Acer Aspire 8920-6671

In the United States, Acer doesn’t have quite the same name recognition of Dell or HP.  But be sure not to mistake Acer for a small outfit—they are the third largest manufacturer of computers in the world and they are starting to make real progress in the North American market.  Acer’s Aspire series offers a nice variety of multimedia oriented notebooks and high-powered desktop replacement laptops.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 was one of the first laptops to ship with a giant 18 inch display.  Game capable, ready for resource intensive multitasking, and equipped with useful ports and accessories, the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is a well-rounded renaissance machine.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s powerful video processing power, innovative media buttons, and true cinematic dimensions make the laptop a cinephile’s dream. 

Standout Features

•   18 inch, 16:9 ratio display
•   2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9500
•   GeForce 9650M GS video card

Features

Visually, the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is more modest than some of its more flashy competitors.  It isn’t etched with overstated graphics or seizure-inducing patterns.  The lid’s straightforward “Acer” logo and lightly speckled design give the Aspire 8920-6671 a pleasingly professional look.  Open the lid and you’ll immediately notice Acer’s unique approach to built-in media buttons.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s media buttons rest on the upper left of the chassis and are organized in a circular pattern similar to an mp3 player’s console.  Anyone who’s ever spent time shuffling between TV, DVD player and digital cable remote controls will appreciate the simplicity of the Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s CineDash console.  That’s what the technological revolution is all about: being able to watch movies with one remote control!

It’s funny that on most so-called “widescreen” laptops, movies still run with black bars above and below them.  That’s not the case with the Acer Aspire 8920-6671.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is built at a true cinematic 16:9 ratio.  No more black bars!  Add the power of the Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s video oriented innards and you can fully enjoy your Blu-ray favorites at home or on the go.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s 320GB hard drive provides adequate storage space, but is somewhat below average for similarly priced machines.  Acer Aspire 8920-6671’s HDMI output gives it the ability to do double duty as a Blu-ray player when one isn’t available. 

Anxious to pillage the virgin lands of Northrend in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King?  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 will handle your MMORPGs and last season’s games reasonably.  Just don’t expect Company of Heroes or Crysis: Warhead to be very playable—your frame rates will drop as low as 15 fps during action sequences.  The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is outfitted with a GeForce 9650M GS video card.  It’s a strong 512MB video card that will run Call of Duty 4 comfortably on medium settings.  For a better gaming machine at a similar price, Gateway’s 173XL FX Edition will give you better gaming performance.

Multimedia and application use will pose no problems whatsoever on the Acer Aspire 8920-6671.  4GB of RAM and a high end 2.6GHz Intel 2 Duo T9500 processor will handle video editing and demanding applications without difficulty.

Value

The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is a versatile desktop replacement option with an impressive roster of components.  Blu-ray video and office performance are stellar on the Acer Aspire 8920-6671, but gaming performance is somewhat lackluster.  Retailing for about $2,300, the price strikes us as a bit high vis-à-vis the bargain Gateway P-series or similarly configured Dell XPS laptops. 

Summary of Reviews from Across the Internet

Movie buffs that got their hands on the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 are a happy bunch.  HD video looks great.  Casual gamers are similarly pleased—not the best gaming benchmarks out there, but reasonable performance nonetheless.  For a gigantic 18-incher, the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 impresses owners with its comparative portability and thin body. 

Some reviewers comment on the audible spinning of the Blu-ray drive and underwhelming onboard speakers.

Summary

The Acer Aspire 8920-6671 is essentially a game-ready, mini movie theater.  The huge, 16:9 ratio display is a welcome feature for a machine equipped with a Blu-ray drive.  The onboard media buttons are innovative and easy to use.   Great hardware put the Acer Aspire 8920-6671 in the upper echelon of multimedia desktop replacements; the high price tag and merely good gaming performance are two flaws in an otherwise excellent laptop.

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