Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452 (Core i5, Full HD) Notebook Review

Acer uses a mix of synthetic materials and metal in the test model. The entire laptop is black. The top and the base unit are made of brushed aluminum, whereas the rest of the components are shaped with synthetic material. The display cover and the bottom of the laptop are adorned by a pattern of lines. In addition, there is a maintenance flap on the bottom, which hides the RAM and the SSD. The battery is non-removable.

Acer does not leave behind any major flaws in the workmanship. The display borders should have been cleaned up a bit more, but there are no sharp edges. However, we would expect more sturdiness from a relatively heavy business notebook like this TravelMate. The base unit and the case, on both sides of the keyboard, are easily deformed. Pressure on the display cover will create display artifacts. The hinges keep the panel up but move ever so slightly. A one-hand opening of the cover is possible.

In comparison to the competition, the TravelMate is heavier and bigger. The competition includes models from HP, Lenovo and Dell, which are all 300 to 400 grams lighter than our test model.

The TravelMate offers the standard fare of ports. Two of the three Type-A USB ports work with the USB 3.0 standard. A Type-C USB port is not included in the laptop, which is a pity as every laptop is expected to have one in 2016. Two video outputs are offered and the placement of all the ports could be improved. For example, the USB ports are placed level to the hand-rest regions. 

A tip: if you search different online shops for the TravelMate, you will find various pictures which show a Type-C USB port. However, this is the TravelMate P249-M, not the TravelMate P259-M. Acer has mixed up the pictures for the models. As such, the pictures of the sides of the TravelMate P259-M are actually of the TravelMate P249-M. Acer has confirmed this mix-up for us.

The memory-card reader is in no hurry. The transfer rate of 250 jpg pictures (each around 5 MB) was 17.3 MB/s. We test memory-card readers with a reference memory card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).

The WLAN module installed in the laptop contains an Intel chip (7265). This module supports the 802.11a/b/g/h/n WLAN standards and fast ac standard. We test the laptop with ideal settings (no other WLAN devices nearby, short distance between the notebook and the server PC). Despite these advantageous conditions, the surf speeds of our test model were not very fast. In contrast, the TravelMate X349-M can unlock the true speeds of the WLAN chip. Wired connections work over a Gigabit Ethernet chip made by Realtek (RTL8168/8111 family). This chip works without issues.

The P249-M is an entry-level model to the business world. As such, there are not many security measures on-board. On the hardware side, we only noticed the Trusted Platform Module (2.0). A fingerprint sensor is not provided. The TPM is complimented by the Acer ProShield security software.

The laptop brings the usual: a quick-start manual and warranty information.

Acer has provided a three-year warranty for the test model - including pick-up service. The warranty period can be extended. For example, an on-site warranty service will cost an additional 170 Euros (~$187).

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The Acer TravelMate P249-M is an entry-level, 14-inch business notebook. The laptop has sufficient performance for everyday tasks. Sadly, the manufacturer does not offer docking stations, fingerprint readers or an LTE modem for this model. Our test model is available in this configuration for 720 Euros (~$794). At the time of testing, only one other configuration was available and a review of it will be provided in the near future on Notebookcheck.com.

The TravelMate P249 M series uses the conservative ULV processors (TDP: 15 W) of the Skylake generation. Our test model is equipped with the Core i5-6200U dual-core processor. This is a middle-class CPU, which can fulfill most of our needs. We could not test the TravelMate P249 M models, which are equipped with a Core i7 processor, as these were not available at the time of testing. We cannot recommend buying such a model as the performance increase is not worth the premium. The Core i5 CPU of our test model runs at a base clock speed of 2.3 GHz. With Turbo, it can jump up to 2.7 GHz (both cores) and 2.8 GHz (single core). The Turbo can be used while on battery and while plugged in.

The Core i5-7200U is the Kaby Lake successor of the Core i5-6200U CPU. This new CPU is already on the market and offers a 10-15% increase in performance, due to its higher clock speeds (2.7 to 3.1 GHz). Otherwise, Skylake and Kaby Lake are quite similar on the technical side.

A fast SSD and strong processor ensure that the system runs smoothly. We did not encounter any issues. The result of the PCMark benchmark is very good. It is not possible to further increase the system performance.

The Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU is installed in our test model. It supports DirectX 12 and works at 300-950 MHz. Thanks to dual-channel mode, the RAM can provide higher performance and the results of the 3D Mark benchmarks are quite good, in comparison to devices using single-channel mode.

The GPU offers a decoder, which should alleviate the load on the processor while playing videos. The typical formats, like H.264 and its successor H.265, are supported. During playback of our test video (4k, 60 fps, H.265), the CPU load was below 10%. 

The TravelMate can be used for gaming occasionally. This model is best suited for simple games, without high hardware requirements, as even less demanding games need to use lower settings to run at an acceptable rate. Current hits, like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Mafia 3, would be too demanding for this laptop to run.

The stereo speakers of the TravelMate are installed on the bottom of the laptop. They produce clear sound but lack bass. For a better sound experience, we recommend external speakers or headphones.

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be selected)

Power Consumption

We did not notice any power consumption anomalies while operating the TravelMate. While idle, the laptop needs a max of 8 W. During the stress test, this rises to 32.5 W, which is normal for this hardware platform. The power adapter offers 45 W.

Our practical WLAN test runs for 6:40 hours on the test model. This test checks the battery life of the model while surfing the web. The "Balanced" power profile is active with power-saving options turned off and brightness set to around 150 cd/m². To check the battery life while playing movies, we ran the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 coding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a loop. The wireless modules were turned off with power-saving options inactive and brightness set to around 150 cd/m². This allows the laptop to run for 6:01 hours.