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Review Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk Notebook

Superb display. Acer's Aspire E1-772G is an inexpensive 17.3-inch multi-purpose notebook which ships without a Windows OS and sells for just under 600 Euros (~$800). It comes with a matte Full HD display, a Haswell Core i5 processor, plenty of storage, and is suitable for gaming as well. At least on paper, the notebook looks like a compelling package. How the E1-772G fares during everyday operation is the subject of our review.

For the original German review, see here.

The notebooks in Acer's Aspire E1 series are generally among the less expensive systems for any given performance bracket, although they are not the cheapest. The models we reviewed recently - like the Aspire E1-572G (Core i5-4200URadeon HD 8750M) or the Aspire E1-532 (Celeron 2955U, HD Graphics (Haswell)) - impressed with their good to very good price-performance ratio. The E1-772G is the newest 17.3-inch model and sports a dedicated GPU. According to the specs, this notebook should be able to follow in the footsteps of its successful siblings. To find out if that is really true, we will examine the merits of the E1-772G in detail.

To get an idea of the system's performance, we compare the E1-772G to competitors like the Lenovo G710 (Core i7-4702MQGeForce GT 720M) and the Asus F75VC-TY088H (Core i3-2370MGeForce GT 720M), although the latter is not available any longer. The Asus F75VC-TY222H, however, is identical in its configuration except for the processor - in this case, an Intel Core i3-3217U.

We are already familiar with the chassis of the E1-772G, since Acer, who owns Packard Bell, uses it for the Easynote LE69KB (AMD A4-5000Radeon HD 8330). For this reason, we are not going to spend a lot of time evaluating the chassis, connectivity, input devices, or the speakers.

Operating System

The Aspire comes with Linpus Linux preinstalled. Users wanting Windows need to be prepared to purchase the OS separately. Acer officially only supports Windows 8.1 and includes a DVD with the necessary drivers, which can be installed in one fell swoop. This works only for Windows 8.1 and not for Windows 7 and 8, however. Since the drivers do work under Windows 8, all that is required is a manual install of one driver after the other. The drivers are located on the DVD under "Autorun/DRV".

The install of Windows 7 requires a little more patience. The following drivers on the included DVD can be used under Windows 7: chipset, audio, card reader, GeForce (provided the driver for the Intel GPU is installed first), Bluetooth, and WLAN. The DVD contains several Bluetooth and WLAN drivers for modules from various manufacturers. For a notebook equipped with a different combination of modules than our review model, the user simply needs to try to see which driver will install.

The driver for the Intel GPU can be found on Intel's website. The same is true for the USB 3.0 driver (Windows 7 does not support USB 3.0 out of the box). The Ethernet driver can be downloaded from Broadcom's website

Maintenance

The maintenance cover on the bottom allows access to the RAM, the hard drive, and the WLAN module. The Aspire has two RAM slots, one of which is occupied by an 8 GB module. Swapping out the hard drive would also be an easy task and both 7 and 9.5 mm models fit. The Aspire has a second hard drive slot, which is unusable though, since there is no interface connector. Located between the two 2.5-inch hard drive slots there is an open mSATA slot, which can be used for a cache or system SSD drive.

Display

Acer uses a matte 17.3-inch panel with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The average brightness of 321.7 nits is very good and extremely rare among lower-cost notebooks. The G710 (251 cd/m²; HD+) also offers decent brightness; the F75VC (213.8 cd/m²; HD+) cannot keep up with its competitors.

302
cd/m²
293
cd/m²
314
cd/m²
319
cd/m²
333
cd/m²
339
cd/m²
315
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N173HGE-E11 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 340 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 321.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 333 cd/m²
Contrast: 757:1 (Black: 0.44 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.61 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.94
ΔE Greyscale 10.74 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
53.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 3.79
Aspire E1-772G vs. sRGB
Aspire E1-772G vs. sRGB
Aspire E1-772G vs. AdobeRGB
Aspire E1-772G vs. AdobeRGB

The display of the Aspire is not only bright, but also offers a good contrast ratio (757:1) and black value (0.44 cd/m²). The G710 takes the lead with even better results (1178:1, 0.23 cd/m²), whereas the Asus trails by a fair margin (236:1, 0.95 cd/m²). The display of the E1-772G cannot even remotely reproduce the colors of the sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces at 53.3 and 72.5 percent coverage, although this is more important for professional users.

The average DeltaE-2000 deviation is about 10.6, so the panel clearly misses the desired range (DeltaE less than 3). The display has a distinctly bluish hue, which does disappear after calibration, however.

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Graylevels
CalMAN - Graylevels
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

The E1-772G is quite usable outside, since the brightness, good contrast, and matte surface guarantee good readability in brighter environments.

Surprisingly enough, even the viewing angle stability is decent, although the display does not compare to an IPS panel for obvious reasons. For the price range, the panel is better than we would have expected.

The Acer Aspire E1-772G outdoors (bright sunlight).
The Acer Aspire E1-772G outdoors (bright sunlight).
Viewing angles Acer Aspire E1-772G
Viewing angles Acer Aspire E1-772G

Performance

The Aspire E1-772G is an affordable, multi-purpose 17.3-inch notebook, which can handle the various daily tasks thrown at it without any problems. Even gaming is not entirely out of the question. Our review model sells for about 600 Euros (~$800). At the time of writing, Acer offers a few additional models with different display, RAM, hard drive size, and operating system options. The least expensive model, the E1-772G-54204G50Mnsk, has an HD+ display with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, and sells for 500 Euros (~$680) without a Windows OS.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
System information Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk

Processor

Acer decided on the Intel Core i5-4200M processor to power this particular notebook. The CPU is based on the current Haswell architecture and features two cores with a core frequency of 2.5 GHz. Turbo Boost can overclock both cores to 3 GHz and a single core to 3.1 GHz. The processor is a standard mobile CPU with a TDP of 37 Watts and not a ULV model.

During the single thread tests of the Cinebench Benchmark, the CPU maintains 3.0 GHz with one or the other core occasionally jumping to 3.1 GHz. The multithread tests show the processor working at 3.0 GHz. The results of the G710 (Core i7-4702MQGeForce GT 720M) look better overall, since the G710 has a higher-clocked quad-core processor. The G710 does not have an advantage though during single thread tasks. The F75VC (Core i3-2370MGeForce GT 720M) has the least powerful processor and falls behind its two competitors.

All three notebooks should score similar when running the GL component of the benchmark, since they essentially sport the same GPU. The F75VC does not do as well as expected. The reason: the GPU Turbo tops out at 715 MHz, which is quite a bit slower than the graphics chips in the G710 and the Aspire.

Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6578 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
12727 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
5887 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6433
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
9897
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4456
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
29.84 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.25 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.36 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
37.18 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
298 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
120 Points
Help
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.36 Points
Asus K75DE-TY068H
Radeon HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics, A8-4500M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.7 Points -49%
HP Pavilion 17-e054sg
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
0.88 Points -35%
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.96 Points -29%
Toshiba Satellite C75-A-13W
GeForce 710M, 4200M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1.36 Points 0%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
1.42 Points +4%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1.44 Points +6%
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3.25 Points
Asus K75DE-TY068H
Radeon HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics, A8-4500M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
1.7 Points -48%
HP Pavilion 17-e054sg
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2.25 Points -31%
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2.29 Points -30%
Toshiba Satellite C75-A-13W
GeForce 710M, 4200M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3.23 Points -1%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
6.35 Points +95%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
6.36 Points +96%

System Performance

The system works well and without major lags. We have no reason to complain and the results of the PC Mark Benchmark tests are good as expected. The F75VC (Core i3-2370MGeForce GT 720M) falls behind the Aspire due to its less powerful CPU, but the G710 (Core i7-4702MQGeForce GT 720M) outscores the review model by a fair margin - mostly because of the more powerful processor and the RAM, which operates in dual-channel mode.

Overall system performance can be improved if desired. The first option is to replace the hard drive with a Solid State Disk, although that requires removing the quite decent platter-based hard drive. Alternatively, the user can install an mSATA SSD, which can be used as a cache drive (after installing the appropriate software from the manufacturer of the SSD) or as a system drive. In the latter case, the hard drive can be used for data storage. All three options lead to quicker system boot times and a more agile system overall. The results of the PCMark benchmark also improve by a significant margin.

We tried out the first and third suggestion and used SSDs as a system drive (mSATA SSD: Kingston SMS200S360G - 60 GB, 2.5-inch SSD: Crucial RealSSD C300 - 64 GB). The results of the PC Mark 7 show an increase to 4755 points (2.5-inch SSD) and 3648 points (mSATA-SSD), respectively. This is an improvement of about 80 percent and 39 percent. Our mSATA SSD is slower than our 2.5-inch SSD, so with a faster mSATA SSD, the jump in performance should be very similar.

PCMark Vantage Result
7155 points
PCMark 7 Score
2630 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4212 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2630 Points
Asus K75DE-TY068H
Radeon HD 7640G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics, A8-4500M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
1730 Points -34%
HP Pavilion 17-e054sg
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2122 Points -19%
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
2130 Points -19%
Toshiba Satellite C75-A-13W
GeForce 710M, 4200M, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3001 Points +14%
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3310 Points +26%
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
5650 Points +115%

Storage Devices

HD Tune
HD Tune
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark

The Aspire is equipped with a Western Digital Scorpio Blue hard drive. The conventional drive has a capacity of 1 TB and spins at 5400 RPMCrystalDiskMark reports a read rate of 108.4 MB/s; according to HD Tune, the average transfer rate is 86.5 MB/s. Both are good numbers for a 5400-RPM drive. The good impression continues, as the access time is only 16.8 ms and the 4K read and write times are also better than expected.

WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Transfer Rate Minimum: 52.1 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 115.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 86.5 MB/s
Access Time: 16.8 ms
Burst Rate: 189.9 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Aspire utilizes both the Intel HD Graphics 4600 and the GeForce 820M GPU. The two graphics cards serve different purposes: while the GeForce GPU is responsible for demanding applications like computer games, the Intel chip handles everyday tasks and saves battery life while the user is away from any outlets. Both GPUs support DirectX 11. The GeForce graphics card is an entry-level model with a core speed of 776 MHz, which can be increased to 937 MHz using the Turbo mode. As far as the construction process is concerned, the 820M is identical to the predecessor GeForce GT 720M. The main difference is the slightly higher core frequency of the newer 820M.

The Aspire and the G710 (Core i7-4702MQGeForce GT 720M) score almost identical in the various 3D benchmark tests. In cases where the CPU performance matters, the G710 is ahead. The F75VC (Core i3-2370MGeForce GT 720M) cannot keep up with either competitor since its GPU Turbo is limited to 715 MHz.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
8284 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
5011 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1389 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
43697 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4955 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
819 points
Help
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
3DMark
-16%
7%
116%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score
43697
40758
-7%
50811
16%
79494
82%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
4955
3819
-23%
5443
10%
11171
125%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
819
668
-18%
779
-5%
1971
141%

Gaming Performance

The Aspire can handle some current 3D games, although there are limitations. We were able to play most games with the settings between low and medium at HD resolution (1366x768 pixels). Higher settings can be used in some cases - for example for F1 2013 and Dishonored. The table below shows that the F75VC falls behind the G710 despite the identical GPU. The reason: the maximum Turbo speed is limited to 715 MHz, whereas the Lenovo can overclock its GPU to 938 MHz.

Those expecting better gaming performance should take a look at the F75VC in a different configuration: The F75VB-TY041D comes with a Core i5-3230M CPU and a GeForce GT 740M GPU and costs about 550 Euros (~$750) - although without Windows. The Acer Aspire V3-772G offers even better performance: the model Aspire V3-772G-54204G50Makk comes with a Core i5-4200M CPU, a GeForce GTX 760M GPU, and a matte Full HD display for close to 700 Euros (~$950). This system also sells without Windows. Stepping down to a GeForce GT 750M GPU lowers the price of the notebook to 650 Euros (~$855).

lowmed.highultra
Deus Ex Human Revolution (2011) 46.5 17.9
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) 50.7 34 24.7
Anno 2070 (2011) 41.6 25.4
Alan Wake (2012) 25.7
Diablo III (2012) 70.4 60.8 36.8
Max Payne 3 (2012) 34.5 32.3 15
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 59.5 43.8 17.9
Dishonored (2012) 50.8 43.7 24.5
Hitman: Absolution (2012) 40.8 25.8
Dead Space 3 (2013) 49.4 38.1 21.7
Tomb Raider (2013) 77.5 37.9 21.7
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013) 68.9 32
BioShock Infinite (2013) 58.7 31.1 27
Metro: Last Light (2013) 28.5
GRID 2 (2013) 56.5 38
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 21.2
Saints Row IV (2013) 42.8 34.5 13.3
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) 35.3 29.1 20.2
Total War: Rome II (2013) 50.7 38.6 30.5
F1 2013 (2013) 105 64 57 21
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) 74 38
Battlefield 4 (2013) 38.8 26.3 18.7
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013) 53.7 30.6 15.4
Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk
GeForce 820M, 4200M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Asus F75VC-TY088H
GeForce GT 720M, 2370M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
Lenovo G710 59397112
GeForce GT 720M, 4702MQ, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Acer Aspire V3-772G-747A321
GeForce GTX 760M, 4702MQ, Toshiba HG5d THNSNH256GMCT
Tomb Raider
-19%
-10%
181%
1024x768 Low Preset
77.5
62.8
-19%
69.2
-11%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x
37.9
31.1
-18%
34.5
-9%
99
161%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
21.7
17.3
-20%
19.4
-11%
65
200%
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-26%
-4%
130%
1280x720 Low Preset
50.7
36.5
-28%
49.2
-3%
1366x768 Medium Preset AA:4x
34
26.7
-21%
33.6
-1%
78
129%
1366x768 High Preset AA:8x AF:8x
24.7
17.6
-29%
23
-7%
57
131%
BioShock Infinite
-18%
-3%
154%
1280x720 Very Low Preset
58.7
48.2
-18%
56.3
-4%
140
139%
1366x768 Medium Preset
31.1
26.1
-16%
30.7
-1%
82
164%
1366x768 High Preset
27
21.6
-20%
25.7
-5%
70
159%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-21% / -21%
-6% / -6%
155% / 155%

Emissions

System Noise

The fan of the Aspire is frequently inaudible when the notebook is in idle mode and only the whirring sound of the hard drive is noticeable at all - we recorded values between 33.7 and 33.9 dB(A). The G710 (32.6 to 34 dB(A)) is quite comparable, the F75VC (30.5 to 30.9 dB(A)) even less noisy. Under medium load levels (3D Mark 06) and full load (stress test, Prime95 and FurMark running), the notebook also does not get overly loud. Even though the fan speed does increase, the resulting noise is bearable at between 36.1 and 37.4 dB(A). The Asus (38.9 to 41.3 dB(A)) is noisier; the G710 reaches even higher levels (between 34.6 and 40.4 dB(A)) when exposed to medium loads.

Noise Level

Idle
33.7 / 33.7 / 33.7 dB(A)
HDD
33.9 dB(A)
DVD
38.1 / dB(A)
Load
36.1 / 37.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Acer Aspire E1-772G during the stress test
The Acer Aspire E1-772G during the stress test

All three notebooks barely get warm during idle and we did not find any obvious issues. Under load, things do not change much, either: both the Aspire and the F75VC only exceed 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in one area each. The G710 remains the coolest, but for a reason: the CPU and the GPU frequently slow down during operation. 

During the stress test, (Prime95 and FurMark are running in parallel for at least one hour), both the CPU and the GPU maintain their maximum respective frequencies (CPU: 3 GHz, GPU: 937 MHz). This changes when the notebook is running on battery, as the CPU cores now fluctuate between 800 MHz and 2.5 GHz, while the GPU operates between 475 and 937 MHz. During the stress test, the CPU temperature stabilized at about 75 degrees C (167 degrees F).

Max. Load
 36 °C
97 F
31.4 °C
89 F
26.6 °C
80 F
 
 36.8 °C
98 F
35.3 °C
96 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
 29.3 °C
85 F
32.3 °C
90 F
28.5 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
24.8 °C
77 F
27.1 °C
81 F
46.6 °C
116 F
24.2 °C
76 F
27 °C
81 F
35.9 °C
97 F
27.3 °C
81 F
28.3 °C
83 F
29.5 °C
85 F
Maximum: 46.6 °C = 116 F
Average: 30.1 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  51.8 °C = 125 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 31.3 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.6 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.3 °C / 90.1 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-3.5 °C / -6.3 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The Aspire needs between 9.5 and 15.7 Watts during idle, which is a bit too high for our taste. The G710 is the least power-hungry notebook (6.5 to 10.5 Watts). The F75VC (8.3 to 12.9 Watts) is somewhere in-between. Under medium load levels (3D Mark 06) and full load (stress test, Prime95 and FurMark running), the power consumption increases to between 70.1 and 73.1 Watts. The G710 (63 and 93 Watts) requires quite a bit more power now. The culprit is the quad-core Core i7 CPU. The most frugal notebook in our comparison is the F75VC (57.1 and 69.7 Watts, respectively).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.5 / 15.4 / 15.7 Watt
Load midlight 70.1 / 73.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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

In idle mode, the Aspire shut down after 5:03 h when running on its battery. Both the G710 (7:39 h) and the F75VC (6:56 h) last significantly longer. To determine the run time for this scenario we use the Battery Eater Reader’s Test. For this test, the screen brightness is turned all the way down, the Power Saver profile is enabled, and the wireless modules are turned off. Under load, the Aspire managed 0:57 h. Both the G710 (1:07 h) and the F75VC (1:17 h) were able to hold out a little bit longer. To establish battery life under load, we use the Battery Eater Classic Test. Here, the screen brightness is maximized, the Performance profile selected, and the wireless modules are active. 

During our WLAN test, the Aspire lasted for 3:57 h before shutting down, which is better than the competitors are, G710 (3:30 h) and F75VC (3:49 h). For this test, we use a script that automatically visits various websites every 40 seconds to simulated web browsing conditions. In this case, the Energy Saver profile is enabled and the display is set to a brightness of about 150 cd/m². The Aspire was able to play back DVDs for 3:14 h - again a better result than the G710 (2:38 h) and the F75VC (3:01 h). For the DVD test, we use the Energy Saver profile unless the DVD does not play back smoothly and set the screen to the maximum brightness level. The wireless modules are disabled. 

The results of the Aspire are good for both the WLAN and the DVD test, but we would have expected a better run time in idle mode. The battery life of the notebooks mentioned is easy to compare, since all three feature batteries with a very similar capacity (Acer: 48 Wh, Lenovo: 48 Wh, Asus: 47 Wh).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 03min
WiFi Surfing
3h 57min
DVD
3h 14min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 57min

Verdict

The Acer Aspire E1-772G offers good overall performance and is suitable for gaming as well. The hard drive does not only offer a large capacity for data, but is also decently quick. Those interested in improving the performance with an SSD can do so without removing the platter-based drive, since the notebook comes equipped with an mSATA slot. One of the key features of the E1-772G is the bright matte, Full HD display, which offers good contrast to boot. We would love to see displays like this used more frequently. The panel is not perfect, however, as it exhibits a noticeable bluish cast. The Aspire neatly falls in line with its other family members: although there are some weak points, the price-to-value ratio is very good indeed.

The Lenovo G710 is an option for users requiring a system with more power, although the notebook is more expensive by about 100 Euros (~$140). Equipped with a Core i5-4200M CPU, a version of the G710 also sells for around 600 Euros (~$800). Compared to the latter version, the Acer Aspire offers a significantly better screen, however. The Asus F75VC is the least expensive notebook in our comparison. The model F75VC-TY222H, which we mentioned in our introduction, comes equipped with a Core i3-3217U processor and sells for about 500 Euros (~$680). One notable difference: the price of the Asus includes a Windows OS (Windows 8) - a feature both the Aspire and the G710 are lacking.

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In Review: The Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk, courtesy of:
In Review: The Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk, courtesy of:

Specifications

Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk (Aspire E1 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-4200M 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 820M - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 937 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, ForceWare 327.41, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, single-channel, two slots (one open)
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, Chi Mei N173HGE-E11, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM86 (Lynx Point)
Storage
WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0, 1024 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 931 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headphone, microphone, Card Reader: SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD
Networking
Broadcom BCM57780 NetLink Gigabit Ethernet (10/100MBit/s), Atheros Communications AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GTA0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 414.8 x 275 ( = 1.34 x 16.33 x 10.83 in)
Battery
48 Wh Lithium-Ion, 10.8 V, 4400 mAh
Operating System
Linpus Linux Lite
Camera
Webcam: HD-Webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard Light: no, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
3.2 kg ( = 112.88 oz / 7.05 pounds), Power Supply: 344 g ( = 12.13 oz / 0.76 pounds)
Price
599 Euro

 

The Acer Aspire E1-772G outdoors
The Acer Aspire E1-772G outdoors
The DVD optical drive can read and write all types of DVDs and CDs.
The DVD optical drive can read and write all types of DVDs and CDs.
The dedicated number pad.
The dedicated number pad.
The maintenance cover.
The maintenance cover.
The Aspire comes with two RAM slots.
The Aspire comes with two RAM slots.
The hard drive is easy to swap out.
The hard drive is easy to swap out.
A slot for a second 2.5-inch drive - but the interface connectors are missing.
A slot for a second 2.5-inch drive - but the interface connectors are missing.
Acer equipped the Aspire with an mSATA slot.
Acer equipped the Aspire with an mSATA slot.
Nice: two WLAN antennas.
Nice: two WLAN antennas.
The battery weighs about 305 grams (~0.7 lbs)...
The battery weighs about 305 grams (~0.7 lbs)...
...and has a capacity of 48 Wh.
...and has a capacity of 48 Wh.
The hinges...
The hinges...
...hold the display securely in all positions.
...hold the display securely in all positions.
The palm rest features a (printed) pattern.
The palm rest features a (printed) pattern.

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Links

  • Manufacturer's Information

Price Comparison

Pros

+ Good performance
+ Suitable for gaming
+ Bright, matte Full-HD display with lots of contrast
+ Lots of space
+ Open mSATA slot
+ 24-month warranty
+ Driver DVD

Cons

- Windows is only available as an add-on and needs to be installed by the user.

Shortcut

What we like

The bright Full HD display with lots of contrast and the open mSATA slot.

What we'd like to see

For the most part, we are actually quite happy. The performance and featured hardware are more than acceptable given the low price of 600 Euros (~$800).

What surprises us

Acer uses a bright and Full HD display with good contrast for this inexpensive notebook. Rare indeed.

The competition

Asus F75VC, Lenovo G710, HP Pavilion 17-e054sg, HP Probook 470, Acer Aspire V3-772G, Acer Aspire V3-771G, Asus K75DE, Toshiba Satellite C70D-A-10L, Toshiba Satellite C75-A-13W, Lenovo Ideapad Z710, Toshiba Satellite L70-A-10T, MSI CX70-i740M281W7H

Rating

Acer Aspire E1-772G 54208G1TMnsk - 04/15/2014 v4 (old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
59 / 98 → 60%
Keyboard
58%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
69 / 81 → 85%
Weight
55 / 20-67 → 74%
Battery
77%
Display
78%
Games Performance
70 / 85 → 82%
Application Performance
71 / 92 → 77%
Temperature
86%
Noise
84 / 95 → 88%
Audio
40%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
67%
73%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-02-12 (Update: 2014-02-18)