Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Acer Aspire 5920G Laptop
Acer’s Aspire 5920G laptop is based around one of Intel’s new Santa Rosa chipsets. Ian Waugh sees how well the chips and pieces come together…
| Product | Aspire 5920G |
|---|---|
| Company | Acer |
| Web | www.acer.co.uk |
| Price | £799.99 |
| We like | Well-speced, superb sound, excellent performance |
| We don't like | No System Restore DVD, only "standard" screen resolution |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Specification | Windows Vista Home Premium, Intel Core2Duo T7300 processor, 15.4" Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD, NVIDIA GeForce 8600 with 256MB VRAM, 2048MB (2*1024MB) RAM, 1GB Turbo Memory, 160GB hard disk drive, 8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive, Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement, Gigabit Ethernet, Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N, 5-in-1 card reader, 8-cell Battery, CrystalEye web camera |
Acer is one of the largest PC manufacturers in the world (its recent acquisition of Gateway makes it number three) and it has a massive laptop range. The Acer Aspire 5920G is one of the latest.
The first thing to note is that there are actually two models of the 5920, the difference noted only by a suffix in the model number. The LX.AGSOX.015 has Turbo Memory while the LX.AGSOX.169 has Bluetooth. Different retailers seem to get different models and many do not know which one they have so check carefully.
With that out the way, the rest is identical. The case has a "Gemstone" finish - smooth curves and an attractive look that says quality. As it should, as it was designed by BMW! Inside the finish is, perhaps, a slightly less striking grey/beige but it's still attractive and high quality.
The keyboard is well laid out and the keys have a good response. There are shortcut keys to the left and right of the keyboard.
Left and right 'mouse' buttons sit below the Touchpad and inbetween is a central scroll button. The computer is very easy to use.
Eye in the lid
In the lid is a 0.3 megapixel CrystalEye web camera with tiny microphones either side, ideal for video conferencing.
The Acer 5920G is powered by Intel's fourth generation Santa Rosa Centrino chipset, a Core2Duo T7300 processor with 800MHz FSB (Front Side Buss) supported by 2Gb of DDR2 667MHz RAM. Many sources would say this is a minimum requirement for running Vista.
Graphics is courtesy of a NVIDIA GeForce 8600 with 256MB VRAM, a DirectX 10 mobile chip which will please many gamers. The SATA hard disc is a generous 160Gb and there's an 8x DVD/CD RW drive.
Our laptop has Turbo Memory which is used with ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive to speed up operations. According to Acer, this is soldered to the motherboard so if you're wondering whether to go Turbo or Bluetooth, remember you can easily add Bluetooth to the Turbo model but not vice versa.
The screen supports the usual 15.4" resolution of 1280 x 800 which is probably the most disappointing thing about this laptop. Given all its other performance-oriented components, a higher resolution would have been welcome. However, it is a current standard so perhaps complaint is churlish. And if you connect it to an external monitor it will display higher resolutions.
The screen is bright - ideal for watching videos and playing DVDs. However, it is a shiny screen and not ideal for use in bright light. Some reviews have complained about the screen's dullness. You need to adjust this in the Power Options Control Panel (not the Monitor). Out the box, the Power Plan is configured for reduced brightness even when running on mains power. You may also want to adjust the colour settings. Yellows in particular are very insipid.
To accompany DVDs and games, the 5920 has Dolby Home Theatre audio with built-in stereo speakers and a sub woofer underneath. The sound is very impressive for a laptop and remains so even through headphones. We suspect even gamers will be impressed. Volume is nicely controlled by a wheel on the front of the case.
Networking is provided by a Gigabit Ethernet connection and Wireless Draft n. Other ports include four USBs, a 5-in-1 card reader, Mic and Line Ins, headphones/speaker outs with S/PDIF support, a modem, HDMI out, S-Video/TV out, a 4-pin IEEE 1393 port and an ExpressCar/54 slot.
Acer quotes a battery life of 3.5 hrs but this depends on the Power Plan setting and, of course, what the computer is doing. Upping the screen brightness, for example, reduced the battery life. However, recharging proved fairly quick.
The Acer 5920G includes Windows Vista Premium. Its WEI (Windows Experience Index) which measures the performance of the computer is 4.7. This is the base score (the lowest scoring components) of both the hard disk and Graphics (for Vista's Aero interface) although 3D and Gaming Graphics scores 5.3. In all, the machine is no slouch.
A major disappointment is the lack of a System Restore DVD. You can create your own once you find your way around the system, but this is penny-pinching in the extreme.
Conclusion
Weighing in at just over 3kg, the Acer 5920 is not the smallest or lightest laptop but it's sleek, neat, stylish and very portable. Its strength is undoubtedly as a media PC and many gamers will find it more than adequate, too. For home use and surfing it's a powerhouse of a laptop and its use of the latest components and good spec give it a degree of future-proofing. At least as much as is possible in this day and age.
In all, the Acer 5920 demonstrates an excellent coming together of price and performance and is certainly one of the more exciting laptops to use the Santa Rosa chipset.
