Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J Review: A Powerhouse for Productivity and Gaming

In the ever-evolving landscape of laptops, the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J stands as a formidable contender, combining robust performance, sleek design, and affordability. Designed to cater to both productivity enthusiasts and casual gamers, this laptop has garnered attention for its impressive hardware and versatility. In this in-depth review, we’ll dissect the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J, exploring its design, performance, display quality, gaming capabilities, battery life, and overall value proposition.

Design and Build Quality

Acer’s Aspire series has always been known for offering premium designs at affordable prices, and the A717-72G-700J follows suit. The laptop boasts a clean, minimalist design with a brushed aluminum finish on the lid, giving it a sophisticated and professional look. The silver Acer logo is tastefully embossed on the lid, adding a touch of elegance.

Upon opening the laptop, you’re greeted by a spacious keyboard deck with a full-sized keyboard and a large trackpad. The island-style keyboard offers comfortable typing, and the backlit keys make it usable even in low-light conditions. The build quality is commendable, with a solid chassis that feels durable and sturdy.

Display Quality

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J features a 17.3-inch Full HD IPS display. The large screen real estate is a boon for productivity tasks, as it provides ample space for multitasking and content creation. The IPS panel ensures wide viewing angles and accurate color reproduction, making it suitable for creative work and media consumption.

The display also impresses with its sharpness and vibrancy, making images and videos pop with vivid colors and clarity. While the Full HD resolution may not compete with 4K displays, it strikes a balance between quality and performance, ensuring a smooth visual experience without overly taxing the GPU.

Performance

At the heart of the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J beats the powerful Intel Core i7-8750H processor, a hexa-core CPU known for its exceptional performance in both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks. Coupled with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, this laptop is well-equipped to handle demanding applications, from video editing to 3D rendering.

The laptop’s real star, however, is its dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. While not at the cutting edge of gaming GPUs, the GTX 1050 Ti still delivers impressive gaming performance. It can run modern games at medium to high settings, making it a suitable choice for casual gamers and those interested in esports titles.

Storage-wise, the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J offers a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). While the SSD ensures snappy system responsiveness and faster load times, the 256GB capacity might feel limiting for users with extensive multimedia libraries. However, the laptop provides an additional 2.5-inch drive bay for HDD or SSD expansion, offering flexibility for storage upgrades.

Gaming Capabilities

While the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J isn’t a dedicated gaming laptop, it’s no slouch in the gaming department. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU is capable of handling a wide range of games with relative ease. Titles like “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” “Fortnite,” and “Overwatch” run smoothly at medium to high settings, delivering an enjoyable gaming experience.

For those who dabble in game development or 3D modeling, the GTX 1050 Ti provides ample GPU horsepower. It can handle tasks in software like Blender and Unity, making this laptop a versatile choice for creative professionals as well.

Battery Life

Achilles’ heel for many larger laptops is battery life, and the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J is no exception. With its high-performance hardware, including a powerful CPU and discrete GPU, it’s not designed for long unplugged usage. Under typical usage conditions, expect around 4 to 5 hours of battery life, which is sufficient for short meetings or moderate web browsing but falls short for extended work sessions on the go.

Connectivity and Port Selection

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J offers a robust selection of ports, catering to various connectivity needs. It includes:

  • 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
  • 1 x USB 2.0 port
  • 1 x HDMI port
  • 1 x Ethernet (RJ-45) port
  • 1 x SD card reader
  • 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack

The inclusion of a USB-C port is a welcome addition, providing compatibility with modern peripherals and accessories. The presence of an SD card reader is particularly useful for photographers and videographers.

Audio Quality

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J features stereo speakers with Acer TrueHarmony audio technology. While the audio quality is adequate for video calls and casual media consumption, it lacks the depth and richness found in laptops equipped with premium audio systems or external speakers. For a better audio experience, it’s advisable to use headphones or external speakers when enjoying multimedia content.

Operating System and Software

The laptop comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Home, providing a familiar and user-friendly operating system for a wide range of users. Acer’s software additions are relatively unobtrusive, with utilities for system maintenance and customization.

Conclusion

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J offers a compelling package for users seeking a versatile laptop that can handle both productivity tasks and casual gaming. Its robust performance, large and vibrant display, and thoughtful design make it an attractive option for students, professionals, and gamers on a budget.

While its battery life may not be its strong suit, and the audio quality leaves room for improvement, these are minor trade-offs considering the laptop’s overall value proposition. For those looking for a well-rounded laptop that won’t break the bank, the Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-700J is a solid choice that delivers where it matters most—performance and versatility.

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