Acer Aspire R 15, we have tested it

To stem the decline in computer sales, companies have chosen to innovate. In addition to offering equipment with a great design and manufactured with premium materials, options are being sought that are striking for the user. One such solution is to use equipment 2 in 1 , laptops become tablets . We have been able to test one of these equipment from the Acer company , more specifically the Acer Aspire R 15 . A team that offers us a very elegant metallic design and the possibility of rotating the screen 360 degrees. But do not think that being a convertible we are facing a less powerful team, nothing is further from reality. We find a computer with a 15.6-inch touch screen , 6th generation Intel Core processor , up to 12 GB of RAM , SSD hard drive and the possibility of including an  NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card . We have had the opportunity to test the Acer Aspire R 15 in its most powerful configuration and we are going to tell you what we think.

Versatile and elegant design

As soon as we open the box of the Acer Aspire R 15, its elegant design draws our attention . The company has used aluminum both on the top cover and on the keyboard and touchpad. The dark gray brushed aluminum design gives it a premium look. The underside of the computer is not aluminum, it is made of fiberglass and 40 percent silver particles . With this material the company has managed to keep the thickness of the device at bay without reducing its resistance.

Inside, aluminum once again stands out as the main material, in addition to the full backlit keyboard . We say complete because on the right side we will have available a numeric keyboard like that of desktop keyboards. Just below the keyboard we will have the touchpad . Of the same we can highlight the soft edges that surround it and its large size . If we touch lightly on the surface of the touchpad we will click on the mouse. This function is so sensitive that on more than one occasion we have played where we did not want to. However, if we see that it bothers us, it is a function that we can deactivate.

Returning to the keyboard, although the touch of it is pleasant, there is a detail that can be uncomfortable when using it. As we mentioned, it incorporates a full numeric keyboard on its right side. This causes the main keyboard to be offset slightly to the left , forcing the user to move further to the left than the normal position might be considered. It may be a personal appreciation because in my day to day I use a keyboard that does not incorporate a numeric keypad, so it has taken me quite a bit to get used to the layout of the keys on the Acer Aspire R 15 . In my case, the left wrist is resting on the left edge of the computer.

The full dimensions of the Acer Aspire R 15  are 370.7 x 256.2 x 20 millimeters , with a weight of 2.4 kilograms . When picking up the computer the first few times we have noticed a slightly higher weight than other models with a 15-inch screen . Taking into account that we are dealing with a 2-in-1 computer, that is, it can be used as a tablet, weight can become a problem . However, we must bear in mind that we are, as we will see later, in front of a powerful team, with a dedicated graphic and touch screen , elements that increase the total weight of the set but also multiply its performance .

Tablet and all-in-one computer

There is no doubt that the metallic finish of the computer is very striking, but when we take a few minutes using the computer we will discover what really differentiates this computer from other similar ones. We are talking about the 360-degree hinges used by the Acer Aspire R 15 , which allow you to rotate the screen to place it in different positions. There are really no pre-established positions, but we could say that for the different uses that we can give the laptop, these hinges allow us to place it in 4 different positions . Something that we liked is that by completely folding the screen to place it above the keyboard and use the equipment as if it were a tablet, the systemit automatically detects this turn and asks if we want to switch to Tablet mode .

If we talk about the screen, we have a IPS 15.6 - inch panel with Full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels . IPS technology allows you to see consistent and accurate colors from different viewing angles. In the specific case of the Acer Aspire R 15 , we have verified that the image has remained perfect up to a 45 degree angle . The display also incorporates Acer Color Intelligence technology , which adjusts gamma and saturation in real time, optimizing color, brightness and saturation without clipping or clipping. The screen is quite bright, at 310 nits , above average for laptops.

Surrounding the screen we have a side and top frame of acceptable size, 11 millimeters and 27 millimeters respectively . However, we cannot say the same for the lower frame , which measures 30 millimeters.

When we put the Acer Aspire R 15 in tablet mode, the physical keyboard and touchpad are deactivated , Windows showing us the usual window system for mobile devices and the on-screen keyboard. The operation of the computer in tablet mode is very smooth , even with 7 or 8 applications running simultaneously. In addition, Windows 10 allows us to see two applications at the same time on the screen , a really useful function when we are using a 15.6-inch screen. Just by dragging to one side the application will be placed in a corner, being able to configure the size of the window of each application easily.

A computer to work and to enjoy

The Acer Aspire R 15 includes a hardware interior that will guarantee optimal performance in any situation, especially if we opt for the model that we have been able to test ourselves. Our team came equipped with a 6th generation Intel Core i7-6500U processor running at 2.5GHz . Accompanying the processor, we find 12 GB of DDR4 RAM . Like the processor or the amount of RAM, the storage can also be configured to our liking. Our unit featured a 128GB SSD hard drive for the system and a 500GB mechanical hard drive for data storage . However, it is possible to opt for a 256 GB SSD diskand a 1 TB hard drive for storage .

The graphics system, one of the weak points of laptops, has also been reinforced in the model we have tested. The base model incorporates an Intel HD Graphics 520 graphics  , but our team also carried an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX GPU . To check the graphics performance we have run several games. In “mobile” games like  Asphalt 8 or the pre-installed  Candy Crush Soda Saga we have not had any kind of problem. We have also tested more demanding games, such as the Battlefield 1 beta and FIFA 15 . We have been able to play both perfectly, no performance issues. Yes, we'll have to settle for playing with a  resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels  and the disabled graphical improvements . However, taking into account that we are not dealing with a team aimed at a gamer audience, it seems to us that being able to play games with great graphics, even at lower resolution, is a great point in favor of this team.

Playing games on a laptop often leads to a major warm-up for the computer. In the case of the Acer Aspire R 15 , despite the fact that the company has implemented a thermal cooling design capable of dissipating heat effectively , in practice it must be recognized that the computer has continued to heat up. Of course, at no time has it hung or have we had problems due to the temperature.

Taking into account that this is a device designed, to a large extent, to consume content, the sound system should be up to par. The Acer Aspire R 15 incorporates Acer TrueHarmony speakers with Dolby Audio technology . These speakers feature a cone-shaped design for fuller and more accurate sound . In addition, they can invert the audio output channel according to the orientation of the screen , perfect for when we use the equipment in tablet mode. On a practical level it is fair to say that the speakers are more than enough for normal use of music, games and even cinema, standing out compared to other computers that we have tested. Even at the maximum we have not appreciated any kind of distortion.

Autonomy, connectivity and software

The Acer Aspire R 15 incorporates the latest in connectivity. On the one hand we find a 2 × 2 MIMO WiFi antenna that will allow us to obtain a faster wireless connection, thanks to the fact that this laptop is compatible with up to two data transmissions in each direction . This means that, if we have a compatible router, we can get a higher speed through WiFi.

Another novelty that this computer incorporates is a USB Type-C port , which uses cables with reversible connection orientations and achieves transfer speeds of up to 5 Gb / s . However, as it is not a connector that is still too widespread, we will also find 2 USB 3.0 ports , identified by their characteristic blue color, and a  USB 2.0 port . We also have an HDMI port , which will allow us to connect the computer to an external TV or monitor, and the typical headphone jack . Finally we found a SD card reader and connector to power the battery .

And speaking of the battery, the Acer Aspire R 15 incorporates a four-cell battery  that, according to the company, is capable of giving us a range of up to 9 hours. In our tests, with normal use (work, social networks, Internet browsing, some music and some loose YouTube videos) we have achieved an autonomy of about 6 hours , with the screen brightness set to 75%.

The Acer Aspire R 15 comes with Windows 10 Home as the operating system. As is customary with most manufacturers, Acer has included a lot of pre-installed software , something that is likely to annoy many users. We have all the usual Acer suite (abFiles, abPhoto and a long etcetera). In addition to the company's applications, we also find others such as  Amazon, Netflix, Kindle or the Candy Crush Saga game .

conclusion

After testing the Acer Aspire R 15 for a few days, we can say that it has much more good than bad. Its dark gray metallic design gives it a premium look and makes it easy to cool the equipment. As a negative aspect we have found the location of the keyboard , which, at least for my personal taste, is a bit off-center, forcing the user to place the wrists in an unnatural position. However, as I have commented in the analysis, it is possible that it is a personal appreciation due to the habit of using another type of keyboard.

Another of its strengths is the powerful hardware that the computer incorporates. The model we tested came equipped with an Intel i7 processor , 12 GB of DDR4 RAM , an SSD hard drive, and an  NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card . Thanks to this card, we can even play the latest games on the market, although, of course, we will have to opt for a modest graphics configuration. A powerful sound with Dolby Digital certification will also help you to enjoy this equipment to the maximum when consuming multimedia content.

Finally we must highlight another of its great characteristics. And it is none other than the possibility of using it as a tablet . While it is true that we do not believe that it is the best thing about this laptop, it is something that many users surely like. Personally I think that a 15.6-inch tablet and almost 2.5 kilos of weight is not exactly practical, but it is true that in some environments having the possibility of using it in this way can be really useful.

Acer Aspire R 15

screen

Design

Camera

Multimedia

software

Power

Memory

Connections

Autonomy

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Price from 800 euros