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MagyarAcer Extensa 2520-59CD Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
Acer's Extensa is a basic 15.6-inch office laptop powered by a Skylake processor. Devices such as HP's 250 G4, HP's 350 G2, and Lenovo's B50-50 belong to its circle of rivals.
The Extensa's build is identical to that of Acer's Aspire E5-552G that we have previously tested. Thus, we will not go into details about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the Aspire E5-552G.
Case & Connectivity
The Extensa is based on the same casing as the Aspire E5-552G. The only differences are found in the base unit's upper side (Extensa: black; Aspire: gray). The laptop does not have a maintenance hatch, and the base tray has to be removed for accessing the innards. First, the DVD burner has to be taken out. Three flat-headed screws that have to be released are in the drive's bay. After that, all other screws on the underside have to be removed. Finally, the base tray can be removed with a putty knife.
The installed memory card reader is one of the slow models. A maximum transfer rate of 27.5 MB/s is reached when copying large data blocks. Transferring 250 JPG image files (approx. 5 MB each) is performed at 22.7 MB/s. We tested the memory card reader with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi module has an Intel chip (3165) on-board. In addition to the 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi standards, it also supports the fast ac standard. The transmission rates that we determined in ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in the vicinity, short distance between laptop and server PC) were good.
| Networking - iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
Display
The Extensa's 15.6-inch, matte screen has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Its brightness (199.6 cd/m²) and contrast (491:1) are too low. The screen exhibits PWM at a frequency of 1000 Hz. This high frequency should not cause eye problems and headaches, even in sensitive users.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 216 cd/m²
Contrast: 491:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.53 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 11.85 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
61% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.07% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.71% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD TN LED, 1366x768 | HP 250 G4 T6P08ES TN LED, 1366x768 | HP 350 G2 L8B05ES TN LED, 1366x768 | Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ TN LED, 1920x1080 | Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE TN LED, 1366x768 | Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN TN LED, 1366x768 | Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G TN LED, 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 7% | 7% | -2% | -9% | -2% | -9% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 40.71 | 43.63 7% | 43.59 7% | 39.82 -2% | 37.24 -9% | 39.83 -2% | 37.13 -9% |
| sRGB Coverage | 61.1 | 65.1 7% | 64.8 6% | 59.7 -2% | 56 -8% | 59.5 -3% | 55.9 -9% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 42.07 | 45.1 7% | 45.06 7% | 41.16 -2% | 38.48 -9% | 41.19 -2% | 38.36 -9% |
| Response Times | 8% | 20% | 1% | 9% | 21% | ||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 52 ? | 42 ? 19% | 43 ? 17% | 58 ? -12% | 47 ? 10% | 45 ? 13% | |
| Response Time Black / White * | 31 ? | 24 ? 23% | 24 ? 23% | 27 ? 13% | 26 ? 16% | 22 ? 29% | |
| PWM Frequency | 1000 | 806 ? -19% | 1000 ? 0% | ||||
| Screen | 3% | 8% | -1% | -7% | 7% | -2% | |
| Brightness middle | 211 | 220 4% | 251 19% | 238 13% | 204 -3% | 245 16% | 200 -5% |
| Brightness | 200 | 203 2% | 231 16% | 221 11% | 198 -1% | 238 19% | 196 -2% |
| Brightness Distribution | 83 | 83 0% | 86 4% | 84 1% | 85 2% | 88 6% | 76 -8% |
| Black Level * | 0.43 | 0.49 -14% | 0.53 -23% | 0.49 -14% | 0.48 -12% | 0.42 2% | 0.34 21% |
| Contrast | 491 | 449 -9% | 474 -3% | 486 -1% | 425 -13% | 583 19% | 588 20% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 10.53 | 8.95 15% | 7.92 25% | 11.19 -6% | 11.62 -10% | 10.49 -0% | 11.54 -10% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 17.79 | 15.89 11% | 19.6 -10% | 19.97 -12% | 16.84 5% | 19.36 -9% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.85 | 10.59 11% | 8.9 25% | 11.53 3% | 12.3 -4% | 11.47 3% | 12.98 -10% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.51 88% | 2.18 101% | 2.41 91% | 2.22 99% | 2.52 87% | 2.58 85% |
| CCT | 13758 47% | 12049 54% | 9917 66% | 13057 50% | 13244 49% | 13286 49% | 14060 46% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 39 | 41 5% | 41 5% | 38 -3% | 36 -8% | 38 -3% | 36 -8% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 61 | 65 7% | 65 7% | 60 -2% | 56 -8% | 60 -2% | 56 -8% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 6% /
5% | 8% /
8% | 6% /
2% | -5% /
-6% | 5% /
5% | 3% /
-0% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 1000 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18993 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The screen has a DeltaE 2000 color deviation of 10.53 in the state of delivery. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. In addition, the screen suffers from a clear bluish tint.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17 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. » 81 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 52 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 28 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms). | ||
Acer has equipped the Extensa with a viewing angle dependent TN panel. Consequently, the screen is not legible from every position. Due to its screen's low brightness, the laptop is not really suitable for outdoor use.
Performance
With the Extensa 2520, Acer has a basic 15.6-inch office laptop in its lineup. The laptop has enough computing power for all common application scenarios. Our review sample is priced at approximately 550 Euros (~$618). Other configurations are also available.
Processor
The Extensa is powered by Intel's Core i5-6200U (Skylake) dual-core processor. The CPU is a power efficient ULV processor (TDP: 15 watts). The processor clocks at a base speed of 2.3 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.7 GHz (both cores) or 2.8 GHz (one core only) via Turbo. A look at our comparison chart reveals that the results of our CPU test lag behind the Core i5 processor's potentials. The CPU does not utilize its Turbo and does not even clock at its base speed. We cannot state any exact speeds. All tools (CPU-Z, HWInfo) reported that the CPU clocked at full speed. The results disagree with this assertion. The Core i5-6200U achieves roughly the same results as those we know from a Core i3-6100U.
Initially, we assumed that it was due to the Windows installation and thus, reinstalled the system - without success. Then, we swapped the hard drive for an SSD and installed a fresh Windows installation. This did not lead to any improvements either. Finally, we installed the latest BIOS version and Intel's Turbo Boost software that can be found on Acer's website. Again, without success. We believe that Acer has either throttled the processor's speed ex-factory or we had a malfunctioning device.
System Performance
The system runs smoothly, and we did not encounter any problems. The PCMark benchmark scores are good to very good. The slowed down CPU is hardly noticed here since the laptop's entire hardware has an impact on the outcome. Increasing the system performance is possible. Installing a second working memory module would enable dual-channel mode, which would increase graphics performance. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would make the system run faster and reduce load times.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2834 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Device
A 2.5-inch hard drive by Toshiba serves as the system drive. It spins at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a capacity of 500 GB. The HDD's transfer rates are on a normal level for a 5400 RPM model.
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP 250 G4 T6P08ES HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | HP 350 G2 L8B05ES Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB | Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 | Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE Toshiba MQ02ABF050H (SSHD 500 + 8 GB) | Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX | Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | 33% | -2% | 11% | 1% | 29% | 35% | |
| Read Seq | 104.7 | 101 -4% | 100.2 -4% | 96.3 -8% | 102.5 -2% | 109.6 5% | 110.7 6% |
| Write Seq | 95.7 | 99.6 4% | 97.8 2% | 95.9 0% | 90.7 -5% | 107.5 12% | 108.9 14% |
| Read 512 | 33 | 38.12 16% | 32.44 -2% | 36.46 10% | 32.58 -1% | 36.63 11% | 36.71 11% |
| Write 512 | 38.3 | 42.22 10% | 37.42 -2% | 42.75 12% | 35.65 -7% | 49.35 29% | 53.7 40% |
| Read 4k | 0.375 | 0.522 39% | 0.364 -3% | 0.451 20% | 0.426 14% | 0.419 12% | 0.415 11% |
| Write 4k | 0.782 | 1.29 65% | 0.738 -6% | 0.895 14% | 0.64 -18% | 1.171 50% | 1.261 61% |
| Read 4k QD32 | 0.675 | 1.116 65% | 0.696 3% | 0.847 25% | 0.987 46% | 1.03 53% | 1.126 67% |
| Write 4k QD32 | 0.769 | 1.287 67% | 0.739 -4% | 0.892 16% | 0.645 -16% | 1.239 61% | 1.312 71% |
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 520 graphics unit is responsible for video output. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at up to 950 MHz. The 3DMark benchmark scores are on a normal level for this GPU. Increasing the performance is possible. Dual-channel mode is enabled when a second working memory is installed. Consequently, the GPU is utilized better and delivers more power.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1247 points | |
Help | ||
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
| Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G | |
| Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ | |
| HP 250 G4 T6P08ES | |
| HP 350 G2 L8B05ES | |
| Dell Latitude 15-3570 | |
| HP ProBook 650 G2 T8X61EA | |
| HP ProBook 450 G3 | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES | |
| Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE | |
| Acer Aspire ES1-521-87DN | |
Gaming Performance
The Extensa's hardware can render some games smoothly, i.e. games that have only moderate hardware requirements. However, these games also achieve a sufficiently high frame rate only in low resolutions and low quality settings. Games that need high computing power, such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider" and "Hitman", are never playable. Installing a second working memory module (= dual-channel mode) increases the frame rates.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 30 | 17.8 | 14.5 | |
| Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) | 8.3 | 6 |
Emissions & Energy
System Noise
The Extensa is one of the quieter laptops. The fan is often inactive in idle mode, and only the hard drive's noise is audible. Swapping the HDD for an SSD would ensure silence. The fan hardly speeds up during load. We measured a noise level of 36.8 dB(A) in the stress test.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 31.5 / 31.9 / 31.9 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 32.4 dB(A) |
| DVD |
| 36.8 / dB(A) |
| Load |
| 34.2 / 36.8 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 31.2 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
Since we could not determine the CPU and GPU's clock speeds, we cannot say how the processor and graphics card behave during our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour). According to our benchmark software, both components clock at their full speeds. The laptop heated up only moderately during the stress test. The temperatures remained below 40 degrees Celsius (~104 degrees Fahrenheit) on all measuring points.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.9 °C / 84 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-1.1 °C / -2 F).
Speakers
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (62 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, 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
» 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 20%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes above can be turned on/off!)
Power Consumption
We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 13 watts. This rate is too high for a device such as the Extensa, and should be below 10 watts. The requirement climbed up to 30 watts in the stress test. The power supply's nominal output is 45 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0.16 / 0.5 Watt |
| Idle | 5.8 / 12.6 / 12.8 Watt |
| Load |
27.6 / 30 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Runtime
Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load needed for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, the laptop's energy saving features are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Extensa achieves a runtime of 5:15 hours.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Acer's Extensa 2520 is a basic, 15.6-inch office laptop. The installed processor should completely satisfy the needs of most users. As mentioned before, the Core i5 processor in our review sample could not completely develop its full computing power and is on the level of a Core i3-6100U processor. We assume that we got a faulty device. The laptop operates quietly over the entire load range and hardly heats up. The 500 GB hard drive provides enough storage capacity. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would be possible. However, the casing has to be opened for this since the laptop does not have a maintenance hatch. The installed keyboard made an overall good impression, and the battery life is also decent. On the other hand, the matte screen is not convincing – Acer has installed a dark, low-contrast, viewing angle dependent model.
Acer supplies a quiet office laptop for home use with the Extensa.
We deem the laptop's price of approximately 550 Euros (~$618) as the biggest catch. At this price, the laptop cannot really be called cheap. Users who want to save money can opt for the Extensa 2520-58BE. This model is equipped with the same configuration as our review sample, but comes without a Windows operating system. Consequently, the laptop costs good 100 Euros (~$112) less at a price of 450 Euros (~$506). When a used Windows 7 license is purchased (<10 Euros/~$11) and installed (Acer provides the corresponding drivers), it is still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge (via Media Creation Tools) when desired.
Acer Extensa 2520-59CD
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09/27/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck
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