Technical Data and Equipment

Acer equips this model with an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58. This dual-core processor runs at a frequency of 1.9 GHz and sports 512 KB of L2 cache per core. Thanks to the PowerNow energy saving feature, the processor’s cores reduce their speed to as little as 800 MHz when idle, extending battery life.

The CPU is paired with the mobile version of the AMD 690G chipset. The TravelMate also uses the chipsets integrated graphics chip, a Radeon Xpress 1250, which supports DirectX 9 and Shader Model 2.0b. It is also fully compatible with Vista’s Aero Glass interface. Additionally, the graphics chip’s Avivo technology supports the CPU decode DVDs as well as certain video codes such as H.264, reducing the processor load.

However, the GPU does not possess its own dedicated video RAM. Instead, it borrows up to 384 MB from the system’s memory using the HyperMemory technology. Since the TravelMate’s RAM isn’t especially large to begin with at only 1 GB, this has a noticeable impact on performance as soon as several applications are running concurrently. At least Acer equipped the laptop with two 512 MB modules of DDR2-667 RAM (PC5300), enabling dual-channel memory access.

Nonetheless, we recommend 2 GB of RAM for Windows Vista. After all, if the system runs out of memory, it has to access the swap file on the hard drive, requiring more power and in turn reducing battery life. The downside two the unit being equipped with two modules is that you’ll have to replace both of them if you want to upgrade – leaving you with two left-over S0-DIMMs.

Note: Acer sells different versions of this notebooks in different countries. The equivalent model sold in the UK comes with 2GB of RAM and an integrated webcam in the top of the Frame, explaining the higher price.

Calling this graphics core a gaming solution would be quite an exaggeration, which is reflected in the 3DMark 2006 score. 288 3DMarks in the screen’s native resolution of 1280 x 800 is far too low for modern games. Thus, the Acer isn’t equipped for more than a casual game now and then, although it should be able to handle older titles. Then again, anything else would really be expecting too much from a model belonging to this price range. If you’d like a reference point for the performance of the Radeon Xpress 1250, feel free to check out our VGA charts.

The TravelMate contains a 160 GB hard drive spins at 5.400 rpm. A multi-format DVD player that reads and writes all conventional CD and DVD formats (except for DVD-RAM) is installed on the right side of the case.

This model also offers good connectivity. First up are the four USB 2.0 ports, three of which are on the back, with the fourth one being located on the left side of the case. A small Firewire jack, an S-Video connector and the obligatory VGA port keep it company. There are also two expansion bays, namely one ExpressCard/54 and one PC Card (Sype II) slot.

The front of the unit sports the sliding switches to turn off the WLAN adapter and the (optional) Bluetooth module. Additionally, a 5-in-1 card-reader, an IRdA port as well as the audio connectors are also found on the front. Although the placement of the audio ports makes for good accessibility, it is not ideal either. For one thing, it means that the cables will coil up or dangle right in front of the user. For another, the plugs stand off from the front of the unit when attached, which can force you to hold your wrists up at awkward angles when using the laptop in cramped quarters. Also, it would have been nicer to be able to attach speakers to the side of the case rather than the front when using the TravelMate as a desktop replacement.

Lastly, the TravelMate also comes with a WLAN adapter for 11 and 54 Mbit networks as well as a Gigabit Ethernet adapter and a built-in soft modem.

Software

Acer chose to pre-load the TravelMate 5520 with the Home Premium version of Windows Vista. The unit also ships with a Windows Anytime Upgrade DVD, which lets you upgrade to another version of Vista at any time. Additionally, the hard drive contains a 60-day test-drive version of Microsoft Office 2007 as well as a Symantec’s Norton Internet Protection with a 90-day subscription. A software DVD player by Cyberlink and a CD/DVD burning tool by NTI round off the bundle, which only adds limited value to the system due to the time-limited versions it includes.

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