8:48 AM
Sanjeev Saju
An optical drive.A 15.6'' screen.A discrete graphics processor instead of an integrated graphics.This is an Ultrabook?
Actually this is a landmark:the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3-581TG meets Intel's 21mm (0.8 inch) thickness linit foe 14 inch and larger ultrabooks,but packs features found in few thin and light laptops -most notably ,an Nvidia GeForce GT 640m graphics chip that makes the debut of new Nvidia's Kepler GPU architecture.
Nvidia volunteered the info that the GT 640 m has 384 processing or CUDA cores running at 625 MHz,and Acer says details on ship date and pricing for the M3-581TG are still a few weeks away.
First,the graphics.Nvidia says the Direct X 11-compatible GeForce GT 640m is not intended to topple gaming desktops or pump put sky-high frame rates on a big external monitor,but to deliver playable (30 or more frames per second) results with demanding game titles on an ultrabook's own LCD -in the Timeline Ultra's case ,at the same ho-hum 1,366 by 768 resolution seen on smaller models.
The ultrabook garnered 30 frames per second on the Alien vs Predator benchmark and 36 frames per second on Unigine Heaven 3.0,along with a score of P1800 on 3D Mark 11's Performance or moderate (1,280 by 720) setting.In our 1,024 by 768 resolution tests,where Ultrabooks Intel HD graphics 3000 integrated graphics usually struggle to reach 20 fps ,the M3 581TG posted 62 fps in Lost Planet 2 and 75 fps in Crysis.
Boosted by a Intel core i7-2637m processor and 256 GB solid-state drive (there will be also a hybrid version available soon),the M3-581TG aced our PC Mark 7 overall performance test with a performance test with a score of 3,468 .And it's battery life blew us away:Helped by Nvidia's Optimus Technology,which switches from discrete back to integrated graphics when no visually demanding apps are active,the Ultrabook's 55Wh battery lasted 10 hours 2 minutes!
We also liked Acer's screen and keyboard,aside from wishing for higher resolution for the former.The display is adequately bright and sharp,and the keyboard (with numeric keypad and dedicated Home,End,PgUp and PgDn keys) has a comfortable typing feel-more comfortable to our fingers than large,buttonless touchpad.Two more serious gripes are the placement of the USB ports-at the rear much less convenient than the sides for popping in a flash drive-and the power button on the ultrabooks front edge,where it is easily bumped by mistake.Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) is not supported either.
There's a broader question how the market will receive the plus-sized successors to the initial crop of 13.3 inch ultrabooks;we have just seen one of the first 14 inch models in the HP Envy 14 Spectre ,and now the 15.6 inch DVD+RW equipped Timeline Ultra comes to blur the distinction between ultrabook's and slim laptops like the Dell XPS 15z and Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch.It's tempting ,but with it's 256 GB SSD,it wont be cheap.
There's also a question on how gameworthy Intel's late-spring or early-summer ''Ivy Bridge'' successor to today's ''Sandy Bridge'' processors and integrated graphics will be -while CPU speed will be expected to be just a modest bump upward,the graphics improvement is rumored to be substantial,though it's doubtful it'll match the GeForce GT 640M.
Nevertheless a system that shaves half a pound to a pound to a lightest conventional laptops while letting owners play the latest games ,even at the expense of turning off eye candy like anti-aliasing,instead of just puttering around with Planet vs Zombies and World of Warcraft?Yes please.Watch this space for our full review of the M3-581TG and coverage of other ultra-ultrabooks.
Source:PC Mag-www.pcmag.com
Actually this is a landmark:the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3-581TG meets Intel's 21mm (0.8 inch) thickness linit foe 14 inch and larger ultrabooks,but packs features found in few thin and light laptops -most notably ,an Nvidia GeForce GT 640m graphics chip that makes the debut of new Nvidia's Kepler GPU architecture.
Nvidia volunteered the info that the GT 640 m has 384 processing or CUDA cores running at 625 MHz,and Acer says details on ship date and pricing for the M3-581TG are still a few weeks away.
First,the graphics.Nvidia says the Direct X 11-compatible GeForce GT 640m is not intended to topple gaming desktops or pump put sky-high frame rates on a big external monitor,but to deliver playable (30 or more frames per second) results with demanding game titles on an ultrabook's own LCD -in the Timeline Ultra's case ,at the same ho-hum 1,366 by 768 resolution seen on smaller models.
The ultrabook garnered 30 frames per second on the Alien vs Predator benchmark and 36 frames per second on Unigine Heaven 3.0,along with a score of P1800 on 3D Mark 11's Performance or moderate (1,280 by 720) setting.In our 1,024 by 768 resolution tests,where Ultrabooks Intel HD graphics 3000 integrated graphics usually struggle to reach 20 fps ,the M3 581TG posted 62 fps in Lost Planet 2 and 75 fps in Crysis.
Boosted by a Intel core i7-2637m processor and 256 GB solid-state drive (there will be also a hybrid version available soon),the M3-581TG aced our PC Mark 7 overall performance test with a performance test with a score of 3,468 .And it's battery life blew us away:Helped by Nvidia's Optimus Technology,which switches from discrete back to integrated graphics when no visually demanding apps are active,the Ultrabook's 55Wh battery lasted 10 hours 2 minutes!We also liked Acer's screen and keyboard,aside from wishing for higher resolution for the former.The display is adequately bright and sharp,and the keyboard (with numeric keypad and dedicated Home,End,PgUp and PgDn keys) has a comfortable typing feel-more comfortable to our fingers than large,buttonless touchpad.Two more serious gripes are the placement of the USB ports-at the rear much less convenient than the sides for popping in a flash drive-and the power button on the ultrabooks front edge,where it is easily bumped by mistake.Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) is not supported either.
There's a broader question how the market will receive the plus-sized successors to the initial crop of 13.3 inch ultrabooks;we have just seen one of the first 14 inch models in the HP Envy 14 Spectre ,and now the 15.6 inch DVD+RW equipped Timeline Ultra comes to blur the distinction between ultrabook's and slim laptops like the Dell XPS 15z and Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch.It's tempting ,but with it's 256 GB SSD,it wont be cheap.There's also a question on how gameworthy Intel's late-spring or early-summer ''Ivy Bridge'' successor to today's ''Sandy Bridge'' processors and integrated graphics will be -while CPU speed will be expected to be just a modest bump upward,the graphics improvement is rumored to be substantial,though it's doubtful it'll match the GeForce GT 640M.
Nevertheless a system that shaves half a pound to a pound to a lightest conventional laptops while letting owners play the latest games ,even at the expense of turning off eye candy like anti-aliasing,instead of just puttering around with Planet vs Zombies and World of Warcraft?Yes please.Watch this space for our full review of the M3-581TG and coverage of other ultra-ultrabooks. Source:PC Mag-www.pcmag.com
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