One of this year’s most refreshing laptop series, the Aspire S13 just received two more models to its lineup. Both have touch-enabled screens and the differences are limited to processor type and storage capacity. The Acer Aspire S 13 Touch S5-371T-58CC and the S5-371T-76UX are two laptops that will surely make waves in the months to come.
Review
Today I’ll be reviewing the most affordable of the two models, the Acer Aspire S5-371T-58CC, which is $200 cheaper than its sibling at the time I’m writing this review and quite honestly it’s a fair price point.
Therefore, I think you should chose the more expensive one if you really need that extra space and computing power because the i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD model will likely fulfill all your needs.
Performance
The Acer Aspire S13 S5-371T-58CC comes equipped with a dual core Intel Core i5-6200U processor. It’s a processing unit manufacturers are very familiar with when assembling these mid to high range ultrabooks, mainly because of its versatility. It has a cache size of 3 megabytes, 2 cores, a maximum clock speed of 2.8 GHz (at turbo) and a thermal design power of 15 Watts. It’s not the most power hungry CPU and it’s not the fastest, but benchmark tests rate it at just under 4000 points, which is great for a mobile processor.
Keep in mind that the difference in benchmark score results between the i5-6200U and the i7-6500U that powers the more expensive model, the S5-371T-76UX, is around 10 percent. Getting that processor will likely improve the functioning of some resource intensive programs, but won’t aid with general multitasking or everyday tasks much.
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Concerning system memory, the 8 gigabytes of LPDDR3 RAM the Acer has installed are plentiful, no matter the scenario. I doubt anyone will be rendering massive 3D models or work on heavy video editing on an ultra portable device that’s small enough to fit in a big purse. System memory is not user upgradeable. Multitasking will work great and so will most programs and apps used on a daily basis, such as email, office suites, web browsers and so on.
Storage space is better than most entry level ultrabooks or mid range notebooks that come with solid state drives. The 256 gigabytes of space will be enough to hold roughly 40000 photos at 16 MP resolution. Although it may seem like a lot, some folks may struggle and might want to look for an external hard drive or for the more expensive model, the S5-371T-76UX which has double that amount: 512 gigabytes.
The blazing fast SSD that comes with the Acer Aspire S13 laptops will ensure Windows and programs open up almost instantly, and furthermore any system lags or general slowness caused by time will be virtually non-existent.
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Display and graphics
The Acer Aspire S13 Touch S5-371T-58CC has a 13.3 inch LED-backlit screen with an IPS LCD display and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This full HD display is one of the best out there at the moment, surpassing rivals like the Dell XPS at both color vividness and picture clarity. Also, the 10-point touch screen is snappy and benefits from reinforced hinges to lock the screen and prevent those nasty bounces when trying to touch it.
The graphics department is standard for an affordable ultrabook: it has an integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 controller, enough to play full HD and 4K content and maybe some MMOs, but that’s where the fun ends. For anything more demanding you’ll need a laptop/desktop with a dedicated video card.
Interface
Again, interface options are standard. The ports are positioned on both sides of the laptop near the hinge, where the width allows it.
- 2 x USB 3.0 ports
- 1 x USB-C port
- 1 x HDMI-out
- 1 x Audio combo jack
- 1 x SD card reader
Connectivity
The Acer S5-371T-58CC has the latest 802.11ac wireless card with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology and built-in Bluetooth 4.0. No Ethernet option is available, for obvious reasons.
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Design
You can’t argue with the fact that the Acer Aspire S13 Touch is a beautiful device. The white model has a clean and tidy look with the contrasting hinge painted in a gold/champagne color which doesn’t distract the eye and adds a layer of exclusive finesse to the whole chassis. The lid features a striped nano imprinted pattern with the word “acer” painted in the same color as the hinge.
Its thinness (0.57″) is a testament to Acer’s intention of creating a practical and sleek ultrabook which doesn’t compromises on critical features.
It’s worth mentioning that the power button is situated just on top of the backspace button, in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Although users haven’t reported this to be an issue so far, you may want to take that into account if you’re a writer and probably set up auto save to shorter intervals.
Extra features
- Two-stage backlit keyboard – Great for when you want to work in dark rooms or at night without turning on the lights.
- Acer TrueHarmony – Audio software designed to output the most clear sounds to the integrated speakers.
- Skype certified HD webcam with HDR technology.
Battery life and portability
The Acer Aspire S13 S5-371T-58CC comes with a 3-cell Lithium Polymer battery pack with a capacity of 4850 mAh. This battery will hold a charge for up to 13 hours – comparable to the legendary battery that powers Dell’s XPS models. Not only will it get you through an entire day’s worth of work, you’ll also have enough juice to watch a movie or two when you’re done.
Also, the Acer is a rather lightweight device for what it can do – just 3 pounds without the charger.
Final words
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Because of it’s portability, size and battery life, this ultrabook is ideally suited for travelling businessmen, writers, home office users on the run and college students who have to travel more than an hour to get to classes.
I think the Acer Aspire S13 Touch S5-371T-58CC is honestly one of the best laptops/ultrabooks that have come out this summer and will likely be a staple for the following months.
