Acer V5 review: Sexy-looking V5-552G-X414 is only a competent performer

October 08, 2013

The Acer V5-552G-X414 is an all-purpose laptop that looks nice, boots fast, and delivers more than enough everyday performance for the average user. It renders movies smoothly on its 15.6-inch, 1366-by-768-pixel display, and it plays a good game up to a resolution of 1024 by 768. The keyboard is better than average, but the touchpad isn't a favorite. The Acer V5 weighs 4.41 pounds—just over 5 pounds when you add its AC adapter—and is handsome in a minimalist fashion. Our test unit appeared entirely in slate gray except for the black keys on its short-throw keyboard—one of the better keyboards I've tried (if not quite up to Lenovo or recent Dell quality). Acer's decision to use an AMD processor helps keep the V5's price down, but it also crimps its benchmark performance. The one-piece rocker-style touchpad, on the other hand, while nicely responsive to movement and taps, bends far too much before registering clicks. It feels odd and sours the overall ergonomic experience. Also, where many laptops provide access panels for the memory and storage, the V5 does not. This makes upgrading a sticky wicket for the average user. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2048522/acer-v5-review-sexy-looking-v5-552g-x414-is-only-a-competent-performer.html#tk.rss_reviews