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Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q Netbook Review

Inexhaustible. The TravelMate B117-M offers silent operation, very long battery runtimes, and a three-year warranty. At a price of 550 Euros (~$616), it is not one of the cheapest models. The installed SSD and Windows 7 and Windows 10 Pro version are reflected in the price.

For the original German review, see here.

The TravelMate B117-M has been made with educational institutions in mind. The device's build is correspondingly robust. The little computer no longer has anything in common with its predecessor. The netbook is powered by an Intel Braswell processor. Its rivals are laptops like Dell's Inspiron 11 3162, Acer's Aspire One Cloudbook 11, and HP's Stream 11. Chromebooks like the Chromebook C740 and Medion's Akoya S2015 are also opponents.

Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q (TravelMate B117 Series)
Processor
Intel Pentium N3710 4 x 1.6 - 2.6 GHz, Braswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), Core: 700 MHz, dual-channel, 20.19.15.4352
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3-1600, dual-channel, soldered
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 135 PPI, Chi Mei N116BGE-EA2, TN LED, glossy: no
Storage
Liteonit CV3-8D256, 256 GB 
, 190 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cherry Trail / Braswell SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23 x 291 x 211 ( = 0.91 x 11.46 x 8.31 in)
Battery
49 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 Bit) + Windows 10 Pro (64 Bit)
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, MS Office 365 (trial), 36 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.4 kg ( = 49.38 oz / 3.09 pounds), Power Supply: 256 g ( = 9.03 oz / 0.56 pounds)
Price
499 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The TravelMate's casing is made of matte, black plastic. The surfaces are lightly roughened. A plastic rim that protects the device from shocks frames the base unit. The laptop does not exhibit any weaknesses in either build or stability. The hinges are pulled tightly and keep the lid firmly in position. Acer states that the hinges have been tested for withstanding up to 25,000 openings/closings. A maintenance hatch that hides the solid stated drive is on the netbook's underside. The computer's battery cannot be removed.

The interfaces do not reveal any surprises. One of the two USB ports supports the USB 3.0 standard. A video-out is present. The laptop does not have a Type-C USB port. The installed memory-card reader is slow; transferring 250 JPG image files (approx. 5 MB each) was performed at 24.2 MB/s. We tested the memory-card reader via a reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).

The installed Wi-Fi module carries a chip by Intel (7265), which also supports the fast ac standard in addition to the 802.11 a/b/g/h/n standards. The transmission speeds measured in ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in the vicinity, short distance between laptop and server PC) are only good in the receive direction. The module delivers poor rates when the laptop sends data.

Size Comparison

300 mm / 11.8 inch 201 mm / 7.91 inch 20.8 mm / 0.819 inch 1.2 kg2.71 lbs299 mm / 11.8 inch 207 mm / 8.15 inch 20.9 mm / 0.823 inch 1.1 kg2.52 lbs300 mm / 11.8 inch 205.7 mm / 8.1 inch 18.4 mm / 0.724 inch 1.1 kg2.46 lbs291 mm / 11.5 inch 211 mm / 8.31 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 1.4 kg3.09 lbs294 mm / 11.6 inch 209 mm / 8.23 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.2 kg2.71 lbs292 mm / 11.5 inch 202 mm / 7.95 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.2 kg2.65 lbs292 mm / 11.5 inch 196 mm / 7.72 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.2 kg2.6 lbs288 mm / 11.3 inch 204 mm / 8.03 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Left: power-in, HDMI, USB 3.0, combo audio, memory-card reader (SD)
Left: power-in, HDMI, USB 3.0, combo audio, memory-card reader (SD)
Right: USB 2.0, cable lock slot
Right: USB 2.0, cable lock slot
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
 
24.2 MB/s
Acer Chromebook C740-C3DY
 
19.4 MB/s -20%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
 
13 MB/s -46%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
 
34 MB/s
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (seb)
238 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (seb)
82 MBit/s

Input Devices

Acer installs an unlit, splash water-proof chiclet keyboard into its TravelMate. The flat, roughened keys have a short drop and clear pressure point. The keyboard at most yields in the center when typing on it. This was not annoying, though. The keyboard made an overall very good impression. It is also suitable for frequent typing sessions. The multitouch ClickPad has a surface area of approximately 10.5x6 cm. Thus, it offers a lot of room for gesture control. The pad's sleek surface does not prevent the fingers from gliding; it has a short drop and clear pressure point.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The TravelMate is furnished with a matte, 11.6-inch screen. It has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The brightness (214.9 cd/m²) is too low, but the contrast (574:1) can be called satisfactory. Positive: The screen never exhibited PWM flickering.

206
cd/m²
216
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
200
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
201
cd/m²
204
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N116BGE-EA2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 235 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 214.9 cd/m² Minimum: 24 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 180 cd/m²
Contrast: 574:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.71 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
63% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.46% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
42.04% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.45
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
TN LED, 1366x768
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
TN LED, 1366x768
Medion Akoya S2015 Chromebook
TN LED, 1366x768
HP Stream 11-r000ng
TN, 1366x768
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
TN, 1366x768
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
TN LED, 1366x768
Display
-5%
1%
-3%
-8%
Display P3 Coverage
42.04
39.91
-5%
42.52
1%
40.64
-3%
38.7
-8%
sRGB Coverage
62.9
59.9
-5%
63.5
1%
61.2
-3%
58.1
-8%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.46
41.25
-5%
43.97
1%
41.99
-3%
39.98
-8%
Response Times
-3%
14%
4%
7%
8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38 ?(18, 20)
46 ?(23, 23)
-21%
40 ?(22, 18)
-5%
44 ?(24, 20)
-16%
40 ?(20, 20)
-5%
41 ?(22, 19)
-8%
Response Time Black / White *
31 ?(14, 17)
26 ?(7, 19)
16%
21 ?(5, 16)
32%
24 ?(8, 16)
23%
25 ?(7, 18)
19%
24 ?(7, 17)
23%
PWM Frequency
1000 ?(95)
198 ?(90)
Screen
-3%
-14%
2%
-10%
-5%
Brightness middle
218
271
24%
227
4%
264
21%
240
10%
255
17%
Brightness
215
258
20%
216
0%
248
15%
225
5%
236
10%
Brightness Distribution
85
92
8%
90
6%
84
-1%
90
6%
75
-12%
Black Level *
0.38
0.58
-53%
0.62
-63%
0.5
-32%
0.61
-61%
0.64
-68%
Contrast
574
467
-19%
366
-36%
528
-8%
393
-32%
398
-31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
10.29
10.29
-0%
9.78
5%
11.23
-9%
8.91
13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
17.68
16.39
7%
19.44
-10%
13.52
24%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
11.71
11.78
-1%
11.27
4%
11.16
5%
12.33
-5%
9.87
16%
Gamma
2.45 90%
2.52 87%
2.41 91%
2.44 90%
2.5 88%
2.26 97%
CCT
14164 46%
13438 48%
12875 50%
12954 50%
14130 46%
10232 64%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
38.1
-5%
41
3%
39
-2%
37
-7%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
63
60
-5%
63
0%
61
-3%
58
-8%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-4% / -4%
0% / -7%
2% / 2%
-2% / -6%
-2% / -4%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The screen displays a DeltaE 2000 shift of 10.29 in delivery state. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. Furthermore, the screen has a bluish tint.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast 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 (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 49 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Acer furnishes the TravelMate with a viewing-angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. The TravelMate is not really outdoor suitable; its brightness drops visibly in battery mode (180 cd/m²).

Direct sunlight
Direct sunlight
Sun behind the device
Sun behind the device

Performance

Acer supplies a basic, 11.6-inch netbook with the TravelMate. It has enough computing power for simple office and Internet applications. Our review sample is priced at approximately 550 Euros (~$616). Other configurations exist. The prices start at around 230 Euros (~$257).

Processor

Our TravelMate is powered by Intel's Pentium N3710 (Braswell) quad-core processor. The CPU offers enough power for office and Internet applications. It clocks at a base speed of 1.6 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.56 GHz via Turbo. Turbo is fully utilized in both AC and battery modes.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1238
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
4649
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2781
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
42 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
150 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
15.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
9 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
Intel Pentium N3540
42 Points 0%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Pentium N3710
42 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
35 Points -17%
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel Celeron N3050
34 Points -19%
HP Stream 11-r000ng
Intel Celeron N3050
28 Points -33%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
Intel Pentium N3540
155 Points +3%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Pentium N3710
150 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
64 Points -57%
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel Celeron N3050
64 Points -57%
HP Stream 11-r000ng
Intel Celeron N3050
57 Points -62%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Pentium N3710
1023 Points
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel Celeron N3050
869 Points -15%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
865 Points -15%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Pentium N3710
3553 Points
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel Celeron N3050
1588 Points -55%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
1583 Points -55%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer Chromebook C740-C3DY
Intel Celeron 3205U
84.4 Points +129%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
50.2 Points +36%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel Celeron N3050
45.5 Points +24%
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel Celeron N3050
48.82 Points +33%
Medion Akoya S2015 Chromebook
Rockchip RK3288
42.31 Points +15%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel Pentium N3710
36.78 Points

System Performance

The system runs smoothly; we did not encounter problems. The PCMark benchmark scores correspond to the installed SoC's performance capacities. Increasing the performance is not possible. Acer has already exhausted all options.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1999 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1936 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1594 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), N3710, Liteonit CV3-8D256
1999 Points
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1632 Points -18%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1602 Points -20%
HP Stream 11-r000ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1487 Points -26%
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1468 Points -27%
Medion Akoya S2218
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1027 Points -49%

Storage Device

The TravelMate houses a solid state drive by Lite On. It is an M.2 model (2280) with a capacity of 256 GB. Roughly 190 GB can be used. The rest of the storage is reserved by the Windows installation and recovery partition. The SSD's transfer rates are good.

An M.2 SSD is inside the TravelMate. A 2.5-inch hard drive cannot be retrofitted. A SATA slot is absent.
An M.2 SSD is inside the TravelMate. A 2.5-inch hard drive cannot be retrofitted. A SATA slot is absent.
Liteonit CV3-8D256
Sequential Read: 506 MB/s
Sequential Write: 393.4 MB/s
512K Read: 329.1 MB/s
512K Write: 282.5 MB/s
4K Read: 23.35 MB/s
4K Write: 45.56 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 123.5 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 111.2 MB/s
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Liteonit CV3-8D256
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
32 GB eMMC Flash
HP Stream 11-r000ng
32 GB eMMC Flash
Medion Akoya S2218
64 GB eMMC Flash
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
32 GB eMMC Flash
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
32 GB eMMC Flash
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-69%
-65%
-73%
-65%
-75%
Read Seq
506
172.4
-66%
154.2
-70%
140.2
-72%
175.5
-65%
158.4
-69%
Write Seq
393.4
78.4
-80%
76.6
-81%
52.7
-87%
69.1
-82%
20.58
-95%
Read 512
329.1
156.3
-53%
165.8
-50%
98.4
-70%
166.6
-49%
158.8
-52%
Write 512
282.5
65.2
-77%
59.9
-79%
58.7
-79%
50.1
-82%
30.91
-89%
Read 4k
23.35
17.69
-24%
18.25
-22%
15.25
-35%
19.35
-17%
11.74
-50%
Write 4k
45.56
7.842
-83%
13.16
-71%
9.817
-78%
11.12
-76%
10.66
-77%
Read 4k QD32
123.5
28.3
-77%
46.51
-62%
37.24
-70%
52
-58%
31.3
-75%
Write 4k QD32
111.2
7.399
-93%
13.21
-88%
8.734
-92%
10.96
-90%
10.2
-91%

Graphics Card

Intel's HD Graphics 405 is responsible for video output. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at speeds up to 700 MHz. The 3DMark benchmark scores are a bit higher than those from comparable devices since the working memory operates in dual-channel mode. This better utilizes the GPU. In contrast to the Bay Trail predecessors, an evident performance increase is recorded - at a low level. The stronger architecture of the Braswell graphics cores becomes evident here.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
3566 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
2081 points
3DMark 11 Performance
537 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
26768 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2392 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
259 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
Intel HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), Intel Pentium N3710
473 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Intel Celeron N3050
395 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Intel Celeron N3050
394 Points -17%
HP Stream 11-r000ng
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Intel Celeron N3050
375 Points -21%
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Intel Pentium N3540
230 Points -51%

Gaming Performance

The installed SoC renders a handful of games smoothly in low resolutions and low quality settings. Considerably more playable games can be found in the Windows Store under Casual Games.

low med. high ultra
Deus Ex Human Revolution (2011) 35.4 14.7
Diablo III (2012) 32 19.1 14.4
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) 42.6 32 20.4
Tomb Raider (2013) 27.8 12.8 9.5
BioShock Infinite (2013) 22.2 11.4 9.2
GRID: Autosport (2014) 50.5 15
Sims 4 (2014) 77.5 19.6
F1 2014 (2014) 28 17
Dirt Rally (2015) 41.5 12.5
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 18.8 13
World of Warships (2015) 21.8 16.2

Emissions & Energy Management

System Noise

Since the TravelMate does not sport a fan or conventional hard drive, the laptop runs noiselessly.

Temperature

The TravelMate in the stress test
The TravelMate in the stress test

The TravelMate performed our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) in AC and battery modes in the same manner. The CPU and GPU both ran at high speeds for only a few seconds at the beginning of the stress test. Then, they throttled evidently to 460 to 480 MHz (processor) and 400 MHz (graphics unit). The CPU's speed remained stable for the rest of the time. The GPU's speed dropped to 260 MHz in further course. The laptop only heated up moderately. 40 °C was surpassed on several measuring points during the stress test.

Max. Load
 40.1 °C
104 F
39.2 °C
103 F
28.8 °C
84 F
 
 37.3 °C
99 F
37.2 °C
99 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
 29.8 °C
86 F
27.9 °C
82 F
25.9 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 40.1 °C = 104 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
27.2 °C
81 F
42.4 °C
108 F
41.8 °C
107 F
26.9 °C
80 F
40.2 °C
104 F
40.4 °C
105 F
25.4 °C
78 F
27.8 °C
82 F
28.8 °C
84 F
Maximum: 42.4 °C = 108 F
Average: 33.4 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  35 °C = 95 F | Room Temperature 22.4 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.7 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 29.8 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Netbook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.1 °C / 92 F, ranging from 21.6 to 53.2 °C for the class Netbook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.4 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.6 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.6 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 29.8 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.8 °C / 85.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 29.3 °C / 84.7 F (-0.5 °C / -0.9 F).
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development upper side (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development underside (load)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development upper side (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)
Temperature development underside (idle)

Speakers

The TravelMate's stereo speakers are situated on the device's underside. They produce a somewhat thin sound that lacks bass. Using headphones or external speakers is recommended for a better sound.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.834.331.82532.331.132.3313432.5344032.431.332.4503436.7346328.329.628.38028.527.528.510026.52726.512526.526.626.516026.125.626.120025.32425.325037.42337.43154822.64840054.521.254.550056.820.456.863056.119.956.180067.219.267.2100068.919.268.9125071.518.771.5160071.518.471.5200066.618.566.6250062.718.562.7315062.518.862.5400063.318.863.3500060.918.860.9630055.918.955.9800062.718.962.71000063.91963.91250063.81963.81600064.918.864.9SPL78.531.378.5N38.31.638.3median 62.5median 19median 62.5Delta9.91.29.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer TravelMate B117-M-P16QApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 43% of all tested devices in this class were better, 14% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 14%, average was 25%, worst was 35%
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 25%, 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
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, 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 25%, 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 8.6 watts. This rate climbed to 18 watts for a short moment during the stress test. It dropped when the CPU and GPU throttled. In total, the TravelMate's power consumption is on a normal level for the hardware installed here. The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.6 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.2 / 8 / 8.6 Watt
Load midlight 13.5 / 13.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

We simulate the load needed for opening websites in our practical Wi-Fi test. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, the energy-saving functions are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The TravelMate achieved a runtime of 9:44 hours - a very good rate.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (IE 11)
9h 44min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Acer Chromebook C740-C3DY
3205U, HD Graphics (Broadwell), 44.44 Wh
677 min +16%
Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q
N3710, HD Graphics 405 (Braswell), 49 Wh
584 min
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
N3050, HD Graphics (Braswell), 32 Wh
520 min -11%
HP Stream 11-r000ng
N3050, HD Graphics (Braswell), 37 Wh
515 min -12%
Medion Akoya S2015 Chromebook
RK3288, Mali-T760 MP4, 31.08 Wh
502 min -14%
Medion Akoya S2218
Z3735F, HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 43 Wh
500 min -14%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
N3050, HD Graphics (Braswell), 32 Wh
445 min -24%
Lenovo S21e-20 80M4004MGE
N3540, HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 23 Wh
262 min -55%

Pros

+ matte screen
+ solid casing
+ fast SSD
+ maintenance hatch
+ very good battery life
+ three-year warranty

Cons

- dark, viewing-angle dependent screen
- screen dims in battery mode

Verdict

In review: Acer TravelMate B117-M-P6PA. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Acer TravelMate B117-M-P6PA. Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de

Acer's little netbook has been made for use in educational institutions. The robust casing proves this. The installed processor has enough computing power for basic office and Internet applications. The laptop always runs quietly and does not get excessively hot. The speedy SSD ensures a fast-running system. It is also possible to replace the SSD easily since the TravelMate has a maintenance hatch. The battery life is outstanding. This is supplemented with a very decent keyboard. The three-year manufacturer warranty should not be left unmentioned. The weak point of this laptop is again the screen; Acer installs a dark, viewing-angle dependent model.

Acer has a compact and very enduring typewriter and browsing machine that should appeal to many pupils and students in its lineup with the TravelMate.

However, our review sample is not really a bargain at a price of 550 Euros (~$616). The SSD and two Windows operating systems are reflected in the price. To save money, a look at the B117-M-P12K model might be worthwhile. It comes with a conventional (500 GB) HDD and without a Windows operating system. Adding the cost of a used Windows 7 license increases the price to approximately 330 Euros (~$369).

Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q - 09/27/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
82 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
82%
Connectivity
43 / 80 → 54%
Weight
70 / 35-78 → 81%
Battery
92%
Display
76%
Games Performance
46 / 68 → 67%
Application Performance
54 / 87 → 62%
Temperature
91 / 91 → 100%
Noise
100%
Audio
50 / 91 → 55%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
69%
81%
Netbook - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer TravelMate B117-M-P16Q Netbook Review
Sascha Mölck, 2016-10- 8 (Update: 2018-05-15)