The Spin 7 is Acer’s top tier series of convertible laptops. Although I don’t think it has vastly superior performance to the company’s less expensive model, the Spin 5, the looks, build quality and exquisite feel are worth the premium. Today, I’ll be talking about the Acer Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD.
Review
As I said earlier, if we were to look at performance rating and hardware choices only, Acer’s Spin 5 would be the sensible choice, as it offers similar performance at almost half the price. That being said, the Spin 7 is a cutting-edge, superior quality device with bells and whistles all around.
Here we have one of, if not the thinnest 2-in-1 convertible laptop that’s currently available on the market, measuring just 0.4″ from top to bottom. That is a remarkable feat of engineering, especially since performance or battery life haven’t been affected.
The Acer Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD is also remarkably lightweight for a 14-inch touchscreen laptop. It weighs just 2.6 pounds, meaning you’ll be able to take it wherever you may want to go without feeling its weight dragging you down.
This is the actual premium you’re paying for when considering a Spin 7. Thin, lightweight, powerful, a frame that’s one size smaller than what the display would suggest and so on. I believe the Spin 7 can be compared with the Dell XPS, as they’re both devices targeted towards a picky and no-compromise type of audience.
Performance
The Acer Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD is powered by a state-of-the-art Intel Core i7-7Y75 processor. This newly launched dual core CPU has a base clock speed of 1.3 GHz that goes up to 3.6 GHz when in turbo, 4 megabytes of cache and a thermal design power of just 4.5 Watts. It’s an ideal processing unit for ultrathin, ultraportable devices of today, built with energy efficiency in mind first and foremost. It’s comparable with an Intel Core i5 mobile processor when it comes to actual performance. It just uses way less juice than an i5.
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As for system memory, the Spin 7 has 8 gigabytes of LPDDR3 of on-board RAM. Unfortunately, there’s no way of increasing the factory standard memory by another 8 gigabytes, as the memory modules are soldered down. Don’t despair, since 8 gigs are more than enough for most, if not all tasks you’ll throw at this convertible. If, indeed, you’ll find yourself craving more RAM, I think a desktop workstation should be considered.
Storage space is limited at 256 gigabytes. And when I say limited, I mean actually physically limited, as there’s no way of upgrading the onboard Solid-State Drive either. Still, the 256 gigs should prove sufficient for your travel needs, but I’d suggest investing in an external hard drive or some cloud storage if you want to keep extended media collections.
Graphics and Display
It’s pretty obvious that the Acer Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD doesn’t have a dedicated video card. It comes with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 610 model. I can’t see anyone really enjoying gaming on this laptop, as there are other, less expensive and more gaming oriented notebooks out there. However, it will play HD and 4K content just fine and will work wonders for light to moderate photo editing jobs, illustrations, drawings and so on.
As for the display, the Spin 7 boasts an impressive 14-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit IPS FHD touch display. It renders rich images, vivid colors and striking details, thanks to its integrated IPS technology and something called Acer Color Intelligence, which dynamically adjusts the color, brightness and saturation in real time.
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What’s more, the screen features a razor-thin bezel around it, much like Dell’s XPS series Infinity Edge. This narrowing down allows the 14-inch display to fit inside a 13-inch body, which gives the Spin 7 a distinctly slimmer, no-nonsense feel.
Interface and connectivity
The Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD hasn’t got many interface options at first, but thanks to USB-C‘s multipurpose nature, these can easily be extended as needed with the help of adapters; something I feel undermines its sleek aura. Nonetheless, here we are. It has:
- 2 x USB-C ports
- 1 x COMBO audio jack
Connectivity is done through a next-gen 802.11ac 2×2 MU-MIMO wireless card. Users will enjoy faster overall transfer speeds, less latency, increased range and better signal strength while connected to a compatible “ac” protocol wireless router.
Portability and battery life
As I said earlier in this review, one of Acer’s Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD strong points is its reduced weight and height. Such a thin and lightweight device is ideal for traveling businessmen or businesswomen, office users who often step out of it or creative types like architects and designers, thanks to its four modes of operation (laptop, tent, presentation, tablet).
Perhaps the most down to earth feature this laptop has going is the battery life. A full charge of its 4-cell, 2770 mAh Li-Ion battery pack will last for up to 8 hours of moderate use. Enough for a day’s work, it falls short when traveling long distances. This is a somewhat forgivable downside, considering the large touchscreen and thin body.
Final words
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All in all, I believe the Acer Spin 7 SP714-51-M4YD is a fantastic 2-in-1 convertible laptop, if not one of the best to be launched in recent months. It’s a powerful piece of mobile computing with attractive design, expansive features and excellent portability stats.
