Acer Aspire E1 review: Design
Physically, it’s unmistakably a low-cost laptop. The plain, plastic chassis is finished in matte black, and every edge softens into an inoffensive curve, without a sharp edge in sight. It isn’t completely devoid of style, however: the black plastics are enlivened by the sparkle of tiny flecks of silver beneath the surface.
And despite the plastic construction, build quality is solid throughout. There’s a little flex and creak in the 2.2kg chassis if you manhandle it, but it’s pretty sturdy by budget standards.
The keyboard is a pleasure to use, thanks to widely spaced keys and an uncluttered layout – there’s a reassuring spring to every keystroke, and a full-sized numeric keypad alongside. Our only niggle with the large, buttonless touchpad was its reticence to register edge-swipes; the raised lip around the outside means that it’s necessary to carefully draw your finger in from the edge.
Acer Aspire E1 review: Performance
Internally, the Aspire E1 boasts a very capable specification. The 1.8GHz Intel Core i3 processor is a low-voltage Ivy Bridge-generation CPU, so it’s a little slower than today’s standard Core i3s, but it’s perfectly adequate for everyday tasks. A result of 0.56 in our Real World Benchmarks is a solid showing, and the 6GB of RAM provides enough headroom to take on video-and photo-editing applications. Factor in the 750GB hard drive and the Acer’s specification is positively generous.
You can even play older 3D games: the integrated Intel GPU achieved an average of 46fps in our least demanding Crysis test at 1,366 x 768 resolution and Low quality settings.
There’s also a good selection of ports and features for the money. The single USB 3 port is accompanied by a couple of USB 2 ports on the right-hand edge, plus a DVD writer, an SD card reader, and both VGA and HDMI video outputs. Unusually for a budget laptop, Gigabit Ethernet makes the cut, and wireless networking includes single-band 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.
The Acer’s display is pretty average. As is the norm for a budget laptop, the 1,366 x 768 resolution looks a little rough around the edges. Images look pale and washed out, and while the 228cd/m[sup]2[/sup] maximum brightness and 225:1 contrast ratio are pretty typical figures for a budget laptop, the overall colour balance is a little cold and unnatural.
Battery life is unexceptional: the Acer’s tiny 37Wh, 2,500mAh battery lasted only 4hrs 38mins in our light-use battery test. Increase the screen brightness, turn on Wi-Fi and start surfing the web, and you can expect battery life to tumble dramatically.
Acer Aspire E1 review: Verdict
You don’t expect perfection for £350, but the Acer Aspire E1 puts in a good all-round performance for the money. The specification is generous, the performance ample and – at this price – it’s easy to forgive the mediocre battery life.
Details | |
|---|---|
Warranty | |
| Warranty | 1 yr return to base |
Physical specifications | |
| Dimensions | 382 x 256 x 25mm (WDH) |
| Weight | 2.200kg |
| Travelling weight | 2.6kg |
Processor and memory | |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-3217U |
| RAM capacity | 6.00GB |
| Memory type | DDR3 |
| SODIMM sockets free | 0 |
| SODIMM sockets total | 2 |
Screen and video | |
| Screen size | 15.6in |
| Resolution screen horizontal | 1,366 |
| Resolution screen vertical | 768 |
| Resolution | 1366 x 768 |
| Graphics chipset | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 1 |
| HDMI outputs | 1 |
Drives | |
| Capacity | 750GB |
| Spindle speed | 5,400RPM |
| Optical disc technology | DVD writer |
| Replacement battery price inc VAT | £0 |
Networking | |
| Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
| 802.11a support | no |
| 802.11b support | yes |
| 802.11g support | yes |
| 802.11 draft-n support | yes |
| Integrated 3G adapter | no |
| Bluetooth support | yes |
Other Features | |
| Modem | no |
| USB ports (downstream) | 2 |
| 3.5mm audio jacks | 1 |
| SD card reader | yes |
| Pointing device type | Touchpad |
| Integrated microphone? | yes |
| Integrated webcam? | yes |
| Camera megapixel rating | 0.9mp |
Battery and performance tests | |
| Battery life, light use | 4hr 38min |
| 3D performance (crysis) low settings | 46fps |
| 3D performance setting | Low |
| Overall Real World Benchmark score | 0.56 |
| Responsiveness score | 0.73 |
| Media score | 0.55 |
| Multitasking score | 0.40 |
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