operating system. It requires Windows 10 since Intel does not support Windows 7/8.1 for its latest Kaby Lake generation platform anymore. In addition, Microsoft has announced not to update Kaby Lake systems running Windows 7/8.1. However, the cheapest way to obtain a Windows 10 license is through a used Windows 7/8.1 license and the subsequent free upgrade to Windows 10.
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
- 05/13/2017 v6 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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