For many years, Acer’s TravelMate laptops have been well received by demanding users. Built for portability and efficiency, the TravelMate series has suffered because of its traditionally bulky and unattractive design. However, with the newly released models, Acer is proposing a more appealing approach to its iconic laptop.
Review
The Acer TravelMate P645 is a premium, high end, ultra portable notebook. The latest iteration we’re reviewing today, the TMP645-SG-79QV, is an exceptional piece of mobile computing, capable of satisfying even the most exigent of users.
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The TravelMate P645 comes with a powerful dual core Intel Core i7-5500U processing unit, capable of handling very heavy loads without succumbing to annoying lags of freezes. The 4 megabytes of cache will make it snappy enough for most usage scenarios, while a thermal design power of just 15 Watts, configurable down to half of that will ensure a long lasting battery life in most circumstances. The Intel CPU managed to score just under 4000 points in benchmark tests, making it one of the top laptop processing units out there.
The installed system memory of 8 gigabytes is adequate for most situations, but should you need more you can upgrade it by 75%, up 12 gigabytes. This means the Acer TravelMate P645 will handle programs like Photoshop without delays and will even support playing some recently launched games at higher performance settings.
Since we’ve mentioned photo editing software and games, the TravelMate scores extra points by have a dedicated video card! This is something we don’t see that often in this market segment due to the manufacturer’s obsession with thinness. Such a compromise wasn’t made by Acer and we congratulate them. It’s equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce 840M GPU, a good all-rounder. To put it into perspective, it won’t be able to play recently released top games, but will manage to run Fifa15 at ultra high setting for example, which is impressive. It will also improve overall performance by reducing the strain put on the processor when streaming/playing video files or when editing photos and videos.
Storage capacity is also more than enough for the Acer TravelMate TMP645-SG-79QV to perform well. The 256 gigabytes of on-board storage won’t be enough to hoard entire media collections, but it’s enough to never run out of space when used mainly as an internet-ready machine. Furthermore, the lightning fast Solid State Drive will further enhance the system’s perceived snappiness and effective write and read speeds.
Connectivity is top notch, with a new generation 802.11ac wireless card and an Ethernet card being available. Ethernet connectivity is also something we don’t see as often in high end ultrabooks. The interface is exceptionally versatile, with three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and VGA ports, perfect for backward compatibility in business environments. The Acer TravelMate P645 is also compatible with the Acer ProDock, which further expands available connection options.
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Battery life is great, handling about 10 hours of moderate use. This guarantees a consistent user experience to people who need to travel extensively. Also, the 14″ TravelMate is really light for the hardware it’s equipped with, weighing just 3.3 pounds.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]Acer TravelMate P645 (TMP645-SG-79QV)[/th_column]
[/table_head]
[table_body]
[table_row]
[row_column]Details[/row_column]
[row_column][/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[/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[/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]2 slot[/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]256 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Solid State Drive[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]SATA III (6 Gbit/s)[/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]IPS LED Backlit[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Resolution[/row_column]
[row_column]1920 x 1080[/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]No[/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]NVDIA GeForce 840M[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphic Card Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Dedicated[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]2 GB DDR3 VRAM[/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]High Definition Audio[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Speakers[/row_column]
[row_column]Stereo speakers[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Webcam[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, 720p[/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]802.11ac[/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]10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN[/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]3 x USB 3.0[/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]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic[/row_column]
[row_column]Audio Combo Jack[/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]Pointing Device[/row_column]
[row_column]Touch Pad[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Notebook standard keyboard[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Backlit Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/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]3-Cell Lithium-Polymer[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]4850 mAh[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Up to 10 hours[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Other Features[/row_column]
[row_column]Dust Defender
Acer Pro Dock compatible[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Operating System[/row_column]
[row_column]Windows 8.1 Pro[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]12.9″ x 9.3″ x 0.8″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]3.31 lbs[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores, Pros and Cons
[row]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”95″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Performance: 9.5/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”95″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Functionality: 9.5/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”95″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Price: 9.5/10″]
[/column]
[/row]
[list]
[li]Pros[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Great specs all around[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Dedicated video card[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]High speed solid state drive[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Understated design[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Impressive battery life[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Many interface options[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Bright, full HD display[/li]
[li]Cons[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]None[/li]
[/list]
Final Thoughts
In the end, the Acer TravelMate P645 (TMP645-SG-79QV) is a great option to consider for user who do a lot of travelling or just need premium performance coupled with functionality and great portability. The Acer delivers really well on all three fronts, offering a host of features and rock solid specs in a device that’s both unpretentious and surprising.
