Many come to the forum with issues and to receive help. Yet I want to give positive feedback on the notebook I chose.
Model: Aspire V3-771g-9809
FIrst off. This is a large laptop Due the the 17.3" screen. It is best described as a desktop replacement, or mobile desktop. The newer models have been refined with changes to the core, and insides (pre-installed windows 8 units).
First I need to state that current reviews and benchmarks out there are no where near reliable. The sad truth is tomshardware and many sites did not understand the unit they received, the fact it has dual GPU's, and when they benchmarked games, clearly they did so using the default HD4000 power saving GPU and not the GT650m. I assure you, run 3dmark in all 3 formats, and the GPU will amaze you.
GAMING:
The unit uses 2 GPU's. The HD4000 and the GT650m. By default (with standard release drivers) the unit will use the HD4000. IF you have the latest Nvidia drivers for it, some games are in the games list profile, and those will shift to using the GT650m. You can add Programs to the list, or force the laptop to use the GT650m for high end gaming.
I installed Battlefield 3 LE on the laptop. It ran flawless on high settings at the proper resolution. Substained locked frame rates of 60fps, with some lows in heavy areas, but nothing below smooth frame rates. THe only down side is load times can be long due to the standard lap top RPM on the hardrive. However if running off a secondary Solid State drive, load times are fast (this game is notorious for slow loads).
I am an Alpha tester for Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. This is the alpha of the redone game, which by the way, is so much better now. The laptop plays it great on high settings with all effects up. THe down side is the alpha does not support the odd resolution of the screen, so it sets it to 720p. However via HDMI it plays fine on a HDTV at 1080p. Load times between zones are within seconds.
Kindoms of Amular: Reckoning- Crank it up. The game plays flawless at steady frame rates. Load times are not that long. It supports the monitors resolution, and looks amazing. (use an Xbox controller for this game for ease of use).
DISPLAY:
This is the units only short coming with a resolution of 1600 X 900 on the unit, but higher support via HDMI and VGA. However there is away around that if you know where to look, but it makes window 8 a little less viewable. The display is bright. You have full control over brightness, contrast, color saturation, gamma and other features via the Intel panel, which will control the GT650m (equiv to a GTX 640) same settings. The default brightness is too high. Tap it down to -3.
SOUND:
Output is good, however the small speakers, like many lap tops, won't you any bass. It is sufficient for video chats and low level listening. The surround panel is good for headset virtulization, or use a USB surround headset. I wouldn't mind better speakers built in.
KEYBOARD:
The fact it has a num pad, is great. Plenty of function key controls.It's not Back lit, but that is ok.However there is no lights for caps lock and num lock which it should have. With windows 8 it let's you know when caps lock is on.
ACER FEATURES:
Acer is know to put added things on their devices. However they actually have purpose. We may not all use clear.fi so that you can disable.
The Acer Device Fast Lane, is handy. It's on your bar for quick access to Airplane mode, bluetooth, touch pad, and tells you there if your caps lock is on or off (so there for a app for caps and num lock on off display is simple).
Power Button Icon: This sits on the bar in desktop mode as well. For fast Lock, Sleep, Hibernate, Restart, and Shutdown.
All the standard Acer apps, backup soft, is all included as well.
I enjoy this laptop. It's fast. Plays games well. Has a nice large screen. Plenty of features. Extra bay slot for adding a second drive, or Solid State Drive. The USB 3.0 ports are blue on the left side, USB 2.0 black on the right side. THat way you know which are which.
If you are not certain, the cost of the laptop with the processor and GPU power makes it well worth it. Even more so for college students who need to work on classes, but want to game as well.
