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Acer TravelMate P658-G2 (7500U, 940MX, FHD) Laptop Review

A fair deal. With its latest TravelMate P658-G2 top model, Acer is certainly bringing out the big guns: SSD/HDD combo, LTE modem, 16 GB of RAM. All that comes in addition to low operating noise, decent battery life, and a three-year warranty.

For the original German review, see here.

Acer’s TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327 is a high-quality 15.6-inch business notebook, and it is certainly not a stranger to us: the Skylake-based Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B was in our test lab less than a year ago. The latest model is equipped with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake CPUs, and competes against the likes of the HP EliteBook 850 G4 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T570.

Given that both TravelMate models are identical in construction, we will not be addressing the case, the connectivity, the input devices, and the speakers in this article. Instead, we would like to refer you to our TravelMate P658-M-537B review for these topics.

Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327 (TravelMate P658 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7500U 2 x 2.7 - 3.5 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1189 MHz, Memory: 1000 MHz, DDR3, 64-bit bus, ForceWare 382.05, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2400, dual-channel, one memory slot (occupied), 8 GB soldered onto mainboard
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LP156WF6-SPP1, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Liteonit CV3-8D512, 512 GB 
, + Seagate ST1000LM035 (1 TB, 5400 rpm), 1380 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC282 @ Intel Sunrise Point-LP PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
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: Audio combo jack, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Sensors: Vibration sensor, TPM 2.0
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 4.1, Huawei, LTE
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.4 x 381 x 254.5 ( = 0.88 x 15 x 10.02 in)
Battery
55 Wh, 4850 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.1 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Norton Security (trial version), MS Office 365 (trial version), 36 Months Warranty
Weight
2.09 kg ( = 73.72 oz / 4.61 pounds), Power Supply: 321 g ( = 11.32 oz / 0.71 pounds)
Price
1869 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

383.6 mm / 15.1 inch 257.7 mm / 10.1 inch 20.8 mm / 0.819 inch 1.9 kg4.15 lbs381 mm / 15 inch 254.5 mm / 10 inch 22.4 mm / 0.882 inch 2.1 kg4.61 lbs381 mm / 15 inch 254.5 mm / 10 inch 22.4 mm / 0.882 inch 2.1 kg4.61 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 252.8 mm / 9.95 inch 20.2 mm / 0.795 inch 2 kg4.45 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
 
88.1 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
 
76.3 MB/s -13%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
 
73.2 MB/s -17%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
 
68.1 MB/s -23%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
 
90.7 MB/s +17%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
 
85.4 MB/s +10%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
 
77.8 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
523 MBit/s +1438%
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
498 MBit/s +1365%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
34 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
667 MBit/s +77%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
588 MBit/s +56%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
377 MBit/s

Display

Subpixel matrix
Subpixel matrix

The matte 15.6-inch display runs at a native FHD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Contrast levels are okay (963:1). While brightness is decent (275.9 nits) we do expect a notebook in this price range to offer at least 300 nits. Furthermore, brightness distribution is very uneven.

Unfortunately, we have noticed a 21.000 Hz PWM flickering at brightness levels of 90% and below. However, due to the high frequency we do not expect it to cause any headaches or sore eyes even for sensitive users.

267
cd/m²
273
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
297
cd/m²
249
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPP1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 302 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 275.9 cd/m² Minimum: 25 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 284 cd/m²
Contrast: 963:1 (Black: 0.295 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.07 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.13 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
56% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
85.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.41
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
1%
-7%
7%
Display P3 Coverage
64.9
66.6
3%
56.8
-12%
70
8%
sRGB Coverage
85.9
85.7
0%
83.7
-3%
91.1
6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
62.8
62.8
0%
58.7
-7%
66.7
6%
Response Times
6%
-26%
-20%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38 ?(20, 18)
38 ?(14, 24)
-0%
47.2 ?(26.8, 20.4)
-24%
41.6 ?(13.2, 28.4)
-9%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(17, 11)
25 ?(6, 19)
11%
15.2 ?(10, 5.2)
46%
15.2 ?(2, 13.2)
46%
PWM Frequency
21000 ?(90)
199.2 ?(50)
-99%
926 ?(90)
-96%
Screen
-15%
-76%
-1%
Brightness middle
284
308
8%
338
19%
339
19%
Brightness
276
319
16%
341
24%
314
14%
Brightness Distribution
82
71
-13%
90
10%
89
9%
Black Level *
0.295
0.61
-107%
0.81
-175%
0.36
-22%
Contrast
963
505
-48%
417
-57%
942
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.07
4.51
-11%
10.9
-168%
4.2
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.52
10.19
3%
18.7
-78%
7.8
26%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.13
2.91
7%
13.3
-325%
5.1
-63%
Gamma
2.41 91%
2.4 92%
2.11 104%
2.16 102%
CCT
7082 92%
6740 96%
16030 41%
6569 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
56
56
0%
53.8
-4%
59.4
6%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
86
86
0%
83.4
-3%
91
6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-3% / -9%
-36% / -54%
-5% / -3%

* ... 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 detected 21000 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 21000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 21000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

Color accuracy is very good out of the box, and our initial measurement revealed a DeltaE 2000 value of 4.07 (a value of less than 3 is what manufacturers should be aiming for). We did not detect a blue tint, and we were able to improve color accuracy somewhat through calibration: DeltaE was lowered to 2.21 and thus well within its reference point. Furthermore, gray scales were improved and much more balanced.

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

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17 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. » 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
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).

The TravelMate is equipped with an IPS panel with very good viewing angles. Thus, readability is good from all angles, perspectives, and positions. The notebook can even be used outdoors if it is not too bright.

Acer's TravelMate outdoors (photo taken while overcast)
Acer's TravelMate outdoors (photo taken while overcast)

Performance

Acer’s TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327 is a high-quality 15.6-inch business notebook. Intel’s Kaby Lake processors offer ample performance for all current business requirements. The notebook is equipped with several features common for business notebooks, such as a docking port and a TPM chip. In addition, our review unit was also equipped with an LTE modem. The top model, which we have tested, currently sells for around 1900 Euros (~$2100) in Europe and is not yet listed in the United States. Other models are available as well, with the cheapest one equipped with a Core i3-6100U and an HD display selling for around 550 Euros ($600) in Europe.

Processor

Our review unit is equipped with Intel’s energy-efficient ULV-series Core i7-7500U Kaby Lake dual-core processor. It offers adequate performance for all current requirements, runs at a base frequency of 2.7 GHz, and turbo boosts up to 3.5 GHz on both cores. Turbo boost applies in both battery and when plugged in.

In order to determine whether or not the device is capable of running at its turbo boost frequency for prolonged periods of time we ran Cinebench R15’s multi-thread test for 30 minutes in a loop. The TravelMate’s results were very consistent, and we were unable to detect any drops in performance.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5648
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
12981
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6809
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
147 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
376 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
64.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
147 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points -14%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel Core i5-6200U
78 Points -47%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
376 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
Intel Core i7-7500U
373 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel Core i5-7200U
330 Points -12%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel Core i5-6200U
219 Points -42%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
12981 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
5648 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
7746 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
3532 Points
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
8373 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
4336 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
8784 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
4415 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Intel Core i7-7500U
246.4 Points
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel Core i5-7200U
201.8 Points -18%

System Performance

A powerful processor and a fast SSD are the most important ingredients for a brisk and speedy overall system performance. Our impressions are supported by the very good PC Mark results. The notebook’s overall system performance is significantly higher than necessary for office and internet/browsing requirements. Another increase in performance on our side was impossible since Acer has already maxed the device out to its full capabilities.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3948 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4874 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4910 points
Help
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Liteonit CV3-8D512
3948 Points
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
3542 Points -10%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG2
3475 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3049 Points -23%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Liteonit CV3-8D512
4910 Points
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG2
4467 Points -9%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
4330 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3892 Points -21%

Storage Devices

The operating system and all applications are installed on a 512 GB m.2 (2280) SSD made by Lite On, and the device performs accordingly. Furthermore, the notebook is also equipped with a 1 TB 2.5-inch hard drive, which can be accessed through a dedicated maintenance flap. The SSD, on the other hand, can only be accessed after the case has been opened.

Liteonit CV3-8D512
Sequential Read: 526 MB/s
Sequential Write: 256.9 MB/s
512K Read: 227.1 MB/s
512K Write: 246.3 MB/s
4K Read: 25.74 MB/s
4K Write: 68.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 354.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 248.8 MB/s
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
Liteonit CV3-8D512
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG2
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
10%
74%
171%
Read Seq
526
479.1
-9%
1245
137%
1210
130%
Write Seq
256.9
333.1
30%
298.6
16%
1134
341%
Read 512
227.1
418
84%
673
196%
789
247%
Write 512
246.3
320.5
30%
298.8
21%
903
267%
Read 4k
25.74
25.66
0%
41.79
62%
58.4
127%
Write 4k
68.8
64.7
-6%
138.4
101%
144.1
109%
Read 4k QD32
354.8
226.2
-36%
495
40%
559
58%
Write 4k QD32
248.8
211.4
-15%
297.5
20%
474.4
91%

Graphics Card

In addition to Intel’s HD Graphics 620, the notebook is also equipped with a dedicated mid-range Nvidia GeForce 940MX GPU. It supports DirectX 12, clocks up to 1189 MHz, and has 2 GB of DDR3 VRAM at its disposal. Thus, the notebook performed as expected in our 3DMark benchmarks. Lenovo's ThinkPad T570, which features the same GPU, performed slightly better thanks to its faster GDDR5 VRAM. 

3DMark 11 Performance
2674 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
2727 Points +7%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
2556 Points
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1417 Points -45%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1347 Points -47%

Gaming Performance

Quite a few games will perform acceptably, thanks to the GeForce GPU, albeit you have to limit yourself to a resolution of no more than 1366x768 (HD) and low to medium details. Modest games, such as “Dota 2 Reborn” or “FIFA 17”, will run well on higher details and resolutions. Current and more demanding games, such as “Prey”, will only run at acceptable frame rates with significantly reduced details and at lower resolutions. Yet other games, such as “Mafia 3”, will not perform well enough to be considered playable at all.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 96.2 53.8 42.7 14.8
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 40.9 10.6 6.7
Prey (2017) 51.4 19.7 18.3 15.6
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
64.3 fps +51%
Asus AsusPro P4540UQ-FY0056R
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
55 fps +29%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
42.7 fps
Asus Vivobook F556UQ-XO626D
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-6198DU
39.5 fps -7%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
22.2 fps -48%
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
20.5 fps -52%

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

When idle, the TravelMate’s fan is off and the device is therefore completely silent. Except for the rotating 2.5-inch hard drive of course. The fans quickly ramp up under load, and reach an acceptable maximum level of 38 dB(A) under heavy load.

Unfortunately, the device suffers from occasional coil whining, for example, when transferring large amounts of data (as is quite common during our SSD tests).

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 30 / 30 dB(A)
Load
37.3 / 38 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 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.533.23036.234.5253230.732.232.2323130.630.631.431.730.6403133.830.329315030.536.531.428.830.56330.831.230.630.830.88028.328.927.828.328.310027.928.526.628.927.912526.926.925.624.526.916025.426.124.72425.420027.626.524.124.627.625028.92422.422.128.931530.124.421.92230.140028.525.420.420.828.550025.923.419.720.325.963025.52219.519.325.580027.722.818.818.627.7100029.323.117.817.929.3125029.52317.617.729.5160032.523.117.41732.520003322.31717.13325003521.916.816.935315031.720.216.81731.74000321917.116.932500028.718.81716.928.7630026.318.817.11726.3800021.618.817.117.221.61000020.31917.317.120.31250020.122.217.317.220.11600019.422.317.717.419.4SPL42.733.9303042.7N421.41.44median 27.9median 22.8median 17.7median 17.7median 27.9Delta2.52.41.922.5hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327

Temperature

TravelMate during our stress test
TravelMate during our stress test

The laptop performed differently in our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously for at least one hour) depending on whether it was plugged in or running on battery. The GPU was always running at its full 1189 MHz clock rate. The CPU, however, ran between 2.4 and 2.7 GHz with the laptop plugged in, and between 1.7 and 1.9 GHz when running on battery.

When plugged in, the device heated up significantly during our stress test. However, this should not happen during everyday use and so it did not cause us any concern. After all, our stress test is a rather uncommon extreme load scenario.

Max. Load
 46.4 °C
116 F
46.3 °C
115 F
36.4 °C
98 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
38 °C
100 F
28.7 °C
84 F
 
 24 °C
75 F
25.7 °C
78 F
25.2 °C
77 F
 
Maximum: 46.4 °C = 116 F
Average: 33.8 °C = 93 F
33.8 °C
93 F
51.3 °C
124 F
39.2 °C
103 F
29.6 °C
85 F
42.7 °C
109 F
35.6 °C
96 F
25.2 °C
77 F
26.6 °C
80 F
26 °C
79 F
Maximum: 51.3 °C = 124 F
Average: 34.4 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  49.9 °C = 122 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.8 °C / 93 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 46.4 °C / 116 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 51.3 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.4 °C / 74 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 25.7 °C / 78.3 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 (+2 °C / 3.6 F).
Heat map top (load)
Heat map top (load)
Heat map bottom (load)
Heat map bottom (load)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)

Speakers


dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.736.235.72534.932.234.93132.831.732.84034.12934.15033.928.833.96335.130.835.18033.828.333.810035.428.935.412535.324.535.316036.12436.120037.624.637.625040.922.140.931544.62244.64004720.84750050.120.350.163054.619.354.680060.318.660.3100062.417.962.4125061.317.761.3160060.71760.7200061.317.161.3250059.516.959.5315054.91754.9400056.916.956.9500058.416.958.4630056.71756.7800054.317.254.31000052.917.152.91250046.817.246.8160004317.443SPL70.73070.7N261.426median 54.3median 17.7median 54.3Delta8.528.535.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 69% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 25% 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 comparison (checkboxes selectable/deselectable!)

Power Consumption

When idle, the laptop’s power consumption was at a rather high 11.3 W. It reached 62 W during our stress test, which means that the 65 W charger is barely powerful enough to keep the laptop running. In fact, the battery even discharged from 100% to 91% during our one hour long stress test. Again, this should not occur during everyday use since extreme load scenarios such as these are very uncommon. Still: Acer should have included a 90 W charger with the device instead of the 65 W charger that can be found in the box.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.16 / 0.55 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 7.9 / 11.3 Watt
Load midlight 47 / 62 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 Life

Our real-life Wi-Fi test simulates the load that occurs while browsing the web. The energy profile is set to “Balanced”, all automatic power save features are disabled, and display brightness is set to 150 nits. With these settings, the TravelMate ran out of juice only after 8:26 hours, and was thus on par with its own predecessor.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 40)
8h 26min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
HP EliteBook 850 G4-Z2W86ET
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 51 Wh
530 min +5%
Acer TravelMate P658-M-537B
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 55 Wh
512 min +1%
Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX, 55 Wh
506 min
Lenovo ThinkPad T570-20HAS01E00
i7-7500U, GeForce 940MX, 56 Wh
414 min -18%

Pros

+ non-glare IPS panel
+ FHD resolution
+ SSD+HDD storage
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ decent battery life
+ LTE modem
+ 3 year warranty

Cons

- uneven display brightness distribution
- display could be brighter
- battery drains during stress test
- coil whining in certain situations

Verdict

The TravelMate P658-G2-MG is a second generation P658-series model, and compared to the first generation it has only been improved on the inside. Thus, the second generation features the exact same sturdy, well-made case and the decent backlit keyboard. The ports have also remained unchanged.

With the second generation TravelMate P658 Acer once again delivers a well-made business notebook.

The notebook features a latest-generation Kaby Lake Core i7 processor that should easily meet most users' requirements. It is more than adequate for office and internet use. The dedicated GeForce GPU is useful for graphically intensive applications.

The device does not heat up too much and is very quiet when idle. Unfortunately, it suffers from coil whining in certain scenarios (e.g. transferring large amounts of data). It is very fast thanks to its SSD, and offers an additional 1 TB 2.5-inch hard drive to boot. Both storage devices are user replaceable: while the HDD is hidden behind a dedicated maintenance flap, the case must be opened in order to replace the SSD.

The matte IPS display offers very good viewing angles as well as decent contrast levels and color accuracy. Unfortunately, brightness is a bit too low for our taste, and brightness distribution is also rather uneven. Shortcomings, that are not acceptable given the device’s high price.

Acer TravelMate P658-G2-MG-7327 - 05/12/2017 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
86 / 98 → 88%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
65 / 80 → 81%
Weight
62 / 20-67 → 90%
Battery
91%
Display
87%
Games Performance
64 / 68 → 94%
Application Performance
89 / 92 → 97%
Temperature
90%
Noise
92%
Audio
50%
Camera
63 / 85 → 74%
Average
78%
87%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer TravelMate P658-G2 (7500U, 940MX, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2017-05-16 (Update: 2020-05-19)