Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5 Review

Acer recently released a new line of ultrabooks -- ultra-slim, ultra-efficient laptops that balance power and portability. These machines are just now arriving on the market, so we haven't seen too many Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5 reviews yet. The configurations that experts have tested come with a faster CPU than the base model and a separate graphics card just for video processing, as opposed to the integrated graphics processor in the lowest-priced version. An expert from Digital Trends was impressed with the machine he looked at -- so much so that it earns an Editor's Choice award. According to his Acer Timeline Ultra M5 review, the laptop has a very solid build and, unlike most budget notebooks, offers good gaming performance, thanks to the discrete graphics. The reviewer also praises the roomy keyboard and touchpad. Another Acer Timeline Ultra M5 review, this one from Laptop Mag, praises the fast processing and graphics performance of the version the site tested (which, again, is pricier than the base model). The expert writing the review calls this a lightweight machine with solid battery life. She says the screen delivers dazzling color, although the display is relatively dim. Another minor complaint: The system tends to run hot when playing games.

The lowest-priced version of the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5 (model M5-481T-6670) comes with an Intel Core i3-2377M CPU, 6GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and a memory card reader. It has a 14-inch screen with a resolution of 1366x768 and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connections. It boasts two USB 3.0 ports.

So far, the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M5 series looks very interesting, although you'll pay a premium over any of our budget picks. This super-slim ultrabook seems to be a powerful system, although it's hard to tell from the current crop of reviews exactly how the base version measures up.