Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 Subnotebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
Acer's TravelMate P238-M is the successor of the TravelMate P236-M that we have already tested. At a first glance, the devices look very similar. However, some differences are noticeable on closer inspection. A structurally identical sister model of the TravelMate P238-M is found within Acer's latest laptop lineup in the Aspire V3-372. The TravelMate has plenty of rivals, for example HP's ProBook 430 G3, Asus' ZenBook UX303UA, Schenker's S306, Lenovo's IdeaPad 500S-13ISK, Apple's MacBook Air 13.
Since the TravelMate and Aspire V3-372 feature an identical build, we will not go into details about casing, connectivity, input devices and speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the Aspire V3-372.
Case
Since it does not have a maintenance hatch, the laptop's base tray has to be dismantled for maintenance/upgrade purposes. All screws on the underside have to be released before levering off the base tray with a thin putty knife or spatula. Care is needed because the base tray is fixed with plastic hooks that could break. Two filled memory banks are found inside the laptop. The SSD (M.2 2280) is easy to replace, and it is possible to clean the fan.
Display
It is assumed that a 13.3-inch laptop such as the TravelMate should be suitable for mobile use. Therefore, we do not understand why Acer has equipped the laptop with such a dark (215.7 cd/m²) and low-contrast (461:1) panel. Acer has literally sabotaged its device because this restricts its application fields. Furthermore, the screen installed here does not match the laptop's price range. At least the panel never displays PWM flickering.
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Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 223 cd/m²
Contrast: 461:1 (Black: 0.49 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 13.15 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 14.47 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.49% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.25% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.73
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The panel's color reproduction is not compelling, either. It has a DeltaE 2000 color deviation of 13.15 in the state of delivery. Even many low-cost laptops do not achieve these poor rates. In any case, a color deviation of less than 3 would be desirable. In addition, the screen suffers under an evident bluish tint.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise | |
↘ 18 ms fall | ||
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % 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 | ||
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 22 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. » 63 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms). |
The TravelMate is equipped with a viewing angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. Changing the vertical viewing angle quickly leads to image distortions. It looks better horizontally, and even several people can look at the screen simultaneously. The laptop is not really suitable for outdoor use and at most is possible in cloudy conditions or shaded environments.
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 TN LED, 1366x768 | Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK IPS, 1920x1080 | HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES TN LED, 1366x768 | Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2015-03 TN LED, 1440x900 | Lenovo IdeaPad 500S-13ISK IPS, 1920x1080 | Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4 TN, 1366x768 | HP Envy 13-d020ng IPS, 1920x1080 | SCHENKER S306 IPS, 1920x1080 | Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T TN LED, 1366x768 | |
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Display | 5% | -4% | 8% | 7% | 11% | 69% | 76% | 16% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 37.25 | 39.05 5% | 35.87 -4% | 40.1 8% | 40.74 9% 38.91 4% | 41.26 11% | 63.7 71% | 68.1 83% | 43.08 16% |
sRGB Coverage | 56.1 | 58.7 5% | 54 -4% | 59.8 7% | 60.6 8% 58.5 4% | 62.1 11% | 93 66% | 93.4 66% | 64.8 16% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 38.49 | 40.35 5% | 37.06 -4% | 41.51 8% | 42.15 10% 40.21 4% | 42.64 11% | 65.1 69% | 68.4 78% | 44.52 16% |
Response Times | 2% | -24% | 6% | 17% | -2% | 46% | |||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 42 ? | 46 ? -10% | 54.4 ? -30% | 46 ? -10% | 34 ? 19% | 46 ? -10% | 23 ? 45% | ||
Response Time Black / White * | 28 ? | 24 ? 14% | 32.8 ? -17% | 22 ? 21% | 24 ? 14% | 26 ? 7% | 15 ? 46% | ||
PWM Frequency | 192 ? | 208 ? | 1020 ? | 192 ? | |||||
Screen | 23% | -9% | 40% | 24% | -16% | 68% | 56% | 23% | |
Brightness middle | 226 | 250 11% | 212 -6% | 329 46% | 219 -3% | 188 -17% | 345 53% | 347 54% | 203 -10% |
Brightness | 216 | 247 14% | 205 -5% | 310 44% | 212 -2% | 187 -13% | 335 55% | 333 54% | 193 -11% |
Brightness Distribution | 91 | 87 -4% | 90 -1% | 82 -10% | 82 -10% | 78 -14% | 95 4% | 80 -12% | 84 -8% |
Black Level * | 0.49 | 0.43 12% | 0.71 -45% | 0.405 17% | 0.35 29% | 0.777 -59% | 0.25 49% | 0.39 20% | 0.49 -0% |
Contrast | 461 | 581 26% | 299 -35% | 812 76% | 626 36% | 242 -48% | 1380 199% | 890 93% | 414 -10% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 13.15 | 4.51 66% | 12.06 8% | 3.96 70% | 4.95 62% | 12.21 7% | 4.94 62% | 3.66 72% | 3.2 76% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 21.96 | 7.51 66% | 11.17 49% | 8.85 60% | 6.48 70% | 4.13 81% | |||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 14.47 | 3.18 78% | 13.41 7% | 3.51 76% | 3.45 76% | 13.1 9% | 5.85 60% | 4.18 71% | 2.77 81% |
Gamma | 2.73 81% | 2.43 91% | 2.41 91% | 3.83 57% | 2.34 94% | 2.66 83% | 2.25 98% | 2.79 79% | 2.46 89% |
CCT | 19989 33% | 6743 96% | 15382 42% | 6711 97% | 6815 95% | 17666 37% | 7105 91% | 6670 97% | 7176 91% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 36 | 37 3% | 34.3 -5% | 38.4 7% | 37 3% | 39.4 9% | 60 67% | 61 69% | 41 14% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 56 | 58 4% | 54.2 -3% | 59.8 7% | 58 4% | 93 66% | 93 66% | 65 16% | |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 10% /
16% | -12% /
-10% | 24% /
32% | 12% /
16% | -3% /
-8% | 51% /
61% | 43% /
52% | 28% /
25% |
* ... smaller is better
Performance
Acer's TravelMate is an enduring, 13.3-inch subnotebook. The installed processor has enough computing power for all common application scenarios. Our review sample is priced at around 750 Euros (~$842). We found only one other model at the time of testing. This should, however, change in the near future. The identically built Aspire V3-372 lineup offers more selection.
Processor
A Core i5-6200U (Skylake) dual-core processor clocks inside the TravelMate. This CPU is the latest mid-range model among the ULV processors by Intel. Its performance should more than satisfy the needs of most users. The processor clocks at a base speed of 2.3 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.7 GHz (both cores) and 2.8 GHz (one core only) via Turbo. Turbo is utilized in AC mode. According to our benchmark software, the processor also clocks at full speed in battery mode. The scores of the CPU tests that we performed contradict that. When converting the results into speed, the processor clocks at approximately 1.8 GHz in battery mode.
The Skylake processor delivers approximately 10 to 15% better scores than its direct Broadwell predecessor (Core i5-5200U) when Turbo is fully utilized. This is due to the improved Skylake architecture and the slightly higher clock speeds.
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
HP Envy 13-d020ng | |
SCHENKER S306 | |
Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T | |
Lenovo U31-70 80M5003EGE | |
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 | |
HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES |
Peacekeeper - --- | |
Lenovo U31-70 80M5003EGE | |
HP Envy 13-d020ng | |
SCHENKER S306 | |
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 | |
Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T | |
HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
A fast SSD and strong processor ensure a smooth running system. We did not encounter any problems. The PCMark benchmark scores are very good. It is not possible to increase the system performance; Acer has already exhausted everything.
PCMark 7 Score | 4629 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3589 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3705 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4748 points | |
Help |
Storage Device & Memory Card Reader
Data is stored on a solid-state drive by Samsung. It is an M.2 model (2280) that has a capacity of 256 GB. The SSD is divided into an operating system partition (118 GB) and a data partition (85.5 GB). The user has roughly 180 GB for personal use. The rest of the storage capacity is taken up by the Windows installation and recovery partition.
The memory card reader in the TravelMate is relatively sluggish. A maximum of 27.1 MB/s is achieved when copying large data blocks. Transferring 250 JPG image files (approx. 5 MB each) is performed at 19.4 MB/s. We test the memory card reader via a reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 520 is responsible for video output. It supports DirectX 12 and clocks at speeds of up to 950 MHz. The working memory that operates in dual-channel mode allows better GPU utilization and delivers higher scores than models that can only utilize a memory in single-channel mode. The 3DMark benchmark outcomes are not far from those of a dedicated graphics card from the lower mid-range.
The GPU comes with a decoder that unloads the processor when rendering standard video formats. This also includes the H.265 format (successor of the H.264 format often used today). It allows playing smaller video files at the same image quality. The TravelMate rendered our test video (4K, 60 FPS, H.265) with a CPU capacity of less than 10%.
3DMark 06 Standard Score | 8980 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 1461 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 53522 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 5882 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 773 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
The TravelMate's hardware configuration still allows partial use of computer games. The combination of Skylake GPU and the dual-channel working memory pays off here. Of course, primarily games that do not have very high demands on hardware are playable. Smooth frame rates are achieved in low resolutions and low to medium quality settings. Performance-driven games such as "Rise of the Tomb Raider" or "Far Cry Primal" are not playable. Another laptop will be needed for more gaming power. Dedicated GPUs are scarce in slim 13.3-inch laptops. Asus' ZenBook UX303 would be an alternative. Some models of the lineup feature a GeForce 940M graphics unit.
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 74.9 | 38.1 | 23.8 | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 51.8 | 27.7 | 22.9 | |
Battlefield 4 (2013) | 31.3 | 24.3 | 16.9 | |
World of Warships (2015) | 80 | 45.3 | ||
FIFA 16 (2015) | 62.5 | 39.4 | ||
Need for Speed 2016 (2016) | 15.2 | 13.5 |
Emissions
System Noise
The TravelMate's fan is often inactive in idle mode, when it is noiseless. The fan does not speed up unduly during load. We measured a noise level of 38.1 dB(A) in the stress test; this rate is acceptable. Unfortunately, the laptop occasionally produces an electronic hiss when a lot of data is moved to the SSD.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 31.2 / 31.2 / 31.2 dB(A) |
Load |
| 35.71 / 38.1 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min: , med: , max: Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 31.2 dB(A) |
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2015-03 5650U, HD Graphics 6000 | Lenovo IdeaPad 500S-13ISK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4 5200U, HD Graphics 5500 | HP Envy 13-d020ng 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | SCHENKER S306 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | |
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Noise | 4% | 4% | -3% | -2% | 1% | -2% | -6% | 1% | |
off / environment * | 31.2 | 31.3 -0% | 31.3 -0% | ||||||
Idle Minimum * | 31.2 | 31.5 -1% | 29.8 4% | 29.2 6% | 31.3 -0% | 29.1 7% | 32.5 -4% | 31.3 -0% | 32.6 -4% |
Idle Average * | 31.2 | 31.5 -1% | 29.8 4% | 29.2 6% | 31.7 -2% | 29.1 7% | 32.5 -4% | 31.3 -0% | 32.7 -5% |
Idle Maximum * | 31.2 | 31.5 -1% | 30.9 1% | 29.2 6% | 31.8 -2% | 29.1 7% | 32.4 -4% | 31.4 -1% | 32.7 -5% |
Load Average * | 35.71 | 32.4 9% | 33.3 7% | 40.2 -13% | 36.7 -3% | 38.7 -8% | 36 -1% | 38.6 -8% | 33.4 6% |
Load Maximum * | 38.1 | 32.3 15% | 37.4 2% | 46.3 -22% | 39.4 -3% | 40.8 -7% | 36.5 4% | 48.5 -27% | 33.4 12% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The TravelMate performed our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in the same manner in both AC and battery mode. The CPU (2.7 GHz) and GPU (950 MHz) clock at full speed. Since the CPU ran at only 1.8 GHz while performing our CPU test (battery mode) - although the benchmark software indicates something else - it could also be the case in the stress test (battery mode). Both the temperature and noise development are identical in AC and battery mode. Furthermore, subjectively, there are no differences in the laptop's temperature development. Overall, the TravelMate barely heats up. We measured a maximum temperature of 34.2 °C (~94 °F) on one point during the stress test (AC mode).
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.2 °C / 94 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 31 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.4 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.6 °C / 76.3 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 (+3.7 °C / 6.6 F).
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2015-03 5650U, HD Graphics 6000 | Lenovo IdeaPad 500S-13ISK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4 5200U, HD Graphics 5500 | HP Envy 13-d020ng 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | SCHENKER S306 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | |
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Heat | -35% | -25% | -18% | -10% | -18% | -20% | -20% | -7% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 34.2 | 49.3 -44% | 42.1 -23% | 43.8 -28% | 35.9 -5% | 33.5 2% | 51 -49% | 44.2 -29% | 39.7 -16% |
Maximum Bottom * | 31 | 53.3 -72% | 44.1 -42% | 42.1 -36% | 39.1 -26% | 44.8 -45% | 46 -48% | 42.3 -36% | 34.8 -12% |
Idle Upper Side * | 27.1 | 28.2 -4% | 31.1 -15% | 28.5 -5% | 27.8 -3% | 29.5 -9% | 25.5 6% | 29.6 -9% | 27.4 -1% |
Idle Bottom * | 27.7 | 32.6 -18% | 32.9 -19% | 28.9 -4% | 29.1 -5% | 33 -19% | 24.4 12% | 29.2 -5% | 27.7 -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Energy Management
Power Consumption
We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 6 watts - a very good rate. The requirement does not climb into unforeseen regions during load either. We measured a rate of 30.8 watts during the stress test. A comparison with the identically built Aspire V3-372 sister model to illustrate the impact of the screen on power consumption would seem logical at this point. The Aspire is equipped with the same CPU-GPU combination and also has an SSD. However, a Full HD panel is installed in the Aspire. This leads to an approximately 2 watt higher consumption in both load and in idle modes compared with the TravelMate (HD panel; 1366x768 pixels). The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.
Off / Standby | 0.45 / 0.46 Watt |
Idle | 3.2 / 5.5 / 6 Watt |
Load |
29.5 / 30.9 Watt |
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2015-03 5650U, HD Graphics 6000 | Lenovo IdeaPad 500S-13ISK 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4 5200U, HD Graphics 5500 | HP Envy 13-d020ng 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | SCHENKER S306 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T 6200U, HD Graphics 520 | |
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Power Consumption | -13% | -22% | -3% | -18% | -6% | -32% | -67% | -10% | |
Idle Minimum * | 3.2 | 3.8 -19% | 4.7 -47% | 2.7 16% | 5.2 -63% | 3 6% | 4.2 -31% | 6.3 -97% | 4.2 -31% |
Idle Average * | 5.5 | 5.8 -5% | 7.2 -31% | 5.7 -4% | 6.9 -25% | 5.7 -4% | 7.4 -35% | 10.1 -84% | 6.2 -13% |
Idle Maximum * | 6 | 8.1 -35% | 8.3 -38% | 6 -0% | 7.2 -20% | 6.3 -5% | 10.1 -68% | 12.6 -110% | 6.4 -7% |
Load Average * | 29.5 | 30.2 -2% | 26.4 11% | 32.1 -9% | 26.7 9% | 30.2 -2% | 33.4 -13% | 34.6 -17% | 29 2% |
Load Maximum * | 30.9 | 32.4 -5% | 32 -4% | 36.2 -17% | 28.2 9% | 39.1 -27% | 34.7 -12% | 38.7 -25% | 31 -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Runtime
The TravelMate can boast big in terms of battery life and thus more than justifies its name. One battery charge kept our practical Wi-Fi test running for 10:08 hours. We simulate the load needed for opening websites using the "Balanced" profile, and a screen brightness of approximately 150 cd/m². We test the video playback time by looping the short movie "Big Buck Bunny" (H.265 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels). The wireless modules are disabled and the screen's brightness is set to roughly 150 cd/m². The TravelMate achieved a runtime of 9:17 hours here. The laptop's maximum possible runtime is 21:30 hours.
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575 49.7 Wh | Acer Aspire V3-372-50LK 51 Wh | HP ProBook 430 G3 P5T00ES 44 Wh | Apple MacBook Air 13 inch 2015-03 54 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad 500S-13ISK 35 Wh | Acer TravelMate P236-M-57R4 49 Wh | HP Envy 13-d020ng 45 Wh | SCHENKER S306 45 Wh | Asus Zenbook UX303UA-FN121T 50 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -27% | -41% | -3% | -48% | -37% | -46% | -28% | ||
Reader / Idle | 1290 | 906 -30% | 449 -65% | 1572 22% | 615 -52% | ||||
H.264 | 557 | 337 -39% | 311 -44% | ||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 608 | 349 -43% | 377 -38% | 620 2% | 301 -50% | 381 -37% | 329 -46% | 436 -28% | |
Load | 147 | 135 -8% | 118 -20% | 97 -34% | 81 -45% | ||||
WiFi | 359 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Acer's subnotebook comes with a strong Core i5 processor that looks good in all application scenarios. The laptop barely heats up and runs quietly in routine use despite the strong CPU. A fast SSD ensures a quick system. Replacing the SSD would be possible, but the laptop's base tray has to be dismantled first as there is no maintenance hatch.
With the TravelMate P238-M, Acer could have had a very good subnotebook in its lineup if it had not cut so many corners on the keyboard and display. Buyers who can accept this will find an enduring companion for school, studies and job.
Acer has equipped the TravelMate with a decent keyboard that, however, does not belong to the top models. We expect more for the asking price of approximately 750 Euros (~$842). After all, the TravelMate is a mobile typewriter and browsing machine. The screen will not win any awards either. It is dark, low-contrast and viewing angle dependent. A 750-Euro (~$842) laptop has to offer more in this respect.
Acer TravelMate P238-M-5575
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04/21/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck