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Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG Subnotebook Review Update

Iris on-board. Long battery life, matte FHD screen, fast SSD and a decent keyboard make the Aspire V3-371-38ZG a good laptop. Does this model have any weaknesses?

For the original German review, see here.

The Aspire V3-371-38ZG is the fourth and newest member of this 13.3-inch Acer laptop series. The previous editions include the Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS, the Acer Aspire V3-331-P982, and the Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2, all of which made a good impression. These models offer matte screens, decent keyboards, and good battery life. The Aspire V3-371-38ZG is an effort to surpass its predecessors by offering the more powerful Iris Graphics 5100 IGP. We will find out in this review if our V3-371-38ZG test model is really more powerful than previous models.

The competition includes the Lenovo Ideapad U330p and the Asus Zenbook UX303LN. The Ideapad model we tested was equipped with a touchscreen, but there are similar matte (non-touch) screen configurations that are significantly cheaper. Acer's lowest-priced Zenbook, the UX303LA-R5094H, is an example: at 699 Euros, it is about 300 Euros less expensive than our 1,000 Euro V3-371-38ZG GeForce graphics card-equipped test model.

The Aspire V3-371-38ZG is identical in build to the Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS, which is why this review does not include the following sections, all of which can be found in the in-depth review of the Aspire V3-371-55GS: case, connectivity, display, input devices and speakers.

Display

The Aspire V3-371-38ZG uses the same display panel as the Aspire V3-371-55GS. Our V3-371-38ZG test model, however, provided different display values when tested. This is to be expected, as two panels are never identical. The brightness and contrast of the V3-371-38ZG screen could be better: we expected at least 250 cd/m² (brightness) and 500:1 (contrast).

225
cd/m²
230
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
230
cd/m²
221
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
211
cd/m²
213
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B1333HTN01.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 230 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 219.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 230 cd/m²
Contrast: 411:1 (Black: 0.56 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.92
ΔE Greyscale 9.95 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
41% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
44.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
43.23% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
Display
-1%
59%
Display P3 Coverage
43.23
42.99
-1%
72.7
68%
sRGB Coverage
64.8
64.5
0%
97.5
50%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
44.7
44.45
-1%
71.4
60%
Screen
-8%
-22%
38%
Brightness middle
230
209
-9%
265
15%
344
50%
Brightness
220
197
-10%
238
8%
339
54%
Brightness Distribution
91
75
-18%
79
-13%
88
-3%
Black Level *
0.56
0.7
-25%
1.02
-82%
0.55
2%
Contrast
411
299
-27%
260
-37%
625
52%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.4
7.24
14%
5.45
35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.95
8.49
15%
4.53
54%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.2 100%
2.27 97%
CCT
10109 64%
9631 67%
7458 87%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
41
41
0%
64
56%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
97.4
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-5% / -6%
-22% / -22%
49% / 43%

* ... smaller is better

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Grey levels
CalMAN - Grey levels
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

Performance

The Aspire-V3-371 series is Acer’s offering of 13.3-inch subnotebooks. The CPU of the test model offers enough juice for everyday use, and is accompanied by a fast SSD. The device we were provided is available for around 600 Euros, and is offered in many other configurations by Acer. The cheapest model of this series is the Acer Aspire V3-331-P982 (Pentium 3556UHD Graphics (Haswell)), which costs 440 Euros. 

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
System information - Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG

Processor

The test model was equipped with an Intel Core i3-4158U. This dual-core CPU (Haswell) has a TDP value of 28W, which is unusual as most Haswell ULV CPUs have a TDP value of 15W. The CPU runs at 2 GHz and offers no turbo. The CPU supports hyperthreading (two threads processed by each core simultaneously). The Core i3-4158U works a little faster than the Core i3-4030U thanks to its 100 MHz-higher clock speed. In everyday use, this difference is not noticeable. This level of performance suffices for office or internet use, but nothing more. The full power of the processor is always available: the Cinebench CPU benchmarks recorded the processor running at 2 GHz regardless of whether the laptop was plugged in or on battery.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
6393
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
5298
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
2974
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.16 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.89 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
13.47 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
21.4 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
194 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
77 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
77 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
101 Points +31%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
76 Points -1%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
64 Points -17%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
119 Points +55%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
100 Points +30%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
68 Points -12%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
75 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
194 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
236 Points +22%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
191 Points -2%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
122 Points -37%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
249 Points +28%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
229 Points +18%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
170 Points -12%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
192 Points -1%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1865 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1792 Points -4%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3949 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3779 Points -4%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
0.89 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
1.15 Points +29%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
0.8 Points -10%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
0.75 Points -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.16 Points +30%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
1.37 Points +54%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.04 Points +17%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.73 Points -18%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
0.86 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2.16 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
2.59 Points +20%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.03 Points -6%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.41 Points -35%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.46 Points +14%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
3 Points +39%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.52 Points +17%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
1.8 Points -17%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2.07 Points -4%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
6393 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
7907 Points +24%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
6285 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
6235 Points -2%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
8931 Points +40%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
5584 Points -13%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2974 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
3837 Points +29%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2813 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3589 Points +21%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
4447 Points +50%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2447 Points -18%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
168.1 ms *
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
129.7 ms * +23%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
102.7 ms * +39%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9363 Points
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
14609 Points +56%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1917 Points

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

A glance at the Aspire V3-371-38ZG’s specifications indicate that the laptop can run very fast. This is supported by the fast solid state disk in the Aspire. Its PCMark benchmark results were quite good, and were at the level of similar Core i3 notebooks like the Aspire V3-371-36M2. The Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS, which is also equipped with an SSD, achieves better results thanks to its Core i5 CPU.

PCMark 7 Score
4037 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2172 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
2653 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3065 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2172 Points
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1848 Points -15%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1981 Points -9%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2023 Points -7%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2158 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2179 Points 0%
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
2419 Points +11%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
2927 Points +35%

Storage Devices

The Aspire uses a 2.5-inch 240 GB Kingston SSD. The recovery partition uses 30 GB, and the speeds of the SSD are quite good. However, it cannot reach the level of top SSDs like the Samsung 840 Evo.

Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
Sequential Read: 511 MB/s
Sequential Write: 308.3 MB/s
512K Read: 316.6 MB/s
512K Write: 307.6 MB/s
4K Read: 20.98 MB/s
4K Write: 72.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 148.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 253 MB/s
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
SCHENKER XMG P724
GeForce GTX 880M SLI, 4810MQ, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB mSATA
AS SSD
17%
34%
63%
Seq Read
508
502
-1%
437
-14%
504
-1%
Seq Write
285.2
263.4
-8%
427.7
50%
483.6
70%
4K Read
25.1
34.75
38%
29.76
19%
40.83
63%
4K Write
61.2
71
16%
83.2
36%
109.9
80%
4K-64 Read
156.7
194
24%
330
111%
355.2
127%
4K-64 Write
136.3
206.9
52%
167.6
23%
270.5
98%
Access Time Read *
0.116
0.115
1%
0.086
26%
0.097
16%
Access Time Write *
0.057
0.049
14%
0.045
21%
0.03
47%

* ... smaller is better

Graphic Card

The Intel Iris Graphics 5100 is a rarity: the test model is the third device we have tested so far which uses this IGP. The first two are the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 and the Asus Zenbook UX301LA. The IGP runs at 1.1 GHz and supports DirectX 11. In comparison to the MacBook and the Zenbook, the results (based on 3DMark benchmarks) of our test model were a little disappointing. The 3DMark 2011 benchmark showed that the Aspire does not perform as well as the Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS, which is equipped with the HD Graphics 4400.

This puzzle is easily solved: the three faster devices were working in dual-channel mode, which allows them to use their IGPs more efficiently and thus score higher results. Our test model can also use dual-channel mode, but only after a RAM module is installed in the empty, secondary RAM slot. The Zenbook achieved the best results out of all the competitors thanks to its IGP being 100 MHz faster (1.2 GHz vs. 1.1 GHz) than the Macbook and Aspire chips.

After installing the second RAM module, we ran the 3DMark benchmarks again on our test module, and the 3DMark 2011 benchmark score rose by 31% to 1,221 points. The single- and dual-channel mode results of our test model are displayed below.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
4453 points
3DMark 11 Performance
929 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
33266 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
3722 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
572 points
Help
3DMark 06 - 1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
4453 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
5997 Points +35%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
4104 Points -8%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
7474 Points +68%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
7382 Points +66%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
6475 Points +45%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
929 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
963 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
786 Points -15%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
555 Points -40%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
747 Points -20%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
2378 Points +156%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
774 Points -17%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
786 Points -15%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
812 Points -13%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
1270 Points +37%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
1413 Points +52%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
1221 Points +31%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
572 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
584 Points +2%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
482 Points -16%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
304 Points -47%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
1317 Points +130%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
502 Points -12%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
479 Points -16%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
863 Points +51%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
918 Points +60%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
783 Points +37%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
2816 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
2633 Points -6%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2247 Points -20%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1439 Points -49%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3500 Points +24%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
3722 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
4512 Points +21%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3603 Points -3%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2366 Points -36%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
5919 Points +59%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3828 Points +3%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
3452 Points -7%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3711 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
5286 Points +42%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
5518 Points +48%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
4614 Points +24%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
33266 Points
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
44071 Points +32%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
34508 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V3-331-P982
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
25637 Points -23%
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
30556 Points -8%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
51903 Points +56%
Dell Latitude 13 3340 Education Series
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
35351 Points +6%
Lenovo M30-70
HD Graphics 4400, 4010U, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
32949 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
32613 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
39510 Points +19%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
41524 Points +25%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
41630 Points +25%

Gaming Performance

The Aspire V3-371-38ZG performs at the level of the Aspire V3-371-55GS in the 3DMark benchmarks. However, in practical game tests, the test model lags far behind: our test model manages to run a few games at low resolutions and renders low to medium details fluidly. As previously mentioned, the dual-channel mode improves performance significantly. The Aspire delivers 30-40% higher frame rates after the upgrade, which exceeds the Aspire V3-371-55GS. The Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 and the Asus Zenbook UX301LA also use the Iris 5100 IGP, but offer more performance than our test model (even after the dual-channel upgrade) as both competitors are equipped with stronger processors. The performance scores of our test model in single- and dual-channel mode are included in the comparison table.

If you are looking for a 13.3-inch gaming notebook, then perhaps consider the Asus Zenbook UX303LN instead — the GeForce 840M graphics card ensures that most games run well, and it is priced at 1,000 Euros.

lowmed.highultra
Dirt 3 (2011) 63.8 32.8 19
Deus Ex Human Revolution (2011) 42 22.7
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 24.2 15.7 8.5
Tomb Raider (2013) 38.3 19.8 12.1
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013) 101.9 31.6 17.3
BioShock Infinite (2013) 28 14.8 12.5
Thief (2014) 13.6 8.6 7.1
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014) 22.8 20.3 9.7
Alien: Isolation (2014) 23.8 17 9.7
Ryse: Son of Rome (2014) 16.9 10.5 4.9
The Evil Within (2014) 10.4 8.2
F1 2014 (2014) 36 25 15
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) 30.3 13.4 9.5
Tomb Raider
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
38.3 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
53.3 fps +39%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
57.7 fps +51%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
36.6 fps -4%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
64.4 (42.6min - 82max) fps +68%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
61.3 fps +60%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
19.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
26.1 fps +32%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
30.7 fps +55%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
18.3 fps -8%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
32.8 (25.2min - 38.8max) fps +66%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
34.5 fps +74%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
12.1 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
14.7 fps +21%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
19.3 fps +60%
Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2
HD Graphics 4400, 4030U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
10.3 fps -15%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
19.7 (16min - 23.3max) fps +63%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
20.7 fps +71%
Thief
1024x768 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
13.6 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
16.8 fps +24%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
33.8 fps +149%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
20.8 (12.7min - 26max) fps +53%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
8.6 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
11.4 fps +33%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
21.4 fps +149%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
13.2 (8min - 18.5max) fps +53%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
7.1 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9.8 fps +38%
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
17.3 fps +144%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
Iris Graphics 5100, 4258U, Apple SSD SM0256F
10.7 (4.8min - 15max) fps +51%
Alien: Isolation
1024x768 (Very) Low, Off, Shadow Map 512 AF:1x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
23.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
33.3 fps +40%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
30.4 fps +28%
1366x768 Medium, On (AA & SSAO Off), Shadow Map 1024 AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
17 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
20.6 fps +21%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
24.1 fps +42%
1920x1080 High, On, Shadow Map 1536, Standard SSAO AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9.7 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
10.8 fps +11%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
13.6 fps +40%
Deus Ex Human Revolution
1024x768 DX9, All Off AF:Trilinear (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
42 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
61.8 fps +47%
1366x768 DX11, Shadows, SSAO, DOF: Normal, Post Processing, Tessellation AA:Simple Edge AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
22.7 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
32.3 fps +42%
F1 2014
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
36 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
53 fps +47%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
25 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
34 fps +36%
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
15 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
21 fps +40%
Ryse: Son of Rome
1024x768 Low Texture Res. + Low Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:2x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
16.9 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
15.8 fps -7%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
19.2 fps +14%
1366x768 Medium Texture Res. + Normal Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
10.5 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
9.8 fps -7%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
14.4 fps +37%
1920x1080 High Texture Res. + High Graphics Quality (Rest Off/Disabled) AF:8x (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
4.9 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
6.8 fps +39%
Wolfenstein: The New Order
1280x720 Low Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
22.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
31.1 fps +36%
1280x720 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
20.3 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
28.4 fps +40%
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9.7 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
13.4 fps +38%
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
1024x768 Low (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
101.9 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
134.4 fps +32%
1366x768 Medium (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
31.6 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
45.6 fps +44%
1366x768 High AA:on (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
17.3 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
27.5 fps +59%
BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
28 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
38 fps +36%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
36 fps +29%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
47.2 fps +69%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
14.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
18.9 fps +28%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
21.5 fps +45%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
24.8 fps +68%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
12.5 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
15.6 fps +25%
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
18.4 fps +47%
Asus Zenbook UX301
Iris Graphics 5100, 4558U, 2x Sandisk X110 SD6SP1M-128G RAID 0
20.7 fps +66%
Civilization: Beyond Earth
1024x768 Minimum Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
30.3 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
34.3 fps +13%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
13.4 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
14.3 fps +7%
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
9.5 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
10.4 fps +9%
The Evil Within
1024x768 Low / Disabled (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
10.4 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
12.4 fps +19%
1366x768 Medium / Enabled AA:FX (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
8.2 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
10.2 fps +24%
Dirt 3
800x600 Ultra Low Preset AA:0x AF:- (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
63.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
78.1 fps +22%
1024x768 Medium Preset AA:0x AF:- (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
32.8 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
41.2 fps +26%
1360x768 High Preset AA:2x AF:- (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
19 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
26.3 fps +38%
Sleeping Dogs
1024x768 Low Preset AA:Normal (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
24.2 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
33.7 fps +39%
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:Normal (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
15.7 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
22.6 fps +44%
1366x768 High Preset AA:High (sort by value)
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
8.5 fps
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
12.4 fps +46%

Emissions

System Noise

While idle, the fan is often still, and the Aspire is silent. If the laptop is processing heavily, the fan turns on. During the stress test, we measured a noise emissions of around 42.7 dB. This is not surprising as the CPU needs a lot of cooling: it has a TDP value of 28W.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 30.2 dB(A)
Load
41.9 / 42.7 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The stress test (Prime95 and Furmark, both run for at least a hour) performs the same whether the laptop is on battery or plugged in. The CPU runs at full speed briefly (<1 minute) and then throttles down to 1.2-1.3 GHz. The graphics chip operates at 850-950 MHz with factory settings. The case heats up moderately and the 40 degree Celsius mark is exceeded only above and below the fan of the laptop. The identical Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS displays the same behavior as does the Ideapad U330p. The Zenbook UX303LN heats up much more due to its dedicated graphics card.

Max. Load
 27 °C
81 F
41.5 °C
107 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 24.8 °C
77 F
31.5 °C
89 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
 22.5 °C
73 F
23.5 °C
74 F
25.8 °C
78 F
 
Maximum: 41.5 °C = 107 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F
38.8 °C
102 F
46.3 °C
115 F
27.1 °C
81 F
30.3 °C
87 F
33.8 °C
93 F
25.9 °C
79 F
25 °C
77 F
23.5 °C
74 F
23.1 °C
74 F
Maximum: 46.3 °C = 115 F
Average: 30.4 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  51.8 °C = 125 F | Room Temperature 21.1 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.5 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.3 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 25.8 °C / 78.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+2.5 °C / 4.5 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Before we discuss the power consumption of the Aspire, it is worth mentioning again that our test model has a more powerful (i.e., more power-hungry) IGP than others in its series. While idle, the power consumption, like most other Haswell ULV notebooks, stays under 10W. At medium (3DMark 06 runs) or full load (the Prime95 and FurMark stress tests, run simultaneously), the power consumption rises to 48.6-48.4W. The values are quite close due to the fact that the processor is heavily throttled during the stress test. If only FurMark is run, the laptop exceeds the 50W mark. Fortunately, the power adapter provides 65 watts. In comparison, the Aspire V3-371-55GS  stays below 40W during the stress test, while the Ideapad U330p, because its CPU is throttled even more, requires a lot less power.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 5.9 / 8.3 Watt
Load midlight 48.6 / 48.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940

Battery Life

While idle, the Aspire’s battery lasts 17:33 hrs. Its competition runs down faster: the Ideapad U330p lasts only 12:03 hrs, and the Asus Zenbook UX303LN 12:59 hrs. For the idle run time, we used the Battery Eater Readers Test with the brightness at the lowest level, Power Saver mode on, and wireless modules turned off. At load, the battery of the Aspire empties after 0:55 hrs. The Ideapad (1:57 hrs) and the Zenbook (1:57 hrs) last twice as long.  We used the Battery Eater Classic Test to measure the minimum run time. For this test, the brightness is set to maximum, with High Performance mode on, and all wireless modules turned on.

The Acer test model completed the WLAN test  in 7:08 hrs. This places it between the Zenbook (9:40 hrs) and the Ideapad (6:15 hrs). The WLAN test loads websites every 40 seconds with Power Saver mode on and brightness set to 150 cd/m². The video playback test  measured run time when playing a movie -- the short film, Big Buck Bunny (H.264 Coding, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels), run on repeat — with Power Saver mode on, all wireless modules turned off, and brightness set to 150 cd/m². The Aspire lasted 5:37 hrs,  falling short of the Zenbook (7:46 hrs).

All-in-all, the battery life of the Aspire V3-371-38ZG is very good. It is not surprising to see that the test model lags slightly behind the identical Aspire V3-371-55GS as the IGP of our test model requires more power than the 55GS.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
17h 33min
WiFi Surfing
7h 08min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
5h 37min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 55min
Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG
Iris Graphics 5100, 4158U, Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE
Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS
HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3128GD
Lenovo IdeaPad U330p
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H
GeForce 840M, 4510U, SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1002
Battery Runtime
32%
23%
40%
Reader / Idle
1053
1097
4%
723
-31%
779
-26%
H.264
337
413
23%
466
38%
WiFi
428
463
8%
375
-12%
580
36%
Load
55
106
93%
117
113%
117
113%

Verdict

The Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG offers enough performance for everyday use. The laptop does not heat up too much, and it works quietly most of the time. A fast solid state disk ensures that the system runs quickly and smoothly. The 2.5 SSD can be swapped out for another storage device of the same format with a larger capacity. As expected of a subnotebook, our test model offers very long battery life and a decent keyboard. The matte FHD panel is decent, but in the  brightness and contrast could be better.

The graphics performance of the Aspire is disappointing, as the Iris 5100 IGP is not optimally used. We recommend the purchase of an appropriate RAM module which will allow the user to significantly boost performance via the provision of dual-channel mode.

The Lenovo Ideapad U330p  scores a lot of extra points thanks to its aluminium case and its 580 Euros price with a  Core i5-4200U CPU. The Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4141H  also boasts an aluminium case, is capable of running games, and has good battery life. At 1,000 Euros, however, it is far more expensive than its competition. Even the entry-level Asus Zenbook UX303LA-R5094H costs 100 Euros more than our test model from Acer.

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In Review: Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG. Test model provided by Acer Deutschland.
In Review: Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG. Test model provided by Acer Deutschland.

Specifications

Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG (Aspire V3 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i3-4158U 2 x 2 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
Intel Iris Graphics 5100, Core: 1000 MHz, 64 bit interface, 10.18.10.3496
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3, Single Channel, two RAM slots (one occupied)
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, TN LED, AU Optronics B1333HTN01.1, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Lynx Point-LP
Storage
Kingston RBU-SC100S37240GE, 240 GB 
, 180 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: Audio combo, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.2 x 327 x 228 ( = 0.87 x 12.87 x 8.98 in)
Battery
Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Acer Video Player, Cyberlink PhotoDirector 3, Cyberlink PowerDirector 10, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (Trial), MS Office 365 (Trial), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.46 kg ( = 51.5 oz / 3.22 pounds), Power Supply: 49 g ( = 1.73 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
599 Euro

 

The Acer Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG.
The Acer Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG.
Decent input devices are provided.
Decent input devices are provided.
The laptop boasts a matte screen.
The laptop boasts a matte screen.
An aluminium case.
An aluminium case.
Internal components can be easily accessed after removing the bottom panel.
Internal components can be easily accessed after removing the bottom panel.
Two RAM slots are provided.
Two RAM slots are provided.
Swapping the HDD is not an issue.
Swapping the HDD is not an issue.
The CPU is soldered on.
The CPU is soldered on.
The fan can be removed.
The fan can be removed.
Good: two WLAN antennas are provided.
Good: two WLAN antennas are provided.
The battery can be replaced if it is worn out or defective. Two screws hold it in place.
The battery can be replaced if it is worn out or defective. Two screws hold it in place.
The battery offers 48 Wh.
The battery offers 48 Wh.

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Links

Price Comparison

Pros

+ Very good battery life
+ Matte FHD screen
+ Runs quietly
+ Decent keyboard
+ Fast SSD

Cons

- Dark screen
- No maintenance flap

Shortcut

What we like

A fast SSD, long battery life and the matte FHD display.

What we miss

An IPS panel.

What surprises us

Nothing.

The competition

Lenovo Ideapad U330pAsus Zenbook UX303LN, Dell Latitude 3340, HP Pavilion 13-a000ng x360, Acer Aspire V3-371-55GS, Acer Aspire V3-331-P982, Acer Aspire V3-371-36M2, Lenovo M30-70

Rating

Acer Aspire V3-371-38ZG - 11/16/2014 v4 (old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
75 /  98 → 77%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
55 / 80 → 69%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
83%
Display
78%
Games Performance
58 / 68 → 85%
Application Performance
67 / 87 → 77%
Temperature
90 / 91 → 99%
Noise
87%
Audio
60 / 91 → 66%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
70%
78%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-12- 3 (Update: 2018-05-15)