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We aren’t quite sure how Acer managed to squeeze a quad-core AMD A8 processor into a £500 laptop, but that’s exactly what it’s done with the Aspire 5560G. It’s a mid-range machine with dedicated graphics that should be capable of playing modern 3D games.
When run in Crossfire with the A8-3500M processor, the Radeon HD 6650M flew through our Dirt 3 benchmark with an average frame rate of 42.1. We could even increase the resolution and still maintain a playable frame rate, so even the latest titles should be playable at high detail settings.
Even if you aren’t looking for a games machine, the 5560G has plenty of other features. It’s easily capable of performing demanding desktop tasks thanks to its 1.5GHz processor and 8GB of RAM. It scored 35 in our video-encoding benchmark, and although it’s slower than an Intel Core i5 chip it’s still more than fast enough to handle everyday applications. There’s also ample storage on which to store your files, thanks to its 750GB hard disk.
Its battery life is fairly reasonable too, considering that it has a dedicated graphics card and quad-core processor inside. The 5560G lasted just over five hours in our light-use test, but this won’t be enough to get you through a full working day, so you’ll need to keep the charger nearby for when you run out of juice.
Once you get beyond its powerful components, the Aspire 5560G is a relatively generic mid-range laptop. Its grey plastic chassis is reasonably sturdy, but there’s slightly more flex in the screen bezel than we like to see. It’s perfectly usable, nonetheless. The keyboard, in particular, is spacious and sensibly laid-out, having a separate numerical keypad and full-size Chiclet style keys that have plenty of bounce.
Sadly, we weren’t overly impressed with its touchpad, mainly because it uses a rocker bar for the mouse buttons. There’s also a significant dead zone at its centre, which means you have to click the edges of the touchpad for your presses to register. Thankfully, it’s still large enough to navigate the desktop comfortably, having a smooth finish that lets your fingers glide across its surface. It also supports multi-touch gestures.
Image quality from its 15.6in screen is only average, though, and its viewing angles are limited. There’s more than enough tilt, but move too far from a face-on position and colours quickly begin to wash out. Its 1,366×768 resolution is fairly standard for a 15in laptop, but images and text still look sharp from a sitting position. Colours lack a little vibrancy, however, and its glossy screen finish makes it difficult to work under bright lights.
Its I/O connectivity is also fairly basic, providing three USB2 ports, audio input and output jacks, an Ethernet port and a multiformat card reader. It also has a DVD re-writer in case you want to watch films or listen to music.
Acer has done well to fit one of AMD’s top-end mobile processors into a £500 laptop, but we don’t think the Aspire 5560G is quite the bargain it initially appears to be. The technically slower A6 processor that HP has used in its DV6-6c05ea performs better in our benchmarks, and it’s almost £100 less than the 5560G. If you’re looking for the best value, consider the HP Pavilion DV6 instead.
