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Acer TravelMate P648-G2 (i7, 256 GB) Laptop Review

The predecessor of Acer's TravelMate P648-G2 managed a very good fourth place among devices by Dell, Lenovo, and HP. The present test proves that Acer remains close to its competitors thanks to regular component updates and that it continues to establish itself as a manufacturer of high-performance business laptops.

For the original German review see here

Acer calls its TravelMate P6 lineup top of the line performance, light, and durable. The TravelMate P648-M-757N already confirmed these traits in the previous test. The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 successor has a better configuration than its predecessor and has to compete against Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Dell's Latitude 14 E5470, and Toshiba's Tecra Z50-C-10P in the test.

Originally, the device was reviewed by our German staff. The model name is TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0, and it costs 1500 Euros (~$1700). The same model is available in the UK as P648 G2 M 7619. Retailers sell it for about £1800 (~$2307) at the time of writing.

Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0 (TravelMate P6 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7500U 2 x 2.7 - 3.5 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 620, Core: 1050 MHz, QuickSync, single-channel
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2133, 2 memory banks (1 filled, 1 empty)
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH
Storage
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, 256 GB 
, 1076 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC3225
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: combo jack, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-LM (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0, Huawei LTE, LTE
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21.2 x 328.7 x 235.5 ( = 0.83 x 12.94 x 9.27 in)
Battery
54 Wh, 4850 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Foxit PhantomPDF, McAfee LiveSafe Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.7 kg ( = 59.97 oz / 3.75 pounds), Power Supply: 312 g ( = 11.01 oz / 0.69 pounds)
Price
1500 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing's design has been completely adopted. A high-quality while basic device awaits the buyer. Carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum convey stability. Particularly favorable: Fingerprints hardly remain on the matte-black surface. All parts of the casing have been manufactured and assembled impeccably. The lid's metal hinges keep the display firmly in the opened position.

A micro-SIM card slot, a port for Acer's ProDock docking station and speakers are on the casing's underside. The hard drive and working memory could be replaced or expanded via a screw-fastened hatch. The battery can only be accessed by removing the entire base plate.


Size Comparison

380 mm / 15 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.1 kg4.71 lbs334.9 mm / 13.2 inch 231.1 mm / 9.1 inch 23.2 mm / 0.913 inch 1.9 kg4.12 lbs336.6 mm / 13.3 inch 232.5 mm / 9.15 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.7 kg3.67 lbs331 mm / 13 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.4 kg3 lbs328.7 mm / 12.9 inch 235.5 mm / 9.27 inch 21.2 mm / 0.835 inch 1.7 kg3.75 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The interface diversity of Acer's TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 is very solid. Most ports are situated on the casing's left. Thus, right-handed users will not have problems with cables that unnecessarily obstruct the space needed for using an external mouse. Two widely distributed connections for monitors and projectors are present in the forms of VGA and HDMI. Furthermore, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt ports, and a combo-audio jack are on the device's left. Two more USB 3.0 ports, a Kensington lock, and power-in are situated on the left. The SD-card reader is on the laptop's front.

Acer offers an optional docking station that provides additional interfaces (e.g. DVI, SATA) and several USB ports.

Left: Gigabit Ethernet, VGA-out, HDMI, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, combo jack
Left: Gigabit Ethernet, VGA-out, HDMI, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, combo jack
Right: 2x USB 3.0, cable lock, power-in
Right: 2x USB 3.0, cable lock, power-in
Front: SD-card reader
Front: SD-card reader

SD-card reader

The SD-card reader is situated on the front of Acer's TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619. The card slot has a plastic dummy that prevents dust from infiltrating the port. We adversely noticed that the dummy has to be pressed quite deeply to release the lock mechanism. The resistance is also very high, making it unnecessarily difficult to insert and remove an SD card. The SD-card reader achieved a maximum read speed of 87.3 MB/s with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card. This rate is well on par with most review samples. The average copy speed of 77.8 MB/s is also competitive.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
 
136 MB/s +75%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
 
77.8 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
 
76.6 MB/s -2%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
 
19.6 MB/s -75%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
 
207 MB/s +137%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
 
88.7 MB/s +2%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
 
87.3 MB/s
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
 
24.6 MB/s -72%

Communication

Our review sample is furnished with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an LTE module. Intel's dual-band Wireless-AC 7265 provides a good Wi-Fi signal even with two concrete walls between the router and laptop. In addition to all former standards, it supports the fast 802.11 ac standard, as well as Bluetooth 4.0.

The installed Huawei ME936 mobile network module allows using mobile Internet at speeds of up to 100 MBit/s. When LTE is not available, UMTS, HSPA and the even slower EDGE, GPRS, and GSM standards are supported.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
512 MBit/s +1%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (jseb)
509 MBit/s 0%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
509 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
241 MBit/s -53%
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
688 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
657 MBit/s -5%
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
618 MBit/s -10%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (jseb)
579 MBit/s -16%

Security

Acer equips the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 with TPM 2.0 and a fingerprint scanner. A cable lock can be connected to the corresponding slot for securing the laptop physically. Acer's own ProShield security software is preloaded on our review sample. According to Acer, it protects the laptop from unauthorized access and also protects the data on the local storage device. The user has to assign a TPM and ProShield password, and register a fingerprint to use the program. A trial version of Norton Security is also preloaded.

Accessories

Acer offers the ProDock 3 docking station for expanding the interface options of the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619. The ProDock has HDMI, DVI, VGA, and DisplayPort (one each) for video output. In addition to Gigabit LAN and four USB 3.0 ports, the dock also provides dedicated headphone and microphone jacks. It costs approximately 180 Euros (~$204). An additional power supply is included.

Maintenance

It is possible to access the additional hard drive and an empty memory bank via a maintenance hatch. The installed 8 GB working memory is soldered. The other hardware components can be accessed by removing the base plate, which is easy to remove after releasing 15 more screws. This then allows replacing the battery or cleaning the fan. The CPU is also soldered.

Soldered CPU
Soldered CPU
Empty memory bank; soldered working memory underneath it
Empty memory bank; soldered working memory underneath it

Warranty

The manufacturer's three-year warranty includes a pick-up and return service. Acer also provides technical hardware support for three years. Software support is limited to just 180 days. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard is suitable for prolonged typing sessions. Although the pressure point only offers low resistance, it is well-palpable. A short drop allows easy typing as soon as the user has gotten used to it. The "larger" keys, such as return or space, are also comfortable to use and they do not clatter. The keyboard is backlit for working in the dark. Its brightness cannot be adapted.

Touchpad

The touchpad has a sleek surface that even allows using it with moist fingers very well. The fingers glide pleasantly over the pad. Multi-gesture control is also supported. The fingerprint scanner is situated between the left and right mouse keys. In contrast to the keyboard, the keys have to be pressed strongly for triggering a click.

Display

Subpixel structure
Subpixel structure

Acer installs a matte IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels into the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619. The screen is sufficiently bright and recognizing content is just possible even outside of shaded areas outdoors. However, the brightness of 253 cd/m² is low compared with the competitors. The contrast of 1100:1 is in a solid midfield. We did not ascertain PWM-flickering.

235
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
258
cd/m²
238
cd/m²
275
cd/m²
259
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 275 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 253.1 cd/m² Minimum: 14 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 275 cd/m²
Contrast: 1100:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.91 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
91% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.39
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
B140HAN03_1, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
LP140WF3, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
LP156WF6-SPP1, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
AU Optronics B140HAN, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
-7%
-6%
-6%
-42%
Display P3 Coverage
67.2
61.4
-9%
64.8
-4%
65.4
-3%
37.23
-45%
sRGB Coverage
90.8
85.9
-5%
84.8
-7%
84.6
-7%
55.2
-39%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.4
62.4
-6%
62
-7%
61.8
-7%
38.48
-42%
Response Times
-18%
-4%
22%
-37%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38 ?(20, 18)
41.6 ?(20.4, 21.2)
-9%
39 ?(15, 24)
-3%
20 ?(9, 11)
47%
49 ?(17, 32)
-29%
Response Time Black / White *
25 ?(14, 11)
31.6 ?(18.8, 12.8)
-26%
26 ?(5, 21)
-4%
26 ?(13, 13)
-4%
36 ?(14, 22)
-44%
PWM Frequency
50 ?(40)
198 ?(90)
Screen
-8%
-14%
-7%
-25%
Brightness middle
275
311
13%
323
17%
288
5%
1152
319%
Brightness
253
288
14%
316
25%
277
9%
1067
322%
Brightness Distribution
85
85
0%
79
-7%
83
-2%
86
1%
Black Level *
0.25
0.24
4%
0.57
-128%
0.27
-8%
1.08
-332%
Contrast
1100
1296
18%
567
-48%
1067
-3%
1067
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.49
5.5
-58%
3.68
-5%
4.7
-35%
10.04
-188%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.77
9
-33%
8.33
-23%
11.7
-73%
19.43
-187%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.91
6.2
-26%
2.99
39%
3.1
37%
10.47
-113%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.02 109%
2.49 88%
2.7 81%
2.42 91%
CCT
6271 104%
5950 109%
6572 99%
6603 98%
5576 117%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59
55.96
-5%
55
-7%
61.9
5%
35
-41%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91
85.77
-6%
85
-7%
90.3
-1%
63
-31%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-11% / -9%
-8% / -11%
3% / -3%
-35% / -30%

* ... smaller is better

91% sRGB coverage
91% sRGB coverage
59% AdobeRGB coverage
59% AdobeRGB coverage

Subjectively, the screen in the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 delivers a pleasing image. The colors look good and a grayish tint is not visible. The measurements confirm this impression. The black level is relatively low (0.24 cd/m²) and the sRGB color space can be reproduced by up to 91%. The AdobeRGB color space is displayed by up to 59%.

CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)

The screen's brightness is high enough for outdoor use. However, the shade should be preferred since looking at the screen's content under direct sunlight becomes strenuous in the long run. The anti-glare surface definitely contributes to legibility. The viewing angle is stable from all directions.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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
25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 11 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. » 53 % 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↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 18 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).

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.


Performance

Acer delivers the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 with 8 GB of working memory and Intel's Core i7-7500U CPU with an integrated HD Graphics 620 graphics card. When required, more working memory and a larger HDD can be installed. Our review sample carries an SSD with a storage capacity of 256 GB as the system drive and a 1 TB HDD for storing data.

 

Processor

Intel's Core i7-7500U processor in the review sample has been made for laptops and ultrabooks. Its two cores can process four threads at the same time thanks to Hyper-Threading. Acer states a clock speed of 2.7 GHz but as much as 3.5 GHz is possible via the dual-core Turbo. The clock remained stable throughout the 30-minute Cinebench R15 Multi benchmark test. The full performance can be retrieved even in battery mode when using the corresponding energy-saving settings.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

Compared with Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon that is also based on Intel's Core i7-7500U, it becomes obvious that the clock speed of the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 does not throttle. The reason for this is presumably the fact that Acer clocks the CPU at around 2.9 GHz so that it can operate smoothly and without temperature-related performance losses. Although the X1 Carbon begins the CB15 Multi benchmark at a higher score, temperatures causes it to throttle after a while. Ultimately, less performance can be retrieved permanently than from the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Intel Core i7-7500U
143 Points +1%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Core i7-7500U
142 Points
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Core i5-6440HQ
128 Points -10%
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Intel Core i7-6500U
110 Points -23%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Intel Core i5-6200U
105 Points -26%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Core i5-6440HQ
501 Points +47%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Intel Core i7-7500U
360 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Core i7-7500U
341.4 Points
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Intel Core i7-6500U
284 Points -17%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Intel Core i5-6200U
280 Points -18%
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
341.4 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
142 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
39 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.7 %
Help

System Performance

The PCMark 8 test proves that Acer has once again provided a business laptop that is well-placed in our top 10 list. The Home and Work test outcomes remove Dell's Latitude 14 E5470 from third place. The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 is very pleasant to work with in everyday use. Programs launch in a flash thanks to the SSD, and everything else also runs smoothly. We did not encounter any issues in working routine.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4025 Points +15%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3515 Points
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
HD Graphics 520, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B256
3511 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
HD Graphics 530, 6440HQ, Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
3465 Points -1%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU
2991 Points -15%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4978 Points +7%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4639 Points
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
HD Graphics 530, 6440HQ, Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
4612 Points -1%
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
HD Graphics 520, 6500U, Lite-On CV1-8B256
4594 Points -1%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU
3842 Points -17%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3515 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4639 points
Help

Storage Devices

Acer installs a solid SSD that can keep up with present competitors in terms of speed. Neither the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 nor AS SSD benchmark rates promise an above average nor a below average performance. It is only striking that the times for the dISO, program and game copy test are lower than, for example, Dell's Latitude 14 E5470 despite the slightly higher write and read rates in AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark by comparison.

Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN)
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Lite-On CV1-8B256
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
172%
-13%
8%
-2%
Read Seq
518
1827
253%
465.4
-10%
512
-1%
531
3%
Write Seq
267.2
1383
418%
363.1
36%
415.8
56%
358.8
34%
Read 512
562
814
45%
338.4
-40%
404.4
-28%
384.8
-32%
Write 512
263.5
1098
317%
246.1
-7%
382.2
45%
363
38%
Read 4k
32.88
61
86%
25.83
-21%
24.05
-27%
31.3
-5%
Write 4k
85.6
172.2
101%
80.3
-6%
87.6
2%
80.3
-6%
Read 4k QD32
351.3
601
71%
246.1
-30%
239.4
-32%
Write 4k QD32
265.2
495.6
87%
197.7
-25%
225.3
-15%
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Sequential Read: 518 MB/s
Sequential Write: 267.2 MB/s
512K Read: 562 MB/s
512K Write: 263.5 MB/s
4K Read: 32.88 MB/s
4K Write: 85.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 351.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 265.2 MB/s

Graphics Card

Being a business laptop with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620, the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 has not been designed for graphics-driven applications. The available performance is enough for playing high-resolution videos. Efficient video-editing with applications that support Intel's Quick Sync technology is also possible. The graphics card's performance remains stable even in battery mode.

The processor's predefined performance range has an impact on the clock speed of Intel's HD Graphics 620. This is the reason that the 3DMark 11 benchmark rate is lower than that of Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 despite the same i7-7500U CPU and HD Graphics 620. While the ThinkPad clocks at its full Turbo speed of 3.5 GHz that also allows the HD Graphics 620 to retrieve its full performance, Acer's TravelMate apparently clocks stably at 2.9 GHz. Thus, the graphics card's performance is slightly lower. In contrast to the ThinkPad, the TravelMate's performance does not throttle due to increased temperatures.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
1641 Points +12%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
1462 Points
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel HD Graphics 530, Intel Core i5-6440HQ
1310 Points -10%
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i7-6500U
1274 Points -13%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1142 Points -22%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
8971 Points +23%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
7264 Points
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i7-6500U
6674 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel HD Graphics 530, Intel Core i5-6440HQ
6185 Points -15%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
5834 Points -20%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
1093 Points +33%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-7500U
821 Points
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i7-6500U
814 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel HD Graphics 530, Intel Core i5-6440HQ
750 Points -9%
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
613 Points -25%
3DMark 11 Performance
1591 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6159 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
768 points
Help

Gaming Performance

It should not be surprising that the performance in the field of gaming is not good. Older games or games with low requirements on the graphics card are still rendered smoothly in minimum settings. As soon as features such as anti-aliasing, V-Sync or anisotropic-filtering are enabled, most games become unplayable. Our gaming list provides an insight into which games can be played on Intel's HD Graphics 620.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 42.91 24.62 20.22 6.43
Thief (2014) 19 12.3 10.2 4.9
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 17.09 9.939 5.216 3.675

Emissions

System Noise

The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 was very quiet in the practical test. The fan noise only increased during the benchmarks in the test period. Unfavorably noticed: Rather than increasing the speed consistently, the fan spun irregularly. The resulting, permanently changing noise level was somewhat unpleasant in the long run.

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.6 / 31 dB(A)
Load
34.5 / 32.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.534.435.233.73231.52530.832.739.932.538.130.83131.834.733.436.936.131.84029.730.835.930.431.529.75033.531.735.237.531.433.56327.428.731.529.22827.48027.127.329.526.228.127.110026262625.9262612525.126.726.225.525.225.116025.224.424.723.72325.220023.423.623.623.123.723.425023.32323.222.121.823.331524.52222.621.720.824.540023.721.721.620.620.423.750023.321.121.219.919.523.363023.220.819.818.919.223.280027.723.522.218.118.627.7100030.224.423.318.117.930.212503024.122.317.917.930160031.125.721.417.617.631.1200034.123.221.117.817.634.1250031.522.520.317.817.731.5315029.221.319.617.917.729.2400026.919.91918.117.926.9500024.419.718.718.418.224.4630023.420.418.518.418.423.4800021.819.618.718.718.421.81000019.619.518.518.518.419.61250018.921.418.518.518.418.91600018.522.318.318.618.318.5SPL4134.532.830.630.541N3.32.11.81.51.43.3median 24.5median 22.3median 21.2median 18.5median 18.4median 24.5Delta2.71.62.321.32.728.931.933.232.232.333.93029.331.628.931.230.326.828.329.125.526.225.92627.126.623.924.725.524.32524.223.423.722.722.2232221.322.222.12121.92320.420.121.919.419.221.219.318.522.919.317.82421.417.12622.216.927.922.516.629.121.316.228.220.61629.519.61630.118.316.329.817.816.625.717.216.623.818.116.721.517.216.919.317.116.718.519.616.519.532.229.339.31.61.33median 20.4median 16.9median 23.81.91.72.5hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00

Temperature

The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 remained pleasantly cool in office routine. The wrist rest subjectively always stayed cold. The laptop's surface did not get too hot even on very warm days. The temperature measurements confirm this impression. 40 °C is not reached even during load.

The hot spots are measured in the keyboard center and toward the monitor on the left. The CPU and fan are underneath these points. Although the CPU reached up to 75 °C during the stress test, the surface temperatures stay moderate. The device can still be used on the lap even during full load.

The CPU cores reached the Turbo speed of 3.5 GHz for a short time in the stress test. The mean of the clock speed in the one-hour stress simulation was approximately 2.9 GHz. Again, it may be presumed that Acer clocks the CPU at 2.9 GHz (as Cinebench illustrates) to prevent performance losses during permanent load. Throttling was not ascertained and a 3DMark test directly after the stress period only presented marginally lower rates than in the test before during normal use. Restrictions should not be experienced in everyday use.

Max. Load
 34.9 °C
95 F
35.3 °C
96 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
39.1 °C
102 F
30 °C
86 F
 
 26.6 °C
80 F
27.6 °C
82 F
28.1 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Average: 31.9 °C = 89 F
32.5 °C
91 F
35 °C
95 F
32.8 °C
91 F
30.7 °C
87 F
32.6 °C
91 F
31.3 °C
88 F
27.2 °C
81 F
28 °C
82 F
28 °C
82 F
Maximum: 35 °C = 95 F
Average: 30.9 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  45 °C = 113 F | Room Temperature 21.8 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.9 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.1 °C / 102 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 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °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 28.1 °C / 82.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-0.4 °C / -0.7 F).

Speakers

Acer has installed the speakers of the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 on the underside. The sound is not breathtaking, but it is not so bad that everything has to be muted right away, either. It is quite possible to listen to music at medium volume if basses are not expected and the user can live with the slightly piercing trebles. Speech is intelligible, but headphones (or external speakers) should be preferred over the installed speakers.

The integrated combo-audio jack detects when a device has been connected and opens a popup window. Here, the user can select whether a headset or a headphone has been connected. The software switches the port according to the selected device automatically.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.13235.12533.638.133.63132.836.132.84029.431.529.45033.531.433.563282828802828.12810029.12629.112533.225.233.216032.82332.820029.523.729.52503921.83931546.620.846.640052.720.452.750054.119.554.163058.819.258.88006618.666100064.917.964.9125061.517.961.5160057.117.657.1200058.617.658.6250061.617.761.6315059.617.759.6400060.917.960.9500063.118.263.1630067.818.467.8800068.618.468.61000060.618.460.61250055.218.455.21600043.218.343.2SPL75.130.575.1N34.51.434.5median 58.6median 18.4median 58.6Delta9.81.39.835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 76% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 19% 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 comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Acer includes a 65-watt power supply for the TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619. A glance at the stress test shows why the power supply has almost twice the performance compared with the maximum load consumption rate measured. When adding five watts maximum for each of the two storage devices, the power supply's reserves are not very big after all. Nevertheless, a performance scenario like in our stress test will likely be an exception and the power supply's capacity is high enough to power the device.

The differences to the competitors are slight in the category comparison. Five watts more or less can be neglected in AC mode.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.18 / 0.47 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.8 / 7.9 / 10.7 Watt
Load midlight 35 / 31.6 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.
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
6440HQ, HD Graphics 530, Micron SSD 1100 (MTFDDAV256TBN), AH-IPS, WLED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
6200U, HD Graphics 520, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU, IPS-Panel, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
6500U, HD Graphics 520, Lite-On CV1-8B256, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Power Consumption
-3%
-9%
4%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
4.8
3.84
20%
4.1
15%
4.7
2%
5.3
-10%
Idle Average *
7.9
6.3
20%
8.1
-3%
8
-1%
9.3
-18%
Idle Maximum *
10.7
8.6
20%
11.4
-7%
9.8
8%
11.5
-7%
Load Average *
35
41.9
-20%
33.5
4%
29.7
15%
30.8
12%
Load Maximum *
31.6
48.7
-54%
49
-55%
32.6
-3%
32
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The battery in Acer's TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 lasted for over 18 hours in the Battery Eater Reader's test. It was almost 2 hours during maximum load. To determine a practical rate, we simulate browsing with the laptop via our Wi-Fi script. The review sample switched to standby after 11 hours and 12 minutes at a screen brightness of 50% and enabled "Balanced" energy profile.

The battery performance is good compared with the competition. Acer places itself among comparable devices and delivers a laptop that can last a long workday even without its power supply. However, since the battery is identical to the ones in the predecessors, an improved battery life cannot be ascertained compared with the TravelMate P648-M-757N and P645-S.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
18h 07min
WiFi Surfing
0h 00min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 12min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 55min
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, 54 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, 57 Wh
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
6440HQ, HD Graphics 530, 62 Wh
Toshiba Tecra Z50-C-10P
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 44 Wh
Acer TravelMate P648-M-757N
6500U, HD Graphics 520, 54 Wh
Battery Runtime
-5%
-26%
-47%
-8%
Reader / Idle
1087
1252
15%
913
-16%
1083
0%
WiFi v1.3
672
496
-26%
432
-36%
354
-47%
543
-19%
Load
115
110
-4%
85
-26%
110
-4%
H.264
711
411
545

Verdict

Pros

+ Kaby Lake CPU
+ fast SSD and big HDD
+ very quiet during use
+ low surface temperatures

Cons

- slightly spongy keyboard
- pulsating fan management
- brightness too low for sunlight

The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 is a light and durable laptop. All needs for a workday should be covered with an updated Kaby Lake CPU, faster SSD, and bigger HDD. The display is bright enough to still be able to work even in unfavorable light conditions. Acer offers a matching docking station for expanding the interface options. The keyboard could be a bit crisper and Acer could have also gladly left out the pulsating fan settings.

Acer once again updates its TravelMate P6 Series. However, not much has changed apart from the modern Kaby Lake CPU and expanded hard drive storage.

The TravelMate P648 G2 M 7619 can be highly recommended to business users looking for an alternative to Lenovo, Dell, and HP. Our review sample is available for approximately 1500 Euros (~$1700).

Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0 - 06/06/2017 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
93 / 98 → 95%
Keyboard
88%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
68 / 80 → 85%
Weight
67 / 20-67 → 99%
Battery
97%
Display
89%
Games Performance
55 / 68 → 81%
Application Performance
87 / 92 → 95%
Temperature
94%
Noise
93%
Audio
66%
Camera
37 / 85 → 43%
Average
79%
90%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer TravelMate P648-G2 (i7, 256 GB) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2017-06-25 (Update: 2020-05-19)