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Acer TravelMate X3410 (i7-8550U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) Laptop Review

Low-cost traveller. In typical Acer fashion, the TravelMate X3410 presents a lower-cost alternative to other popular business laptops. While there are some compromises in terms of case design, keyboard quality, and performance, the overall package presents a decent second-choice for those on a budget.

Acer is a well-known manufacturer, but their name is typically not the first that comes to mind in the business laptop market. Power players like Lenovo, HP, and Dell have ruled the business-class roost for decades. Acer actually has quite a few adequate office machines that are typically priced competitively and offer a good value. Today's review device is a perfect example.

We looked at the TravelMate X3410 earlier this month and found a lot to like about its slim chassis and generally good performance. Today's review device is a variant of that model. The X3410-M-866T we will look at today is mostly the same with two key differences.

Firstly, the 1 TB HDD / 256 GB SSD combo of the earlier model has been swapped for a single 512 GB SSD. Secondly, and perhaps more glaring, the dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX130 GPU is absent; only the onboard Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip is available for graphical workloads. The other specs (Intel Core i7-8550U, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, FHD display) are the same.

We will skip over the external components of the TravelMate X3410, including the case, connectivity, and input devices. You can find details for these features in our original TravelMate X3410 review here.

The TravelMate X3410 faces steep competition in the business laptop arena, including Dell's Latitude 7490; HP's EliteBook 840 G5; Toshiba's Tecra X40-D; and Lenovo's ThinkPad T480, ThinkPad T480s, and ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T (TravelMate X Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8550U 4 x 1.8 - 4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620 - 1024 MB VRAM, Core: 400 MHz, Memory: 665 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620 24.20.100.6287
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666 / PC4-21300, 1333.3 MHz, 1x16 GB, 2 DIMM slots
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei CMN14D4, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN), 512 GB 
, 480 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headset (headphone/microphone combo), Card Reader: SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.9 x 328 x 238 ( = 0.78 x 12.91 x 9.37 in)
Battery
57 Wh Lithium-Ion, 3-cell Li-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Norton Security, Acer Collection S, Acer Configuration Manager, Acer Jumpstart, Acer Office Manager Agent, Acer Product Registration, Acer Control Center, Microsoft Office Trial, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.692 kg ( = 59.68 oz / 3.73 pounds), Power Supply: 315 g ( = 11.11 oz / 0.69 pounds)
Price
1300 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

337 mm / 13.3 inch 233 mm / 9.17 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.6 kg3.59 lbs331 mm / 13 inch 226.8 mm / 8.93 inch 18.45 mm / 0.726 inch 1.3 kg2.97 lbs332 mm / 13.1 inch 229 mm / 9.02 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs331 mm / 13 inch 220.9 mm / 8.7 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.6 kg3.44 lbs328 mm / 12.9 inch 238 mm / 9.37 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.7 kg3.73 lbs326 mm / 12.8 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs323.5 mm / 12.7 inch 217.1 mm / 8.55 inch 15.95 mm / 0.628 inch 1.1 kg2.49 lbs316 mm / 12.4 inch 207 mm / 8.15 inch 9.1 mm / 0.3583 inch 1.4 kg3.09 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)
Dell Latitude 7490
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
137.6 MB/s +532%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76.1 MB/s +250%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
 
75.3 MB/s +246%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
75.2 MB/s +246%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s +156%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
21.76 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 7490
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
203.2 MB/s +767%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.4 MB/s +273%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
 
87.2 MB/s +272%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.2 MB/s +272%
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s +178%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.45 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +55%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
663 MBit/s +27%
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
598 (549min - 624max) MBit/s +14%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
528 MBit/s +1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
524 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
515 MBit/s -2%
Dell Latitude 7490
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
513 MBit/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
506 MBit/s -3%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s +35%
Dell Latitude 7490
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
650 MBit/s +3%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
638 MBit/s +1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
632 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
624 MBit/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
623 MBit/s -1%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
524 MBit/s -17%
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
461 (329min - 528max) MBit/s -27%

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The display on the earlier TravelMate X3410 was a definite weak point, and the newer model doesn't fare much better. This is because Acer offers only one display option. The 14-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS panel is more than sharp enough for office work, but the backlight it weak, averaging a measly 210 nits. Most other office laptops hover near or above 300 nits, far outpacing the TravelMate.

Worse still is the Acer's uneven backlight; brightness distribution sits at a modest 77%. The lower corners are noticeably dimmer than the middle, particularly on gray and black backgrounds. The contrast ratio is decent at 844:1 but still falls behind rivals. On the plus side, PWM shouldn't be a problem; we measure 25,000 Hz at brightness levels at or below 21%.

237.2
cd/m²
253.5
cd/m²
242.5
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
253.1
cd/m²
227.5
cd/m²
196.4
cd/m²
231.1
cd/m²
198.4
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN14D4 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 253.5 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 229.6 cd/m² Minimum: 20.43 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 77 %
Center on Battery: 253.1 cd/m²
Contrast: 844:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.44
ΔE Greyscale 3.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
62% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.99% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.59% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.997
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Chi Mei CMN14D4, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
B140HAK01.0, TFT-LCD, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
LP140QH2-SPB1, IPS LED, 14.00, 2560x1440
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
LP140QH2-SPB1, IPS, 14.00, 2560x1440
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
Toshiba TOS508F, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
Toshiba TOS508F, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Dell Latitude 7490
AUO503D (D04YD_B140HAN), IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
IVO M140NVF7 R0, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Display
-13%
65%
69%
54%
-3%
58%
44%
Display P3 Coverage
41.59
36.31
-13%
71.4
72%
72.7
75%
67.2
62%
40.55
-3%
66.6
60%
61
47%
sRGB Coverage
62.4
54.5
-13%
96.6
55%
97.9
57%
90.8
46%
61
-2%
96.8
55%
87.7
41%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.99
37.51
-13%
72.1
68%
74.6
74%
66.5
55%
41.89
-3%
67.9
58%
62.1
44%
Response Times
8%
16%
16%
-14%
4%
3%
-14%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40.4 ?(23.2, 17.2)
39.2 ?(22, 17.2)
3%
36 ?(17.6, 18.4)
11%
38 ?(19.2, 18.8)
6%
42 ?(22, 20)
-4%
38 ?(19.6, 18.4)
6%
41.6 ?(22, 19.6)
-3%
33 ?(15, 18)
18%
Response Time Black / White *
35.2 ?(20.8, 14.4)
30.8 ?(18, 12.8)
12%
28 ?(15.6, 12.4)
20%
26 ?(14, 12)
26%
37 ?(17, 20)
-5%
26.8 ?(16.4, 10.4)
24%
32 ?(16.4, 15.6)
9%
26 ?(15, 11)
26%
PWM Frequency
25000 ?(21)
17000 ?(100)
-32%
20410 ?(99)
-18%
3125 ?(90)
-87%
Screen
-11%
29%
15%
13%
-3%
20%
47%
Brightness middle
253.1
276.7
9%
311
23%
316
25%
350
38%
283.9
12%
308.6
22%
655
159%
Brightness
230
272
18%
302
31%
311
35%
343
49%
261
13%
294
28%
630
174%
Brightness Distribution
77
90
17%
91
18%
84
9%
73
-5%
85
10%
89
16%
93
21%
Black Level *
0.3
0.21
30%
0.36
-20%
0.35
-17%
0.29
3%
0.25
17%
0.23
23%
0.56
-87%
Contrast
844
1318
56%
864
2%
903
7%
1207
43%
1136
35%
1342
59%
1170
39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.71
7.22
-53%
3
36%
4.5
4%
6.36
-35%
6.4
-36%
6.07
-29%
3.27
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.72
25.87
-25%
6.1
71%
10.3
50%
11.63
44%
18.7
10%
10.58
49%
5.92
71%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.44
5.01
-46%
1.7
51%
1.6
53%
1.7
51%
1.67
51%
3.22
6%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.4
6.7
-97%
4
-18%
7.7
-126%
8.04
-136%
6.3
-85%
7.3
-115%
2.85
16%
Gamma
1.997 110%
2.321 95%
2.17 101%
2.2 100%
2.47 89%
2.39 92%
2.061 107%
2.45 90%
CCT
6266 104%
6656 98%
6961 93%
6639 98%
7716 84%
6511 100%
7269 89%
6065 107%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
34
-15%
66.7
67%
68.6
72%
59
48%
38
-5%
62
55%
57
43%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62
54
-13%
96.7
56%
97.9
58%
91
47%
60
-3%
97
56%
88
42%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-5% / -9%
37% / 34%
33% / 26%
18% / 16%
-1% / -2%
27% / 25%
26% / 36%

* ... smaller is better

The TravelMate is fairly color accurate. The average DeltaE2000 is 4.71 for colors and 3.4 for grays. These are reasonable numbers, particularly for an office laptop; most business-class notebooks aren't renowned for their color accuracy. (For reference, a DeltaE2000 of 3 or less is generally considered acceptable for professional color work). The primary concern for colors is the wide variance in certain wavelengths, particularly blues and purples. Again, this variance isn't unusual for an office laptop. Gamma is a bit low at 1.997 (ideal is 2.2); grays look a bit lighter as a result. Colors are largely adequate for office work with one exception: color temperature. At 6266 K, the screen is too warm. White backgrounds tend to have a yellow tinge to them which may be distracting to some users, especially those that use an external monitor in addition to the built-in display.

Color coverage is low. The TravelMate covers only 62% of the sRGB color space. This should be adequate for most work, but considering some competitors cover nearly all of the sRGB gamut, there is room for improvement here.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
Grayscale
Grayscale
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
ColorChecker (calibrated)
ColorChecker (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
vs. sRGB: 62%
vs. sRGB: 62%
vs. AdobeRGB: 40%
vs. AdobeRGB: 40%

Because of its IPS panel, the TravelMate has good viewing angles. Colors remain stable at almost any angle, and text and images remain clear. The screen noticeably dims when viewed about 20° off-center on the vertical axis; there is an initial drop in perceived luminance, but the display remains stable after this initial shift.

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
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.8 ms rise
↘ 14.4 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. » 92 % 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
40.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.2 ms rise
↘ 17.2 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. » 58 % 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 detected 25000 Hz ≤ 21 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 21 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25000 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.

The TravelMate features a matte display, which drastically helps to reduce glare. Still, the weak backlight struggles in bright situations. Even under overcast skies, the screen can be hard to use and may make users squint. Bright lights should be avoided. The matte finish also creates a grainy film that is easily seen.

There is backlight bleed present along the bottom edge of the display, but this largely goes unnoticed. The bleed can be seen in a pitch black room but is otherwise not distracting.

Display under overcast skies. Notice the grain caused by the matte finish.
Display under overcast skies. Notice the grain caused by the matte finish.
Minimal backlight bleed along the bottom edge. The bright spot along the top is an artifact in the photo and is not present in reality.
Minimal backlight bleed along the bottom edge. The bright spot along the top is an artifact in the photo and is not present in reality.

Performance

Intel's Core i7-8550U is the de facto CPU for modern premium Ultrabooks. Unfortunately, the TravelMate is not the best example of what an Ultrabook can do in 2019. Performance is decent but falls behind rivals. The gap is wide enough to make us question whether or not Acer intentionally throttles the CPU to keep heat and power consumption low. Add to that a SATA SSD in lieu of an NVMe drive used in most premium laptops and the Acer TravelMate X3410 leaves little question as to why it is cheaper than other business-class notebooks.

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: SPD
CPU-Z: SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64
 

Processor

Intel's 8th generation ULV processors bring a much-needed feature to Ultrabooks: Hyperthreading. The Core i7-8550U is one of Intel's top-tier offerings for Ultrabooks; with four cores and eight threads, the CPU packs a lot of performance into a 15 Watt package.

Unfortunately, thee TravelMate X3410 can't keep up with the competition. In Cinebench, the TravelMate shows decent single-core performance. Multi-threaded performance is very weak, though. With a score of 472, the TravelMate falls almost 20% behind other 8550U-equipped Ultrabooks. The culprit is likely intentional throttling by Acer; as we will see in our stress test below, the CPU can't seem to hold on to its rated boost of 4.0 GHz for long.

The lower performance has one benefit: long-term performance is relatively stable. Aside from an odd drop halfway through our Cinebench R15 loop test, the TravelMate manages a consistent score over 30 runs through the benchmark. Performance is unchanged when the TravelMate is on battery power.

For more information about the Intel Core i7-8550U, please see our dedicated processor page here.

Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G6-20KG0025UK UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA; CPU Single 64Bit: Ø480 (455.19-630.99)
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø473 (376.73-498.27)
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø564 (558.47-604.06)
Toshiba Tecra X40-D HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø344 (340.59-346.79)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +38%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
187 Points +20%
HP ZBook 17 G4-Y3J82AV
Intel Xeon E3-1535M v6
175 Points +12%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
172 Points +10%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (108 - 172, n=76)
159.6 Points +2%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U
156 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G6-20KG0025UK
Intel Core i5-8350U
150 Points -4%
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
Intel Core i3-8130U
139 Points -11%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +177%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
1118 Points +124%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
1100 Points +121%
HP ZBook 17 G4-Y3J82AV
Intel Xeon E3-1535M v6
806 Points +62%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
665 Points +34%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G6-20KG0025UK
Intel Core i5-8350U
631 Points +27%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (301 - 761, n=78)
576 Points +16%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
554 Points +11%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U
498 Points
HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng
Intel Core i3-8130U
320 Points -36%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (0.99 - 2.97, n=12, last 2 years)
2.31 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
2.12 Points
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (1.43 - 1.95, n=32)
1.834 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (1.93 - 20.3, n=12, last 2 years)
12.5 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
12.29 Points
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
11.43 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (4.38 - 8.56, n=32)
6.28 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
43681 Points
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
31213 Points
Average of class Office
  (6611 - 40266, n=12, last 2 years)
27456 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (11694 - 24180, n=31)
17825 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
17281 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
9142 Points
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
6440 Points
Average of class Office
  (3465 - 9351, n=12, last 2 years)
6404 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
6391 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (4202 - 8211, n=31)
6328 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Office
  (147.4 - 2103, n=11, last 2 years)
542 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (258 - 435, n=11)
351 s *
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
285.8 s *
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
Intel Core i7-8750H
175.7 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
156 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
498 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
44.71 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help

System Performance

Overall system performance is adequate. In a vacuum, the TravelMate is responsive and quick. The machine can handle any office work or light tasks thrown at it. Heavier workloads will require patience. Compared to other office Ultrabooks, the TravelMate feels much slower. The CPU throttling we observed earlier is partly to blame, but so is the slower SATA SSD. Most modern Ultrabooks use an NVMe drive, which is noticeably faster than the aging SATA standard used by the TravelMate. All said, the TravelMate is perfectly adequate for most office work, but there are quicker devices readily available. Lenovo's ThinkPad line come to mind.

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +54%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4027 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3960 Points +14%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3906 Points +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3798 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2629 - 4072, n=31)
3607 Points +4%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
3564 Points +3%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3460 Points
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2464 Points -29%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +27%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8243 Points +7%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
8236 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8045 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6628 - 9291, n=29)
7780 Points +1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
7703 Points
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7534 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7476 Points -3%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
7376 Points -4%
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +41%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7094 Points +34%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6834 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6825 Points +29%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
6651 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6630 Points +26%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4889 - 7006, n=29)
6175 Points +17%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
5721 Points +8%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
5280 Points
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +107%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3071 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3032 Points +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3010 Points +9%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
2954 Points +7%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
2911 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
2765 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1506 - 3160, n=29)
2748 Points -1%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2419 Points -13%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +26%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3966 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3846 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3754 Points +11%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3738 Points +10%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
3723 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3024 - 4197, n=33)
3614 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3540 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3386 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
5004 Points +2%
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
HD Graphics 620, i7-7600U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4963 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4909 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 7490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8350U, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
4906 Points 0%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4893 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3518 - 5154, n=27)
4585 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4552 Points -7%
Average of class Office
  (1854 - 5610, n=12, last 2 years)
3746 Points -23%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3386 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4893 points
PCMark 10 Score
3460 points
Help

Storage Devices

As we mentioned above, the TravelMate X3410 employs a SATA SSD rather than a faster PCIe NVMe drive. The choice of drive was likely made as a cost-cutting measure, but the drive is noticeably slower than those of competitors. The Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD used in Lenovo's latest ThinkPad devices is about four times faster than the Micron 1100 SATA SSD in the TravelMate. In daily use, the TravelMate will feel responsive and apps will load quickly, but those used to NVMe drives may grow impatient with the X3410.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5
CrystalDiskMark 5
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Dell Latitude 7490
Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
Average Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
 
AS SSD
225%
229%
153%
255%
184%
-12%
124%
-11%
Seq Read
464.9
1420
205%
2440
425%
2399
416%
2276
390%
2479
433%
486.2
5%
2300
395%
467 ?(448 - 489, n=3)
0%
Seq Write
465.2
1341
188%
1382
197%
1343
189%
2331
401%
1117
140%
294.9
-37%
856
84%
436 ?(385 - 465, n=3)
-6%
4K Read
22.96
50.5
120%
49.81
117%
46.21
101%
51.4
124%
51.6
125%
26.66
16%
26.75
17%
22.8 ?(20.3 - 25.2, n=3)
-1%
4K Write
89.1
107.4
21%
114.4
28%
109.4
23%
128.6
44%
124.8
40%
79.2
-11%
90
1%
73.7 ?(49.4 - 89.1, n=3)
-17%
4K-64 Read
350.5
1447
313%
1329
279%
664
89%
1561
345%
1663
374%
316.1
-10%
813
132%
314 ?(232 - 360, n=3)
-10%
4K-64 Write
313.3
1704
444%
1456
365%
1020
226%
1273
306%
438.4
40%
248.1
-21%
908
190%
254 ?(187 - 313, n=3)
-19%
Access Time Read *
0.045
0.045
0.056
0.044
0.061
0.112
0.059
0.071 ?(0.064 - 0.078, n=2)
Access Time Write *
0.047
0.035
26%
0.033
30%
0.033
30%
0.03
36%
0.028
40%
0.056
-19%
0.055
-17%
0.056 ?(0.047 - 0.072, n=3)
-19%
Score Read
420
1639
290%
1623
286%
950
126%
1840
338%
1963
367%
391
-7%
1070
155%
384 ?(297 - 434, n=3)
-9%
Score Write
449
1945
333%
1708
280%
1264
182%
1635
264%
675
50%
357
-20%
1084
141%
371 ?(275 - 449, n=3)
-17%
Score Total
1090
4425
306%
4115
278%
2659
144%
4424
306%
3576
228%
947
-13%
2630
141%
956 ?(727 - 1090, n=3)
-12%
Copy ISO MB/s
1412
1688
263
Copy Program MB/s
387.5
326.2
174.4
Copy Game MB/s
1110
905
222
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
94%
232%
171%
209%
189%
-18%
138%
-8%
Write 4K
113.3
123.2
9%
144.2
27%
98.6
-13%
137.6
21%
195.1
72%
79.4
-30%
96.1
-15%
95.5 ?(77.7 - 113.3, n=2)
-16%
Read 4K
28.65
44.43
55%
45.55
59%
39.75
39%
47.05
64%
48.5
69%
27.37
-4%
31.12
9%
27.1 ?(25.5 - 28.7, n=2)
-5%
Write Seq
428.7
845
97%
1803
321%
1757
310%
2372
453%
1226
186%
343.9
-20%
919
114%
422 ?(415 - 429, n=2)
-2%
Read Seq
435.2
865
99%
2335
437%
1169
169%
1568
260%
1763
305%
472.7
9%
2089
380%
448 ?(435 - 461, n=2)
3%
Write 4K Q32T1
274.6
287.3
5%
701
155%
333.8
22%
204.5
-26%
547
99%
206
-25%
425.6
55%
239 ?(204 - 275, n=2)
-13%
Read 4K Q32T1
326.5
360.9
11%
442.4
35%
268
-18%
350.8
7%
633
94%
188.3
-42%
275.3
-16%
284 ?(241 - 327, n=2)
-13%
Write Seq Q32T1
505
1718
240%
1917
280%
2069
310%
2395
374%
1226
143%
343.3
-32%
958
90%
469 ?(432 - 505, n=2)
-7%
Read Seq Q32T1
530
1779
236%
3399
541%
3426
546%
3286
520%
3421
545%
533
1%
3118
488%
479 ?(427 - 530, n=2)
-10%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
160% / 167%
231% / 230%
162% / 161%
232% / 235%
187% / 186%
-15% / -14%
131% / 130%
-10% / -10%

* ... smaller is better

Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 530 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 505 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 326.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 274.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 435.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 428.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 28.65 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 113.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 is a reasonable integrated GPU for office laptops. Unlike the CPU, the iGPU seems to run at expected speeds and offers expected performance. That said, the UHD Graphics 620 chip is not known as a graphical powerhouse. Its main purpose is to process pre-rendered media (e.g., Netflix streaming at 4K) and support up to two external monitors in addition to the built-in display. The iGPU can support a single 4K monitor at 60 Hz but only through a DisplayPort. As the TravelMate only has an HDMI port and a VGA hookup, 4K at 24 Hz is as high as the device can go.

As far as graphically intense workloads, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip performs as well as can be expected. That is to say, the iGPU is not designed for rendering, photo/video editing, or other graphical workloads.

For more about the Intel UHD Graphics 620 iGPU, please see our dedicated GPU page here.

Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
38986 Points +335%
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +167%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
18770 Points +110%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
14071 Points +57%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
13610 Points +52%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
9904 Points +11%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
9466 Points +6%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +3%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
8957 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
7333 Points +562%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet G3-20KJ001NGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8250U
4935 Points +345%
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +268%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3517 Points +217%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2347 Points +112%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
2036 Points +84%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
1990 Points +80%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1740 Points +57%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1108 Points
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
9731 Points +472%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet G3-20KJ001NGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8250U
6824 Points +301%
Average of class Office
  (1684 - 12071, n=115, last 2 years)
6078 Points +257%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4605 Points +171%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
3194 Points +88%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
3153 Points +85%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2950 Points +73%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
2935 Points +72%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1175 - 3374, n=244)
1932 Points +14%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1702 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 2200U
1329 Points -22%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
8166 Points +487%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet G3-20KJ001NGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8250U
5959 Points +328%
Average of class Office
  (1184 - 9527, n=115, last 2 years)
4484 Points +222%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4126 Points +197%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2940 Points +111%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
2816 Points +102%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
1982 Points +42%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1872 Points +35%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points +13%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1391 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 2200U
1066 Points -23%
1280x720 Performance Physics
Average of class Office
  (1723 - 21708, n=115, last 2 years)
11496 Points +134%
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
9579 Points +95%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet G3-20KJ001NGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8250U
7984 Points +62%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
7522 Points +53%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
6663 Points +35%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3233 - 11443, n=244)
6444 Points +31%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
5670 Points +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
5669 Points +15%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
5445 Points +11%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
4923 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 2200U
2831 Points -42%
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell Precision 5530 2-in-1
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL, i7-8706G
10020 Points +548%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet G3-20KJ001NGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8250U
6759 Points +337%
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +280%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4506 Points +191%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
3123 Points +102%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2907 Points +88%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2895 Points +87%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
2654 Points +72%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +13%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1546 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 2200U
1239 Points -20%
3DMark 11 Performance
1702 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7673 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1012 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Gaming is a definite no-go on the TravelMate. Some lighter indie titles like Stardew Valley run well and are smooth, but modern 3D titles are practically unplayable. Even older games like BioShock Infinite strain the iGPU; the game is somewhat playable at low settings and 1024x768 resolution, but pushing the dials any higher results in a bad experience. Stick to light 2D titles.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 46 32 26 16

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise profile
Fan noise profile

The single fan is well-tuned and inoffensive, but the system's fan curve is aggressive. Under light workloads, the fan remains off and the system is silent save for a bit of coil whine (heard from about 1.5 feet away from the device). Under a standard workload, the fan turns on intermittently for about 30 seconds before shutting off for a few minutes.

Heavier workloads cause the fan to stay on permanently and pulse between 33 and 36 dB(A). The fan will burst up to 36 dB(A) for about a half minute before ramping back down to 32-33 dB(A) for a period. Thankfully, the fan has a low pitch that blends in with normal background noise.

Noise Level

Idle
28.2 / 28.2 / 28.2 dB(A)
Load
33.2 / 35.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.2 dB(A)

Temperature

Heat exhaust
Heat exhaust

Temperatures across the device are excellent. The outside case never eclipses 40° C, even under full stress. The hottest part of the chassis is on the bottom panel directly over the CPU. This spot only gets warm to the touch. Lap use is thus possible under most workloads, although knees may get a bit clammy.

Internal temperatures are equally well-managed, almost to a fault. Under CPU and GPU stress, the system indeed throttles heavily; Prime95 keeps the CPU near its base clock, while FurMark brings the processor even lower to 1.0-1.2 GHz. Unigine Valley, a more realistic workload, sees better clocks; the CPU hovers between 2.8-3.1 GHz while the GPU sits at its rated boost of 1150 MHz.

The heavy throttling under the synthetic benchmarks (i.e., Prime95 and FurMark) is curious. Temperatures across the CPU die stay between 62-64°C. There is plenty of thermal headroom to push the chip further. Instead, the TravelMate throttles back quite a bit when synthetically stressed. Unigine Valley produces results we would expect from the CPU, but synthetics cripple the system. Acer may have been too aggressive with CPU management.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Unigine Valley
Unigine Valley
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.1 - 62 62
FurMark Stress 1.2 900 64 64
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.0 750 63 63
Unigine Valley Stress 2.8-3.1 1150 62 62
Max. Load
 31 °C
88 F
35 °C
95 F
35.2 °C
95 F
 
 29.2 °C
85 F
32.2 °C
90 F
29 °C
84 F
 
 22.8 °C
73 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 35.2 °C = 95 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F
36.4 °C
98 F
38.2 °C
101 F
39.4 °C
103 F
29.2 °C
85 F
33.8 °C
93 F
28.8 °C
84 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.2 °C
81 F
24.4 °C
76 F
Maximum: 39.4 °C = 103 F
Average: 31.5 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  33 °C = 91 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.8 °C / 86 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 35.2 °C / 95 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 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.7 °C / 78 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 27.8 °C / 82 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 (-0.1 °C / -0.1 F).
Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom, load
Bottom, load

Speakers

Speaker sound profile
Speaker sound profile

The speakers are typical for a business-class notebook, but that's not a good thing. The down-firing speakers don't get very loud and are very tinny. Bass is almost non-existent up through the mid-range registers, making the overall sound feel thin and weak. The speakers also distort at higher volumes (~85% and higher), further impeding the overall sound profile.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.439.22533.3353130.332.94030.331.95029.130.6632928.58029.428.610027.726.612526.727.216025.230.420025.837.425024.745.231523.449.940023.754.650023.256.963022.75980022.664.1100022.162.212502259.8160021.856.7200021.555.7250021.453.5315021.355.7400021.349.3500021.250.9630021.355.3800021.157.41000021.256.71250021.251160002152.1SPL33.969.6N2.125.3median 22median 54.6Delta0.86.731.129.529.328.631.13131.130.129.727.12624.726.623.725.724.923.928.623.837.922.645.822.451.720.454.818.956.618.16617.772.116.774.416.770.816.161.615.761.915.961.715.959.115.95816.364.216.668.516.968.117.260.917.26017.358.217.454.42978.91.242.9median 17.2median 601.96.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer TravelMate X3410-M-866TLenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (64.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% 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
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 53% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Analyzing power draw gives us a clearer picture of the throttling we've seen in benchmarks. The TravelMate pulls about 30 Watts on average when under load, which is a fair bit less than many other Ultrabooks with 8th gen ULV CPUs. Looking at power draw when running Prime95, there is an initial spike as the benchmark begins followed by an immediate drop, which indicates CPU throttling by reducing power draw. Running 3DMark 06 tells a similar story. Again, this throttling is curious as the TravelMate definitely has the thermal and electrical headroom for higher performance.

The included 65 Watt adapter should be adequate, though the TravelMate can hit or exceed this rating for brief moments under extreme stress. The machine does not stay at these levels for long and quickly drops back down to ~30-35 Watts.

3DMark 06
3DMark 06
Prime95. Note the drop in power draw as the test begins.
Prime95. Note the drop in power draw as the test begins.
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.41 / 0.72 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.5 / 6.3 / 7 Watt
Load midlight 28.7 / 67.7 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 X3410-M-866T
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN), IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
i7-8650U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, TFT-LCD, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 2560x1440, 14.00
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
i7-7600U, HD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 7490
i5-8350U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KSG60ZMV256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Power Consumption
-13%
-29%
-25%
9%
22%
-10%
Idle Minimum *
4.5
3.8
16%
3.4
24%
4.7
-4%
5.2
-16%
2
56%
3.8
16%
Idle Average *
6.3
7.7
-22%
7.5
-19%
9.4
-49%
6.9
-10%
4.7
25%
8.3
-32%
Idle Maximum *
7
9.3
-33%
10.8
-54%
16
-129%
7
-0%
5.7
19%
10.7
-53%
Load Average *
28.7
45.7
-59%
55.4
-93%
26.4
8%
24.6
14%
38.4
-34%
35.5
-24%
Load Maximum *
67.7
46.1
32%
70.3
-4%
34
50%
30.1
56%
38.9
43%
37
45%
Witcher 3 ultra *
34

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

One of the benefits of throttling the CPU's power is increased battery life, and this may be one of the primary motivators behind Acer's design. The TravelMate easily lasts 10 hours in our WiFi v1.3 battery test (screen at 150 nits, loading a new webpage every 30 seconds). These runtimes can be doubled if the screen is turned all the way down and workloads are light (e.g., reading documents). While it's now common for a business Ultrabook to just manage a full 8 hour work day, the TravelMate allows for work to be done on a train commute home as well.

It should be noted that other manufacturers typically sell models with larger batteries for longer runtimes. Lenovo's ThinkPads offer hot-swappable batteries in three different capacities.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 48min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 17min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 11min
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L50010US
i7-8650U, UHD Graphics 620, 24 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 57 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh
Toshiba Portege X30T-E-109
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620,  Wh
Toshiba Tecra X40-D
i7-7600U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
Dell Latitude 7490
i5-8350U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Battery Runtime
-29%
-16%
-13%
-11%
-25%
-11%
-28%
Reader / Idle
1248
1366
9%
876
-30%
WiFi v1.3
617
437
-29%
530
-14%
537
-13%
551
-11%
357
-42%
548
-11%
444
-28%
Load
131
76
-42%
126
-4%

Verdict

Pros

+ solid build quality
+ minimal flex
+ comfortable touchpad
+ good port selection
+ legacy support via VGA
+ excellent battery life
+ easy maintenance

Cons

- mediocre screen
- sluggish SD card reader
- no Thunderbolt 3
- keyboard is shallow
- major performance throttling
In review: Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T. Review unit courtesy of Acer.
In review: Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T. Review unit courtesy of Acer.

The Acer TravelMate X3410 is a good example of compromise. At US $1300, the TravelMate X3410 offers a portable and well-built chassis, a good amount of storage (512 GB), and adequate performance for office work. That said, the device falls short in almost every category when compared to its rivals, particularly Lenovo's ThinkPad T480s, Dell's Latitude 7490, and HP's EliteBook 840 G5.

The TravelMate's keyboard is responsive but feels cheap, the display is dim and grainy, and performance is heavily throttled with little reason. Battery life is excellent, but some rivals (like the ThinkPad T480) offer multiple battery configurations for longer runtimes.

All said, the TravelMate X3410 is a "good enough" business laptop. Those on a budget that want a thin and light office machine and don't mind compromising on a few key features may want to look at the Acer TravelMate X3410, but most users should pay a few hundred dollars more to get a better machine.

Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T - 01/28/2019 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
79 / 98 → 80%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
67 / 80 → 83%
Weight
67 / 20-67 → 99%
Battery
93%
Display
82%
Games Performance
58 / 68 → 85%
Application Performance
86 / 92 → 93%
Temperature
94%
Noise
97%
Audio
50%
Camera
39 / 85 → 46%
Average
74%
85%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer TravelMate X3410 (i7-8550U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) Laptop Review
Sam Medley, 2019-01-29 (Update: 2019-01-29)