On first inspection, Acer’s Aspire 5741G appears to be a streamlined business laptop. The gunmetal grey chassis makes for a smart appearance, and beneath the exterior is a powerful mid-range machine.

The glossy 15.6in LED screen is better suited to indoor use as brightness is average, although it has good contrast and black levels. Colours appear vivid, but the backlight casts a slight blue tint over images. The screen can be viewed from even the most extreme of angles, slightly losing colour accuracy only when tilted forwards. The 1,366x768 resolution is standard for this screen size, and it's fine for 720p video, which the onboard Intel HD graphics chip will handle with ease.

While the Aspire 5741G may handle video well, the speakers are less impressive. As with most laptops there's very little bass, but mid- and high-tones also sounded flat and tinny. Volume was average, so headphones would be a better choice for multimedia.

Gaming on the Aspire 5741G is limited to 2D as our Call of Duty 4 test chugged along at only 11fps. In our multimedia benchmarks however, the 5741G produced some good results. With an overall score of 76, it's more than capable of handling most tasks. The 2.13GHz Core i3 330M is a little slower than the i3 350M, often found in similarly priced laptops, but performance of the two chips is very close.

Unfortunately, battery life was less impressive. With a running time of 3 hours 14 minutes, you're unlikely to leave the house without the 5741’s power supply. The Aspire feels sturdy at 2.6kg, and we didn’t find it uncomfortable when balanced on our knees, but it's too heavy to cart everywhere with you.

The Aspire 5741G proved comfortable to use all day. The keyboard has enough room for a number pad, and key response is very good. Short key travel and full-size keys make typing a breeze. There's some flex in the middle of the keyboard and the function and cursor keys have been reduced to half size but these are minor gripes. The touchpad supports multitouch gestures, although the plastic construction is slightly resistant to fingers sliding over it.

A card reader that supports SD, MMC, Memory Stick Duo and xD can be found in front of the number pad, but there are only three USB ports. Video can be output over VGA or HDMI, while either Gigabit Ethernet or 802.11n WiFi will get you online. Backing up files - if the 500GB hard disk fills up - is simple thanks to the DVD writer.

Despite the business-like design, the 5741G will easily handle multimedia playback, including HD content, while the large hard disk has plenty of space for your media library. Unfortunately for Acer, Packard Bell's EasyNote TM has almost identical specifications, longer battery life and a lower price. The choice between the two is an easy one.

Basic Specifications

Display

Storage

Ports and Expansion

Miscellaneous

Buying Information