Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 review

The Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 is an excellent desktop replacement that pulls no punches in the power department. And considering how much computing power you get for your money, it's a great machine for a gamer or anyone who needs a lot power in their laptop.

Compared to other laptops by folks like Alienware for example, the Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 may not be the most powerful laptop in the world, but the price is reasonable and the design features, even the quirky touchpad, make this machine worth checking out.

We liked

The benefit of its 750GB of storage, super-fast CPU and 1GB of video memory mean that using this laptop poses few computing compromises. In plain english, this baby can do pretty much whatever you want.

Add to that, the extremely large 18-inch 1080p HD display and full-size keyboard, this is a very nice machine to use.

We disliked

Ironically, the very thing that makes the Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 an awesome machine is also its biggest drawback: its size.

We mentioned before that this machine isn't so much a portable as it is "transportable." Because of its massive size you'll find yourself reluctant to really move it around much.

We also hoped that the removable touchpad, which doubles as a media remote, was more versatile in that it could work with other media applications. But alas, hope springs eternal.

Final verdict

Acer has put together a great multimedia machine with the Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630.

With its spacious, full-size keyboard, massive 18-inch 1080p HD display and laundry list of high-end components, this beast has what it takes to handle even the most daunting tasks.

Finally, although battery life was horrible, we expected that from a machine this powerful. And we're willing to sacrifice that in order to experience this level of raw power. And that reasonable price-point of around $1,500 means that you'll be happily computing for some time.