Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 laptop review: Kaby Lake G lightweight struggles with cost cutting
Acer once managed to become the second biggest PC manufacturer with a budget-laptop-strategy. This is already 10 years ago now. From the peak with 13.9% market share in 2010, it has been a steady decline. In 2019, roughly 6% of all PC sold had the Acer logo on them. The strategy "quantity over quality" has been binned a long time ago. Instead, Acer tries to tackle the profitable mobile workstation and multimedia market with its new brand "ConceptD".
The Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51, which we review today, definitely falls more into the multimedia and not in the workstation category. It contains no dedicated GPU. Instead, Acer bets on the Intel Core i7-8705G, which includes the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL. In addition to this main processing pair, the ConceptD contains 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a 15.6 inch 4K UHD screen. This configuration of the Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 costs €1,600 (~$1729).
As the competitors for our comparison, we use the recent Dell XPS 15 7590, the Apple Macbook Pro 16 as well as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2. These three 15.6 inch laptops are among the top devices of this class and can be seen as a benchmark.
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.7 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2020 | Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 i7-8705G, Vega M GL / 870 | 1.5 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 3840x2160 | |
| 87.8 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2019 | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile | 2 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 3840x2160 | |
| 89.7 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2019 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M | 2 kg | 16.2 mm | 16.00" | 3072x1920 | |
| 87.1 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile | 1.7 kg | 18.7 mm | 15.60" | 3840x2160 |
Lightweight chassis: Acer laptop prioritizes low weight
The Acer ConceptD CN515-51 looks different from many other recent multimedia laptops. The color alone is unusual, as the Acer laptop is completely white. That certainly sets it apart from the bulk of silver-gray and black laptops. If this coloring is good or bad depends entirely on taste.
Acer also goes its own way when it comes to the construction of the Acer ConceptD notebook. Aluminum is nowhere to be found. Instead, the Acer laptop is partly made out of plastic, partly out of Magnesium (a mix of Magnesium-Aluminum as well as Magnesium-Lithium). The plastic has a smooth surface and it is being used on the display-cover, display-bezels and the bottom cover. The palmrest is made out of white-painted Magnesium, which feels a lot like plastic.
In terms of quality, this solution is only partly good. Workmanship is good, but the stability of the display lid is not great. It is easy to twist it and pressure on the back of the display lid is directly visible on the LCD panel. For a laptop of this class and price, this is not appropriate. At least the Magnesium palmrest is completely stable.
The hinges are smooth-running and allow users to open the lid with one hand. They also permit an opening angle of 180 degrees. Unfortunately, the hinges are not stiff enough to prevent the screen from wobbling in situations like train-rides.
The lightweight construction pays off when it comes to weight, as the Acer ConceptD laptop is clearly lighter than the competitors. Only the more expensive ThinkPad X1 Extreme, which partly uses Carbon-Fiber as a material, is close in terms of weight. But even in this case, there is still a 200 g (~7 oz) difference. In terms of size, the Acer Notebook has no advantage. The Dell XPS 15 7590 is the benchmark in this category.
Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 is missing from the Acer ConceptD
Different from the Apple Macbook Pro 16, Acer still offers plenty of legacy ports like USB type A and HDMI with the ConceptD CN515-51. Also, there is a dedicated, proprietary charging port. Disappointing is the USB C port: It can be used to charge the Acer laptop, but it does not support Thunderbolt 3. This feature should not be missing from such an expensive multimedia laptop.
SD card-reader
The SD card-reader is exposed as an extremely slow model in our benchmarks with the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference-card. Such a slow card-reader is only suitable for an extremely cheap laptop. With the target market of this laptop in mind, this cost-cutting measure is clearly misguided. For photographers, the card reader is much too slow; the models used in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme and XPS 15 are more than twice as fast.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (18.4 - 201, n=53, last 2 years) | |
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (25.8 - 266, n=53, last 2 years) | |
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Communication
The chosen Wi-Fi card is surprising, as Acer still uses the year old Intel Wireless-AC 7265. Accordingly, users have to do without Wi-Fi 6 / Wi-Fi AX. The performance of this old 2x2 module is not up to par anymore. Especially receiving data was slow. Also, the Wi-Fi card only supports Bluetooth 4.2.
Accessories
Apart from the 90 W charger, there are no other accessories in the box.
Maintenance
Eleven Torx screws have to be removed and many clips have to be opened before the base-cover of the Acer ConceptD laptop can be removed. Under the cover, there is a lot to do: The battery is replaceable and the cooling system is cleanable. Upgrading the RAM is not possible, however, as it is soldered on. At least, the SSD can be upgraded. There is also another free M.2 2280 slot, allowing for easy and cheaper upgrades. The Wi-Fi module is not soldered either. It should be possible to put in a Wi-Fi AX module later.
Warranty
The Acer ConceptD comes with a two-year bring-in-warranty. In the case of damage, it is necessary to send in the laptop.
Acer notebook with passable input devices
Keyboard
Just like the rest of the Acer ConceptD CN515-51, the Chiclet keys are completely white with black lettering. They have an orange backlight, another unusual coloring choice.
In terms of quality, the keyboard is good enough for productive usage. The keys have enough travel and resistance, though its pressure-point is rather too soft. In no part of the chassis does the keyboard have any flex to it. The layout of the keys is OK too, thought the vertical arrow keys are somewhat too small. There is no numlock.
Touchpad
The touchpad measures 10.6 x 7.8 cm (~4.2 x 3.1 in). It has a smooth surface, which offers an ideal amount of slipperiness. Thanks to the Windows Precision drivers, the software support of the touchpad is nearly perfect. Only scrolling is sometimes a bit jittery, as it is sometimes miss-recognized as zooming.
Since there are no dedicated keys, the touchpad is depressable in the lower area. The integrated mechanism of the clickpad offers a crisp pressure-point, though this also results in comparably loud clicks.
4K UHD display: Strong color gamut meets worse than promised brightness
No doubt, the 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IPS screen of the Acer ConceptD CN515-51 is meant to be the heart of the laptop. The 15.6 inch screen has a matte surface and is supposed to reach a brightness value of 400 cd/m².
Unfortunately, our measurements tell us otherwise. The screen misses the mark quite clearly with just 328 cd/m². The panels of the competitors all manage more than 400 cd/m².
Another weakness of this LCD screen: Backlight bleeding. This phenomenon is especially irritating in darker software environments. Apart from that, the slow response times are also noteworthy in a negative way.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 347 cd/m²
Contrast: 1321:1 (Black: 0.265 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.08 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 4.38
ΔE Greyscale 3.62 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
88% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.27
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 B156ZAN03.1, LTPS IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.6" | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 Samsung 156WR04, SDCA029, OLED, 3840x2160, 15.6" | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M APPA044, IPS, 3072x1920, 16" | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE NE156QUM-N66, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -2% | -3% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 86.1 | 88.1 2% | 82 -5% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 99.6 0% | 99.1 -1% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 99.2 | 91.8 -7% | 96.9 -2% | |
| Response Times | 95% | 15% | 25% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 63 ? | 2.3 ? 96% | 52.4 ? 17% | 46.4 ? 26% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 40 ? | 2.4 ? 94% | 34.9 ? 13% | 30.4 ? 24% |
| PWM Frequency | 59.5 ? | 131700 | ||
| Screen | 5% | 28% | 2% | |
| Brightness middle | 350 | 421.2 20% | 519 48% | 464 33% |
| Brightness | 329 | 417 27% | 477 45% | 448 36% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 94 9% | 86 0% | 90 5% |
| Black Level * | 0.265 | 0.39 -47% | 0.36 -36% | |
| Contrast | 1321 | 1331 1% | 1289 -2% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.08 | 6.06 -19% | 2.28 55% | 4.2 17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10.25 | 11.89 -16% | 6.54 36% | 11.4 -11% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 4.38 | 0.86 80% | 0.8 82% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.62 | 2.8 23% | 0.9 75% | 7.2 -99% |
| Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.15 102% | 2145 0% | 2.17 101% |
| CCT | 6389 102% | 6235 104% | 6572 99% | 6345 102% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 88 | 81 -8% | 78 -11% | 85.2 -3% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | 99.6 0% | 99 -1% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 33% /
17% | 22% /
26% | 8% /
4% |
* ... smaller is better
Even ex-factory, there are little to no deviations in terms of color accuracy. The contrast of 1321:1, which is due to the low black-value of just 0.265 cd/m², is commendable. The quality in terms of the colors is excellent, which might be connected with the color gamut as well. The sRGB gamut is completely covered and AdobeRGB almost completely (88%). This wide gamut panel is definitely suitable for color-critical work.
Using the Acer ConceptD CN515-51 is definitely possible, thanks to the matte surface of the screen and the acceptable brightness. This is not true if the sunlight shines directly onto the screen, however.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 63 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 32 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 31 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. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
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 8482 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
We can not complain about the viewing-angle-stability of this IPS panel.
Performance: Acer laptops not really on a workstation-level
Acer makes buying the ConceptD 5 CN515-51 easy for German customers, as there is only a single configuration available. It contains the Intel Core i7-8705G, the AMD Radeon Vega M GL as well as a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB DDR4-2400 RAM. The RAM is soldered and not upgradable, which is a huge drawback for an expensive multimedia laptop.
Processor
The Intel Core i7-8705G is a quad-core processor with a TDP of 65 W based on the Kaby Lake G series. The four cores have a base-clock of 3.1 GHz and a Turbo clock of 4.1 GHz. Comparisons with other processors are possible through our CPU comparison list.
The CPU on its own consumes a maximum of 42 W in the Cinebench multicore test. After a while, the consumption stabilizes at 32 W in the Cinebench loop. There is no throttling beneath the base clock. Still, the Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 can not compete with the other multimedia laptops. The six-core CPU of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 is roughly 21% faster. The eight-core chips of the Dell XPS 15 7590 and the Apple Macbook Pro 16 are 61 to 77% faster.
While using the device on battery, only half of the CPU performance is available.
System performance
There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the system performance, even though the Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 does trail behind the competition in the PCMark benchmarks.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3551 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 4031 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4359 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4583 points | |
Help | ||
Mass storage
The single M.2 2280 SSD has a capacity of 512 GB and was made by Western Digital. Its performance in our benchmarks is good. This fast PCIe NVMe SSD only has to bow down before the even faster Samsung PM981.
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M Apple SSD AP1024 7171 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ | Average WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | 1% | -7% | 11% | -8% | |
| Write 4K | 120.6 | 104.3 -14% | 55.5 -54% | 148.1 23% | 110 ? -9% |
| Read 4K | 41.43 | 45.23 9% | 16.21 -61% | 47.31 14% | 36.9 ? -11% |
| Write Seq | 2402 | 1729 -28% | 1959 -18% | 1414 -41% | 1976 ? -18% |
| Read Seq | 1997 | 1861 -7% | 1763 -12% | 1320 -34% | 1710 ? -14% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 335.2 | 509 52% | 398.5 19% | 493.6 47% | 339 ? 1% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 381.7 | 388.5 2% | 648 70% | 594 56% | 417 ? 9% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2553 | 2813 10% | 2727 7% | 2970 16% | 2218 ? -13% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3356 | 2906 -13% | 3242 -3% | 3472 3% | 2940 ? -12% |
GPU
The integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL serves as the main GPU. That a GPU of an Intel processor is made by AMD is still something relatively rare. It is what makes Kaby Lake G special. The GPU has 1,280 shader-units with a maximum clock-rate of 1011 MHz. Compared with integrated Intel GPUs, the AMD Vega chip is a lot faster, but it still lags behind dedicated Nvidia GPUs. The difference is not huge though.
Just like with the processor, there is a performance limitation for the GPU as well. Instead of roughly 10,000 points, the Acer laptop only scores 5253 points in the 3DMark 11.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 9104 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 15911 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 5879 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2121 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
Gaming is definitely possible with the Radeon RX Vega M GL. Even recent games are playable on medium to high settings in FHD (1,920 x 1,080). Gaming in 4K UHD however is not possible, despite the internal screen. For that, a lot more GPU power would be necessary.
| low | med. | high | ultra | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 216.3 | 165.3 | 148 | 59.8 | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 116.6 | 75.9 | 41.3 | 24.3 | 14.4 |
| F1 2019 (2019) | 105 | 65 | 56 | 38 | 16 |
Emissions
Noise
The Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 contains two fans. They are completely disabled while the device is idling. Under load, they do run at a moderate loudness of 32.6 dB(A), though they also reach a loud 40.2 dB(A) at their peak. That is not a huge problem, since this only happens under peak load. More annoying is the constant coil whine, which is clearly audible.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 30.3 / 30.3 / 30.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 32.6 / 40.2 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 30.3 dB(A) | ||
Temperatures
The heat concentrates on the left side of the Acer laptop. At most, we measure 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.72 degrees Fahrenheit), which is completely OK for a comparably powerful and thin laptop.
In the stress test with Prime95 and FurMark, the CPU clock-rate is reduced to 800 - 1,000 Mhz, which means the CPU only consumes 8 W. At the same time, the GPU does not have to reduce its clock-rates in any way. The CPU temperatures rise to a maximum of 74 degrees Celsius (165.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in the stress test. The TDP throttling should not affect everyday usage. In the 3DMark test, which we performed directly after the stress test, we managed to achieve a normal result.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.6 °C / 112 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 45.4 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.4 °C / 76 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 29.7 °C / 85.5 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 (-0.9 °C / -1.7 F).
Speakers
The speakers deliver a mediocre performance. They are not loud enough, especially compared with the Dell XPS 15 7590. Instead, the combo audio port should be used. It puts out good quality sound.
Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (67.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 92% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy management: Acer notebook with a small battery
Power management
Wasting energy. These two words describe the power management of the Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 very well. The minimum (!) power consumption of 12 W is extremely high.
For the maximum consumption of 87 W, the 90 W charger is more than enough.
| Off / Standby | 0.28 / 0.45 Watt |
| Idle | 12 / 17.8 / 19.7 Watt |
| Load |
59 / 87 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 i7-8705G, Vega M GL / 870, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G, LTPS IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.6" | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02, OLED, 3840x2160, 15.6" | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, Apple SSD AP1024 7171, IPS, 3072x1920, 16" | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.6" | Average AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870 | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -9% | 8% | -11% | 2% | 13% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 12 | 6.2 48% | 3.7 69% | 8.5 29% | 9.97 ? 17% | 6.64 ? 45% |
| Idle Average * | 17.8 | 9.6 46% | 12.1 32% | 14.7 17% | 15.8 ? 11% | 11.4 ? 36% |
| Idle Maximum * | 19.7 | 21.2 -8% | 17 14% | 19.4 2% | 17.4 ? 12% | 13.2 ? 33% |
| Load Average * | 59 | 104.3 -77% | 91.5 -55% | 89.6 -52% | 72.5 ? -23% | 70.1 ? -19% |
| Load Maximum * | 87 | 135.3 -56% | 102.3 -18% | 129.8 -49% | 93.8 ? -8% | 115.2 ? -32% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 91.7 | 103 | 96.1 |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
By a mile, the battery of the Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51 is the smallest in the comparison of the 15.6 inch multimedia laptops. Only 48 Wh are available. That is a minuscule amount, especially for a laptop for a 4K UHD screen. The result of this small capacity: A weak battery life of just 4.5 hours. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 performs almost as bad, despite its bigger battery, but the competitors from Dell and Apple have a much better endurance.
| Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7 i7-8705G, Vega M GL / 870, 48 Wh | Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 97 Wh | Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, 99.8 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019 20QV000WGE i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 80 Wh | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 100% | 56% | -14% | 107% | |
| Reader / Idle | 462 | 910 97% | 1240 ? 168% | ||
| H.264 | 416 | 580 39% | 284 -32% | 867 ? 108% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 275 | 467 70% | 718 161% | 285 4% | 652 ? 137% |
| Load | 85 | 199 134% | 58 -32% | 72 -15% | 98 ? 15% |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 54 | 76 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Acer has created an unusual multimedia laptop with the ConceptD 5 CN515-51.
It looks different from other models of this class and has a strong focus on a low weight, thanks to its chassis materials. That is a good thing, but the weak screen lid seems to be a negative side effect of this focus on a low weight. As for the ports, Acer did not include Thunderbolt 3. Also, an extremely slow SD card-reader is used, which is completely misplaced in a multimedia laptop that expensive. The same is true for the outdated Wi-Fi module, which doesn't even support the newest Bluetooth standard. Both commendable and objectionable is the upgradability: While the RAM is completely soldered, the mass storage capacity can be upgraded quite easily, thanks to the free M.2 2280 slot.
The screen of the Acer notebook has a great color gamut coverage, its lower than promised brightness and relatively strong backlight bleeding do disappoint us though. In terms of performance, the ConceptD delivers roughly what we were expecting of Kaby Lake G. A good performance for a multimedia laptop, but many other laptops with newer Intel CPUs and dedicated Nvidia GPUs do deliver better performance. Unfortunately, this does not result in better battery life in return. Instead, the battery ruins the equation, since it is too small. Also, we have to negatively weigh in the coil whine, the performance limitation when the device runs on battery power and the worse than average speakers (for a multimedia laptop).
Not without compromises: Acer unfortunately decided to cut costs at crucial components. It can not compete with the more expensive competitors.
For us, it is unclear to whom Acer wants to market the ConceptD 5 CN515-51. The most prominent positive feature is the low weight and then the colorful screen. With these two strengths, it seems to be destined to be a photographers dream. This group however will probably be extremely annoyed by the slow SD card reader. Also, the low battery life is a problem on the go. The ConceptD can be used to play games, but it is not really made for that either.
Acer ConceptD 5 CN515-51-73Z7
- 02/17/2020 v7 (old)
Benjamin Herzig
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