Acer Aspire Timeline U M5
Gamers may like the first Ultrabook
with Nvidia graphics
Like its sibling, the Timeline U M3, the
Timeline U M5 ($1,055 inc. VAT) differs from other Ultrabooks by virtue of its larger
15.6-inch screen and the inclusion of an optical drive. The other, more
prominent, difference is the way in which this machine handles gaming.
Acer
Aspire Timeline U M5
The inclusion of a Nvidia GeForce GT 640M
graphics card gives this laptop dedicated video memory and significantly boosts
its gaming potential. Our benchmarking tests returned excellent graphical
scores and when we loaded up our favourite games, the M5 handled them with
aplomb.
The larger screen on the M5 helps games and
films feel more immersive than on its 13.3-inch counterparts. And even though
the pixel resolution peaks at 1,366 x 768 - not enough for 1080p to be fully
realised - there’s a real crispness and brightness in the display that almost
makes up for it.
The M5 benefits from having Dolby Home
Theatre professionally tuned speakers integrated into the chassis. The volume
reaches impressive levels and there’s less of the tinny quality we often
experience on other laptops.
Everyday usage
In terms of general performance, the M5 is
very accomplished. It boasts a third-generation Intel Core i5 and 6GB of RAM
that keeps the Windows 7 operating system running as smooth as you like. This far
outpaces the second-generation machines and although there’s a noticeable
increase in price, it’s worth it if you’re looking for a machine to last three
or four years.
The slightly larger dimensions of the M5
limit it in terms of portability (although it still clocked an impressive
battery life of 285 minutes) but the extra space benefits usability.
While
the M3 is an all-black number, the M5 boasts a silver, brushed-metal chassis
that looks particularly elegant
The backlit, isolation-style keyboard gives
you plenty of space between the keys. There’s very shallow travel, as you would
expect - but after a while it soon becomes familiar. The touchpad is also gigantic,
with integrated left and right-click buttons. It features multi-touch
gesturing, so you can pinch to zoom in and out or use two fingers to scroll
through a document or web page.
The relevant connections are all present
and accounted for. This Ultrabook benefits hugely from a built-in optical DVD
RW drive and also has two USB 3.0 ports. There is a regular USB port also,
alongside an HDMI connection and Ethernet socket. The ports are all lined up
along the back of the laptop, rather than down the side as you would usually
expect.
Although the Timeline U M3 is an all-black
creation, the M5 boasts a silver, brushed-metal chassis that looks particularly
elegant. Combined with the fact that the chassis keeps cool and quiet during
use, the overall impression is that of a premium machine.
Whether or not the M5 is the right purchase
or not comes down to how much you value dedicated graphics in an Ultrabook. If
you want a portable workstation, then there are other machines better suited to
your needs. If, however, you want a lightweight machine with graphical muscle
capable of playing games and editing video together, with a DVD RW drive for
burning your creations on to disc, this is the one to go for.
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Info
Price: $485
Website: www.apple.com/uk
What’s it best for
Web, mail & photos
HD, movies & TV
Light & portable
Game & editing
Key features
Supplier: www.staples.co.uk
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor: Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz
Memory: 6GB
Storage: 500GB
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen resolution: 1,366 x 768
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT640M
Weight: 2.2kg
Verdict
Value: 3/5
Features: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Total: 4/5
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