Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G) review – GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and IPS screen

Some time ago we introduced you to a review of one of the most promising budget gaming laptops – Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G). The model we are going to look at today is the same at first glance (even its name is the same) but the difference is that the GPU here is the more powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, while the screen has an IPS matrix – something that made you, the readers, really fascinated and we promised you to review it in great detail. What’s more, it would be intriguing to see how the cooling system will handle the more powerful GPU. Additionally, the specs that are the same for both laptops are 4-core Core i7-7700HQ and 8GB DDR4-2133 RAM.

The overall laptop construction is practically the same as that of the previously reviewed model, so we will skip the sections relating to the laptop’s design and construction and we will move directly to the tests of the Full HD IPS screen, CPU and new GPU. We will also take a look at the model’s performance in games and the temperature change using the more powerful GTX 1050 Ti.

You can find some of the available configurations here: http://amzn.to/2qgGRzA

Contents


Retail package, Design, Disassembly

As mentioned above, we have already reviewed the VX 15 construction in our previous in-depth review, so if you are interested in it, you can learn everything you want to know here:

Display quality

You can read more information about the screen of the TN versions of VX15 HERE.

And so the Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) display, which we discuss in this review, features a Full HD panel with an IPS matrix, BOE NV156FHM-N42 model number. Its diagonal is 15.6-inch (39.62 cm), while the resolution is 1920 х 1080 pixels. The aspect ratio is 16:9, the pixel density is 142 ppi and the pixel pitch is 0.18 x 0.18 mm. Additionally, the screen can be considered as “Retina” when viewed from a distance equal or greater than 60 cm (from this distance the eye stops distinguishing individual pixels and is normal for a laptop).

The screen has comfortable viewing angles. We offer images at a 45° angle to evaluate image quality.

We measured a maximum brightness of 264 cd/m2 in the center of the screen and 239 cd/m2 as an average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 20% – down left.
The color temperature on a white screen (100% RGB) and maximum brightness is 6200К – slightly warmer than the standard one in sRGB (6500К). Also, the contrast ratio is high – 1370:1 before and 1310:1 after calibration.

We’ve also measured the color deviation (dE2000) compared to the center of the screen and it’s 5.0. (Usually, values above 4.0 are unwanted. This is a very important parameter, one of the first things to look at if the color accuracy of the display matters to you).

Color reproduction

To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction of the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy.

Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people in HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook.

Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day.

The dashed yellow line shows the coverage of the Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS).

Its display covers 54% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976. It will be able to display just over half the colors used on the Internet and HDTV.

Below you will see practically the same image but with the color circles representing the reference colors and the white circles being the result. You can see main and additional colors with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% saturation inside the sRGB gamut pre and post calibration.

We’ve created the “Office and Web Design Work” profile at 140 cd/m2, 6500K (D65) white point and gamma curve optimal for sRGB.

 

We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange etc. Below you can check out the results of Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) at factory condition and also with the Office & Web Design profile.

The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light.

The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is with the Gaming & Movie Nights profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display.

On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle and the surrounding light conditions.

Gaming capabilities (Response time)

We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.

We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 31 ms. The matrix is not one of the fastest.


PWM (Screen flickering)

Pulse Width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.

The graph below illustrates the presence or absence of pulsations. It is a composition of several measurements made at basic positions of the brightness slider – minimum, maximum, working (we accept 140 cd/m2) and possibly interesting transitional moments. On the vertical axis, you will find the brightness of the emitted light, while on the horizontal axis – the time.

The Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) display light is modulated for all brightness levels except the maximum but the frequency is high, which significantly reduces the negative effect.

Blue light emissions

Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.

You can see the levels of emitted blue light on the spectral power distribution (SDP) graph.

Conclusion

The display quality of this budget gaming laptop impressed us. What contributed to this were the close to the optimal color temperature at factory settings, relatively accurate color reproduction, slightly above average maximum brightness and high contrast ratio. We would be glad if the sRGB coverage was higher, having in mind the segment it targets.

Despite this, we can say that the Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) screen has only one serious drawback and it is the use of PWM from 0 to 99% brightness but this can be easily fixed by installing our Health-Guard profile. The other profiles will have a positive effect on the color accuracy, gamma curve, and the color temperature, contributing to a better multimedia experience.

Buy our display profiles

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package is meant for Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) configurations with 15.6″ BOE NV156FHM-N42 (FHD, 1920 × 1080) IPS screen, which can be found at Amazon:

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

Read more about the profiles HERE.

[edd_item edd_id_1=’64200′ edd_id_2=’64203′ edd_id_3=’64210′ edd_id_4=’64215′]

Specs sheet

CPUIntel Core i7-7700HQ (4-core, 2.80-3.80 GHz, 6MB cache)
RAM8GB (1x 8096MB) – DDR4, 2133MHz
GPUNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4GB GDDR5)
HDD/SSD1TB HDD (5400 rpm)
Display15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS, matte
Optical Drive
ConnectivityLAN 10/100/1000 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Other features
  • 1x USB 2.0
  • 2x USB 3.0
  • 1x USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1)
  • keyboard backlight
  • HDMI
  • RJ-45
  • SD card reader
  • 3.5 mm audio jack
Battery3-cell, 52Wh
Thickness32 mm
Weight2.5 kg


Software

We used a clean install of Windows 10 (64-bit) for the writing of this review and if you wish to perform a clean install yourself as well, we suggest downloading all of the latest drivers from Acer’s official support page.

Battery

This GTX 1050-equipped notebook supports NVIDIA’s Optimus technology allowing the use of the built-in graphics card for lighter tasks and the battery life appears to be slightly above the average for a gaming laptop at this price range. The 52Wh unit is sufficient to support the Core i7-7700HQ with its integrated Intel HD Graphics 630 for long periods of time during web browsing and video playback.

All tests were performed using the same settings as always – Wi-Fi turned on, screen brightness set to 120 cd/m2 and Windows battery saving option turned on.

 Web browsing

In order to simulate real-life conditions, we used our own script for automatic web browsing through over 70 websites.

Good result considering the hardware – 358 minutes (5 hours and 58 minutes).

 Video playback

For every test like this, we use the same video in HD.

Considerably lower but still good result – 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes).

 Gaming

We recently started using F1 2015’s built-in benchmark on loop in order to simulate real-life gaming with graphics settings set to minimum.

Despite the lower score compared to the other tests, we can assure you that the laptop will endure a moderate 149-minute session (2 hours and 29 minutes).

CPU – Intel Core i7-7700HQ

The Core i7-7700HQ is Kaby Lake’s top-shelf direct successor of the Skylake Core i7-6700HQ offering slightly higher clock speeds on the almost identical architecture and TDP. While Intel markets Kaby Lake’s architecture as “14nm+”, the Core i7-7700HQ is still on the same 14nm node with the only significant update being in the iGPU department. That’s why the slightly altered clock speeds (2.8 – 3.8 GHz vs 2.6 – 3.5 GHz) bring not more than 10% increase in performance compared to the Core i7-6700HQ. We still have the supported Hyper-Threading technology with 4/8 – core/thread design, the same 45W TDP and 6MB cache.

However, the Kaby Lake generation boasts an updated video engine for the iGPU, although, its performance is just about the same. Branded as Intel HD Graphics 630, the GPU offers slightly higher clock speeds (350 – 1100 MHz vs 350 – 1050 MHz) compared to the Intel HD Graphics 530 and support for H265/HEVC Main10 profile at 10-bit color depth and the VP9 codec for full hardware acceleration. In addition, the HDCP 2.2 is also supported allowing Netflix’s 4K video streaming.

You can browse through our top CPUs ranking: http://laptopmedia.com/top-laptop-cpu-ranking/

You will find other useful information and every notebook we’ve tested with this processor here: http://laptopmedia.com/processor/intel-core-i7-7700hq/


GPU – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4GB GDDR4)

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for laptops is almost identical to its desktop version but offers different frequencies. Moreover, the Ti version uses more CUDA cores than the standard GTX 1050 – 768 vs 640 but both GPUs integrate the same GP107 chip, which differs from the other high-end NVIDIA solutions. GP107 is manufactured by Samsung, not by TSMC, and it is built on a 14nm node, not a 16nm one, used by TSMC.

GTX 1050 Ti offers significantly higher frequencies than the standard GTX 1050 version: 1493 – 1620 MHz vs 1364 – 1493 MHz. This results in considerably higher performance compared to the standard model but the other specs are the same. The GPU offers 4GB of GDDR5 memory connected via 128-bit interface and transfer rates as high as 112 GB/s.

You can check our top GPU rankings here: http://laptopmedia.com/top-laptop-graphics-ranking/

You will find other useful information and every notebook we’ve tested with this GPU here: http://laptopmedia.com/video-card/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1050-ti-4gb-gddr5/


Gaming tests

cs-go-benchmarks

CS:GOFull HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Max (Check settings)
Average FPS (GTX 1050)124 fps122 fps101 fps
Average FPS (GTX 1050 Ti)139 fps (+12.1%)132 fps (+8.2%)121 fps (+19.8%)

f1-2015-game

F1 2015Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Max (Check settings)
Average FPS (GTX 1050)85 fps64 fps47 fps
Average FPS (GTX 1050 Ti)87 fps (+2.4%)77 fps (+20.3%)58 fps (+23.4%)

GTA-V-benchmarks

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Max (Check settings)
Average FPS (GTX 1050)96 fps61 fps19 fps
Average FPS (GTX 1050 Ti)106 fps (+10.4%)74 fps (+21.3%)30 fps (+57.9%)

rise-of-the-tomb-raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Max (Check settings)
Average FPS (GTX 1050)70 fps48 fps19 fps
Average FPS (GTX 1050 Ti)76 fps (+8.6%)59 fps (+20.4%)21 fps (+10.5%)

Temperatures

One of the most important features of a laptop is how it handles heat produced by its components. In order to find out how it performs, we loaded consecutively the CPU and the GPU and we observed the internal temperatures with the help of a software, while we recorded the external temperatures with a thermal radar.

The test was conducted in two stages. In the first one, we used the testing program Prime 95 in order to load the CPU at 100%. This continued for half an hour and from the beginning to the end of the test the CPU stayed at 3.4 GHz with core temperature at 69-72°C. During this period of time we didn’t see any decrease in frequency.

After the 30 minutes in which only the CPU was loaded, we added load on the GPU as well, using a benchmark known for its ability to “fry” graphics devices to the maximum. Furmark and Prime95 worked side by side for another half an hour during which we witnessed an interesting phenomenon. The CPU frequency remained at 3.4 GHz for about a minute and after that dropped down to its base operating value of 2.8 GHz. After a couple of minutes the frequency increased to 3.4 GHz once again, and after another one or two minutes, it returned to its base value. This cycle was repeated until the end of the test and the temperatures reached by the CPU for this period of time were up to 86-90 °C at 3.4 GHz and around 70 at 2.8 GHz.

While we were carrying out the tests, we also measured the temperatures of the exterior. What got our attention was the fact that even during normal operation the zone around and above the keyboard heats up and at maximum load, it reaches just over 50°C as you can see from the image below. Fortunately, the palm rest areas remained cool enough not to pose a problem during work.


Verdict

Acer Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS) is an updated version of its brother sharing the same name – VX5-591G. The typical aggressive gaming appearance remains unaltered in the “pumped up” device. Its direct rivals – Lenovo Legion Y520, Dell Inspiron 7567 and ASUS GL553VE, also use Core i7-7700HQ – a CPU with extremely high performance (see our ranking) as well as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU (ranking) – maybe one of the most remarkable Pascal graphics cards based on a performance/energy consumption ratio as well as minimum difference with the desktop model.

In addition to the faster GPU, the improved model also features an IPS display that boasts much better specs than the TN panel in the laptop with GeForce GTX 1050. With better contrast and significantly better viewing angles, the IPS model is more suitable for multimedia and gaming. The only downside of this display is the use of PWM to regulate screen illumination in the entire range from 0 to 99%. We definitely liked the IPS display of Acer Aspire VX 15 and in combination with our Health-Guard profile, even the PWM issue won’t bother you.

Everything connected to the laptop’s interior is identical to the GTX 1050 model. The battery life is insignificantly lower when surfing the Internet and video playback, and what surprised us was the better gaming performance despite the more powerful GPU integrated into the device. From a temperature management point of view, Acer has done an excellent job. We noticed thermal CPU throttling in the stress tests only and the frequency didn’t fall below the base 2.8 GHz. The GPU, in turn, didn’t register a drop in the core frequency at all. Acer has definitely made a step forward with Aspire VX 15 (VX5-591G, IPS), as the model is one of the best featuring NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

You can find some of the available configurations here: http://amzn.to/2qgGRzA

Pros

  • Good build quality and design
  • Long battery life
  • Excellent price/performance ratio thanks to the latest generation Intel CPUs and the NVIDIA Pascal GPU
  • Supports M.2 SATA and NVMe SSD
  • IPS screen with good contrast and viewing angles


Cons

  • The display uses PWM from 0 to 99% screen brightness (the Health-Guard profile fixes that)
  • There’s noticeable heat dispersion across the surface during a stress test

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Bobb David
6 years ago

Hello. I have to choose between 2 configs: IPS GTX 1050 and TN GTX 1050Ti. Which one should i buy ?

Enachescu Claudiu
Enachescu Claudiu
6 years ago
Reply to  Bobb David

are there versions with tn 1050ti? which one did you pick?

Red
6 years ago

Yes i have one with i5 7300hq, 8gb ram and 1050ti with TN panel. It did come with only a 1TB hdd but i did add an Samsung evo 960 m.2 ssd. Runs like a champ but i hate the TN panel and would rather have the ips. But where i live i could not find one with the right price/hardware.

Jan
Jan
6 years ago

High I ran 3DMark Timespy on my VX15 and saw a max cpu temp of 91C. Is this normal?

fadhill
fadhill
6 years ago

This weeks i bought acer vx15, when i playing game why i get 90°C. That is normal? Can i play game with 90°c ?

aaron albert
aaron albert
6 years ago
Reply to  fadhill

hey fadhill, didnt you notice vx15 has a dim display? comparing it to your phone screen.

aaron albert
aaron albert
6 years ago

hi i bought acer vx15 today but i noticed its little dim even the brightness is on 100%

vignesh raj
vignesh raj
6 years ago

Hi
i have bought i have not received the bundles
i have bought it for acer vx15 519g it came for lenovo ideal pad

Simeon Nikolov
Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  vignesh raj

Hey, Vignesh! Thanks for contacting us! I just sent you an e-mail.