The Aspire V3 is a straightforward 15in all-rounder of a laptop, by characterizing styling touches and spec that raise it well above the cheapest budget machines. The top deck is brushed aluminium veneer, inset with a large trackpad that is unusually high-quality for a Windows laptop, responding accurately to finger movements.

Functionality & Hardware

The internal battery is small at 37Wh, and fixed inside. Small keeps weight down to a luggable 2.2kg, and the efficient 5th-generation Core series processor means reasonable battery life, 5 hr 20 mins in the video rundown test. The GTX 940M is a basic integrated solution little faster than Intel’s.

In fact another version of this Aspire characterizes Intel Iris graphics which may be faster, given the limited 29fps average we saw from Batman Arkham City at native screen resolution and Medium detail. Dropping to 1280×720 however let the Acer average 46fps, even at High detail. Tomb Raider 2013 fans can expect 38fps at the latter res and detail, or even 39fps at 1080p and Normal detail.

For storage our sample product code NX.G1TEK.011 had a 1TB hybrid disk/solid-state drive, even though Toshiba’s limited 8GB flash gives only basic read-cache benefits. So while booting may be little quicker than disk-only, do not expect silky SSD functionality throughout.

Screen

Its contrast ratio of around 550:1 isn’t bad but color gamut is restricted by its 6-bit nature, to just 65 percent sRGB, where IPS screens typically cover 90-plus percent. That said, subjective impressions suggest this is a decent display, flicker-free for comfy use. The full-HD resolution 1920 x 1080 across 15.6 inches gives a pixel density of 141ppi, making clearer type and sharper images than the plethora of 1366×768 screens which are much more common.

Specifications

• 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) 141 ppi, AH-IPS matt anti-glare
• 2.2 GHz Intel Core i5-5200U (2.7 GHz Turbo) 2C, 4T
• Windows 8.1
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 940M with 2 GB DDR3 + Intel HD Graphics 5000
• 8 GB (1x 8 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
• UK tiled, backlit with numberpad
• buttonless multi-touch trackpad, 106 x 78mm
• 37 Wh lithium-ion, non-removable
• 65 W mains charger with IEC C5 inlet
• 1 TB 5400rpm HDD with 8GB flash
• gigabit ethernet
• 802.11ac (Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• tray-load DVD±RW with M-DISC
• 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
• 381 x 259 x 24.0–28.5mm
• 2212g
• HDMI, VGA D-Sub
• Kensington Lock Slot
• SD card slot
• stereo speakers
• 0.9Mp webcam and single mic
• 3.5mm headset jack

Conclusion

The Aspire V3-574G is easy to recommend. It is a laudable balance of virtues from the IPS screen, to the precise trackpad and highly regarded CPU. Nvidia graphics allow fluid gameplay up to 720p.