Game on for Aspire VX 15

ACER'S premium product series for gaming PCs is the Predator. But recently, the company announced a gaming laptop that carries the Aspire label which is much easier on the wallet.
Dubbed the Aspire VX 15, it certainly looks like a gaming PC. The XV 15’s design lines are angular and aggressive, its shell is all plastic, and its colours are black with red accents.
The top cover is streaked like brushed aluminium, further accentuating its gaming persona, but because it is plastic, our test unit was marked with scratches.
Weighing in at 2.5kg, the XV 15 teeters on the edge of portability, but its bulky dimensions pushed it off the edge.
However, to be fair, most gaming laptops are not portable nor are they meant to be used on your lap.
When I opened the XV 15 for the first time, I was surprised at how small the display looked. Spoiled by laptops with thin bezels, this laptop’s 15.6in 1920x1080 display looks tiny compared to the rest of the system.
Taking advantage of the laptop’s size, Acer built in a full backlit keyboard, complete with a number pad. It also glows red to make sure you know it means business.
Like most gaming keyboards, it is comfortable to work with, although my fingers often travel too far into the keypad territory while looking for the keypad.
Despite its 7th generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, 4GB of RAM (upgradable to 32GB), and a 1TB hard drive, the initial setup was a chore.
It felt like the cumulative speed of the system is sluggish compared to the sum of its speedy parts. There was also much bloatware that needed to be trimmed off.
The XV 15 only really excelled when it ran games. Most graphically-intensive games ran well at high settings.
The built-in twin-cooling fans helped to keep the system cool without making too much noise.
Although the touchpad on the XV 15 is adequate, a mouse is a must for gaming.
Thankfully, the laptop has a USB 3.1 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port, so connectivity is not a problem.
It also supports 2x2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac WiFi that, when paired with a compatible router, results in better connections in environments with heavy WiFi traffic.
Games sound surprisingly good as well. The Acer TrueHarmony and Dolby Audio Premium speakers were loud and clear.
I had to test them out with a movie, and that is when I noticed something. When I leant back as the movie studio logos start to appear, the colours on display changed.
It turns out that the display has a narrow angle-of-view, but this is not a problem when playing games.
However, its attractive RM4,399 price tag might induce you to ignore these small grievances.
More than just a gaming system, the XV 15’s performance could also be used for editing photos and videos on the go.
If you are looking for an affordable performance laptop, and do not mind sacrificing portability for power, be it for gaming or processor intensive work, then have a closer look at the Acer Aspire XV 15.
But if you just want to browse the internet, watch videos, and your work does not go beyond an office suite, this laptop may be overkill.
For more, visit the Acer Malaysia website.