Acer has made a reputation for itself as a laptop manufacturer that offers great value machines. The Acer Aspire 5920 (£550 inc. VAT) is incredible value for money, as it delivers the best in terms of specification but isn't the most expensive machine on test. Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, this is a 2GHz chip that we found to be far more powerful than anything on test. Backed by 2048MB of memory, it loaded applications with ease and ran smoothly during all our tests. The 120GB hard drive is the smallest on test but even so, it's more than adequate for most home users needs.

Nice design

The Aspire uses Acer's latest Gemstone design, so you'll find a black glossy lid and an oatmeal coloured interior. Like the Sony VAIO, it has a neat curve to the edges, so is easier to slip in your carry case and also the softened corners are less prone to damage should you drop it. We were impressed with the build quality of the Aspire as the plastic is thick and solid. The hinges holding the Super-TFT panel in place are built into the main body, so there is very little movement of the screen as you type.

Due to the placement of the hinges, when you open the lid the screen covers the back of the machine, so you won't find any ports other than the power input, and the fan extractor, on the back of the machine. Instead, you'll find the ports located on the front and sides of the machine. While you won't find anything exceptional on the casing, the main connections are included. You'll even find a highly usable webcam located above the screen, so the Aspire lacks little.

Weighing 2.8kg, this isn't the lightest of machines but can be carried around on a semi-portable basis. With a battery life, under test, of 204 minutes, this machine has an above average battery life.

Billed as a Home Theater machine, the design also boasts 'Virtual SurroundSound' speakers and while this laptop offers better than average sound quality they aren't exceptional. The 15.4-inch screen has an even tone to it, but we found watching movies on the Sony VAIO was far more appealing. This is due to the Acer's panel lacking brightness and contrast. For everyday tasks it's more than fine but there are better multimedia screens on offer.

The keyboard is a near-full size and there is plenty of space between the keys. While we found the keys in the centre of the board sit higher than those on the outside, which is due to it being a clip-mounted board, we found it a highly usable keyboard. The touchpad is large and has a widescreen aspect to it and proved highly responsive. The mouse buttons have a small scroll key between them and while rather small were more than usable.

URL: www.laptopsdirect.co.uk
TELEPHONE: 0870 160 8369

PROCESSOR Intel 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7300
MEMORY 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM
HARD DRIVE 120GB (5400rpm)
SCREEN SIZE 15.4-inch Super-TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1280 x 800 (WXGA)
GRAPHICS CARD Intel GMA X3100
DIMENSIONS
WEIGHT
WIRELESS LAN 802.11a/g
ETHERNET Gigabit
MODEM Yes
USB PORTS 4
FIREWIRE 1 (mini)
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows Vista Home Premium
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr C&R P&L

VALUE FOR MONEY 8
PERFORMANCE 8
FEATURES 7
BUILD QUALITY 7
OVERALL 8

BATTERY LIFE 204
MOBILEMARK 2007 185
3DMARK 2003 1749