The back-to-school season is approaching, and that means swarms of students will soon be buying an affordable laptop. Yes, every university newcomer would like to be decked out with a MacBook Pro, but most will have to buy something more practical - like Acer's Aspire E5.
Starting at $599 and boasting a 14" 1366x768 display, the Aspire E5 is no superstar, but it does provide a few unforeseen features. The Core i5-4210U processor is a slight upgrade over the more typical 4200U, for example , and Nvidia discrete graphics comes standard along with a 500GB hard drive.
This equipment makes for a well-rounded package, but stuffing strong hardware into an inexpensive system often compromises battery pack life, display quality and other areas. Let's check out the trade-off Acer has made - and determine whether they're worthwhile.
The familiar face
On first sight we thought Acer might have accidentally directed us a duplicate of the Acer Aspire E1, a laptop we reviewed only a several months ago. The particular two offer many similar traits including an approachable white exterior, thick plastic chassis and black screen trim. Unlike the E1, however, the E5 has a matte display bezel. This small change helps to reduce reflections and fingerprints, as the bezel is 1 of the most frequently handled areas of any laptop.
Quality is actually you'd expect for a method in this price bracket. Although plastic is the only real material used, it feels durable and is also slapped together with tight panel gaps. Several flex is available, particularly in the keyboard area, but not enough to make the laptop appear cheap.
Connectivity comes via 3 USB, just one of which is 3. 0, alongside with HDMI, VGA, Ethernet and a combined headphone/microphone port. A optical drive is included, as well, which contributes to the system's thickness but provides versatility. WiFi is restricted to 802. 11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4. 0 is also part of the package.
Typical secrets
Though thick, the Desire E5 doesn't use the additional vertical space to provide an outstanding typing experience. Rather, a merely passable the first is offered. A good amount of key travel is included, but keys base out vaguely, which can make mistakes hard to notice by touch by yourself. Users with large feet will appreciate the roomy layout, however, and will be certainly plenty of palm area.
Backlighting is not available on the Aspire E5, not really as an option. This makes low-light use difficult. We can't knock the system too much for its absence, however, as few rivals in this price bracket offer the same.
Mouse routing is available by way of a trackpad that's four in . and two inches tall. Inside most respects using it is surely an completely average experience. Sensitivity is modest, multi-touch gestures work well but aren't perfect, and the integrated mouse buttons feel cheap. We wish the touchpad surface was distinctive, too, because we found it hard to tell apart from the surrounding plastic when our eyes were fixed to the sceen.
A budget display
The Aspire E5's 1366x768 non-touch display however looks like a relic from the past. We all measured a gamut that spans only 56% of sRGB, poor color reliability and high black levels. In these critical areas the E5 posts some of the worst results we've recently seen; only the Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 and the old Acer Aspire E1 perform as inadequately.
re there any vivid spots? Certainly not, and that includes brightness - the most of 179 lux is satisfactory in most situations but can't overcome the glossy display's reflective properties in a bright room. We also noted bad viewing angles and a general insufficient sharpness.
Almost all of these numbers convert to flat, low-contrast image quality. Images and videos often look hazy, as if which film over the screen, and the already inaccurate colors change wildly when tilting the display only a few certifications.
Audio performance is better. Highest volume is loud and while music has a tinny quality, it's generally free of distortion. Typically the speakers perform well with podcasts and video, where the clear mid-range can dominate most rooms. Continue to, external speakers or headsets should prove an update.
Starting at $599 and boasting a 14" 1366x768 display, the Aspire E5 is no superstar, but it does provide a few unforeseen features. The Core i5-4210U processor is a slight upgrade over the more typical 4200U, for example , and Nvidia discrete graphics comes standard along with a 500GB hard drive.
This equipment makes for a well-rounded package, but stuffing strong hardware into an inexpensive system often compromises battery pack life, display quality and other areas. Let's check out the trade-off Acer has made - and determine whether they're worthwhile.
The familiar face
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Acer NB E5-574G |
Quality is actually you'd expect for a method in this price bracket. Although plastic is the only real material used, it feels durable and is also slapped together with tight panel gaps. Several flex is available, particularly in the keyboard area, but not enough to make the laptop appear cheap.
Connectivity comes via 3 USB, just one of which is 3. 0, alongside with HDMI, VGA, Ethernet and a combined headphone/microphone port. A optical drive is included, as well, which contributes to the system's thickness but provides versatility. WiFi is restricted to 802. 11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4. 0 is also part of the package.
Typical secrets
Though thick, the Desire E5 doesn't use the additional vertical space to provide an outstanding typing experience. Rather, a merely passable the first is offered. A good amount of key travel is included, but keys base out vaguely, which can make mistakes hard to notice by touch by yourself. Users with large feet will appreciate the roomy layout, however, and will be certainly plenty of palm area.
Backlighting is not available on the Aspire E5, not really as an option. This makes low-light use difficult. We can't knock the system too much for its absence, however, as few rivals in this price bracket offer the same.
Mouse routing is available by way of a trackpad that's four in . and two inches tall. Inside most respects using it is surely an completely average experience. Sensitivity is modest, multi-touch gestures work well but aren't perfect, and the integrated mouse buttons feel cheap. We wish the touchpad surface was distinctive, too, because we found it hard to tell apart from the surrounding plastic when our eyes were fixed to the sceen.
A budget display
The Aspire E5's 1366x768 non-touch display however looks like a relic from the past. We all measured a gamut that spans only 56% of sRGB, poor color reliability and high black levels. In these critical areas the E5 posts some of the worst results we've recently seen; only the Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 and the old Acer Aspire E1 perform as inadequately.
re there any vivid spots? Certainly not, and that includes brightness - the most of 179 lux is satisfactory in most situations but can't overcome the glossy display's reflective properties in a bright room. We also noted bad viewing angles and a general insufficient sharpness.
Almost all of these numbers convert to flat, low-contrast image quality. Images and videos often look hazy, as if which film over the screen, and the already inaccurate colors change wildly when tilting the display only a few certifications.
Audio performance is better. Highest volume is loud and while music has a tinny quality, it's generally free of distortion. Typically the speakers perform well with podcasts and video, where the clear mid-range can dominate most rooms. Continue to, external speakers or headsets should prove an update.
Windows 10-64 bit
| Category | Vendor | Description | Size | Date | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHCI | Intel | SATA AHCI Driver | 11.7 MB | 25/02/2016 | Here |
| Audio | Realtek | Audio Driver | 442.4 MB | 25/02/2016 | Here |
| Bluetooth | Atheros | Bluetooth Driver | 320.7 MB | 08/04/2016 | Here |
| Bluetooth | Atheros | Bluetooth Driver (NFA335) | 59.8 MB | 25/02/2016 | Here |
| Bluetooth | Broadcom | Bluetooth Driver | 18.2 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Bluetooth | Intel | Bluetooth Driver | 6.0 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| CardReader | Realtek | Card Reader Driver | 16.1 MB | 14/07/2016 | Here |
| Chipset | Intel | Chipset Driver | 4.7 MB | 25/02/2016 | Here |
| IO Drivers | Intel | Serial IO Driver | 4.7 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Lan | Realtek | LAN Driver | 12.4 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| TouchPad | ELANTECH | Touchpad Driver | 7.0 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| TouchPad | Synaptics | Touchpad Driver | 1.3 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Turbo Boost | Intel | Turbo Boost Driver | 60.7 MB | 25/02/2016 | Here |
| VGA | Intel | VGA Driver | 172.4 MB | 08/04/2016 | Here |
| VGA | NVIDIA | VGA Driver | 431.1 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Wireless LAN | Atheros | Wireless LAN Driver (NFA435) | 320.7 MB | 08/04/2016 | Here |
| Wireless LAN | Atheros | Wireless LAN Driver (NFA335) | 59.8 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Wireless LAN | Broadcom | Wireless LAN Driver | 43.8 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
| Wireless LAN | Intel | Wireless LAN Driver | 104.8 MB | 26/02/2016 | Here |
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