The Acer Aspire R14 series has been launched in the spring of 2015 and consists of an array of mid-range convertible (2-in-1) laptops designed for the general public, aimed at the average user with extra mobility and functionality needs in mind. With features that add value like Zero Air Gap technology, Acer Touch Tools or Skype Certification, this convertible laptop is a good tool, despite a drawback or two.
The Acer Aspire R14 R3-471T-77HT has a 5th generation, dual core Intel Core i7-5500U processor, capable of speeds up to 3 GHz. Benchmarks currently place this CPU somewhere in the upper echelon of laptop processor units, a respectable result for a dual core capable of low power consumption, which leads to more battery life. Also, the guys at Acer have been generous with the system memory and installed 8GB of DDR3L RAM, but the best thing about it is the fact that it’s user upgradeable up to 12GB, should the user feel the standard memory is insufficient. This shouldn’t happen however, the Acer is designed to be more of a multimedia center with internet browsing at its heart, activities that should keep RAM usage at lower than maximum values at all times.
Storage space is abundant, with 1TB of free real estate, enough to hold around 250 HD movies, or 250,000 high resolution photos. The drawback of this storage perk is the actual storage environment itself: the mechanical Hard Disk Drive will likely slow down and bottleneck the true performance ratings given by the CPU and the system memory capacity. Since cloud storage has become more and more accessible with free, premium quality options like Dropbox, Flickr or Google Drive readily available, an SSD upgrade is recommended in the case of Acer Aspire R14. You can read about the best value Solid State Drives in an article we recently wrote.
The touchscreen, a 14 inch LED backlit display is supported by Zero Air Gap technology, which improves contrast and image clarity and helps in bright light conditions, when unwanted reflections are reduced to a minimum. This is achieved by bonding the touch panel to the LCD, eliminating the need of a sensor grid like in projective capacitive touch devices. Having said that, we’re a bit disappointed by the screen resolution – 1366 x 768 pixels – and admit we would have liked to see a full HD display to go with the elegant 14 inch screen.
As for battery life, the Acer Aspire R14 R3-471T-77HT boasts an impressive 7.5 hours of maximum usage before battery drain occurs. This aspect just adds points to functionality and portability mainly attributed to its size and reduced weight, to what can be considered a cross breed between a multi purpose laptop and an ultra-portable device. Also, being a convertible with 360 dual torque hinges (meaning it can be used in different ways: notebook, tent, presentation and tablet) is a nice feature that completes Acer’s great value for money laptop proposal.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]Acer Aspire R14 R3-471T-77HT[/th_column]
[/table_head]
[table_body]
[table_row]
[row_column]Details[/row_column]
[row_column]Read reviews and check prices on Amazon[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]PROCESSOR[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Name[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel Core i7-5500U[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Dual Core (2 cores, 4 threads)[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Speed[/row_column]
[row_column]2.4 GHz up to 3.0 GHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Cache[/row_column]
[row_column]4 MB Cache[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]SYSTEM MEMORY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Installed Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]8 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]12 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Memory Type[/row_column]
[row_column]DDR3L SDRAM[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Total Memory Slots[/row_column]
[row_column]1[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]STORAGE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]1 TB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Hard Disk Drive[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]SATA, 5400 rpm[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]DISPLAY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Size[/row_column]
[row_column]14″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Active Matrix TFT LCD[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]LED[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Resolution[/row_column]
[row_column]1366 x 768[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Aspect Ratio[/row_column]
[row_column]16:9[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touchscreen[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, Multi-touch[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]GRAPHICS[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Processing Unit[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel HD Graphics 5500[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphic Card Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Integrated[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]Shared[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]AUDIO & VIDEO[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Audio Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]HD Audio[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Speakers[/row_column]
[row_column]2 speakers[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Webcam[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]NETWORK AND COMMUNICATION[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Wireless LAN[/row_column]
[row_column]802.11 b/g/n[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Bluetooth[/row_column]
[row_column]Bluetooth 4.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Ethernet[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INTERFACE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]USB Ports[/row_column]
[row_column]1 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]HDMI[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]VGA[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic[/row_column]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic Combo[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Multi Card Slot[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, SD Card support[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]LAN (RJ45)[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INPUT DEVICES[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touch Pad / Track Pad[/row_column]
[row_column]Precision Touchpad[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Compact Keyboard (86 Keys)[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Backlit Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]BATTERY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Type[/row_column]
[row_column]4 Cell Lithium Polymer[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]3560 mAh[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Up to 7.5 hours[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Other Features[/row_column]
[row_column]Zero Air Gap
Acer Touch Tools[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Operating System[/row_column]
[row_column]Windows 8.1[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]13.5″ x 9.6″ x 0.9″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]4.85 lb[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores: Acer Aspire R14 R3-471T-77HT
[row]
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[progressbar value=”80″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Performance: 80″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”85″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Functionality: 85″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”90″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Price: 90″]
[/column]
[/row]
Pros:
- Good CPU and system memory
- Lightweight and portable
- Sufficient storage space
- Zero Air Gap touchscreen technology
- Very good battery life
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a Solid State Drive
- The 1366 x 768 screen resolution
- No backlit keyboard
All in all, the Acer Aspire R14 R3-471T-77HT is a functional laptop that has good value for money. It can be used in a home environment, at work, at college or while traveling, making it a very appealing choice for users who want a do-it-all kind of device.