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Acer goes all in on Skylake with latest expansion to computing line

Acer already has a varied portfolio of mobile computing options, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be more. The R11 Chromebook, R13 Convertible Notebook, Aspire V Nitro, and Revo Build series all demonstrate Acer’s attempts at achieving a more personalized computing experience, and like many of its PCs, the specs indicate an affordable price range for a target audience potentially broader than the competitions’.

Acer R11 Chromebook

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First up on the list is Acer’s new R11 Chromebook. Sporting a 360-degree hinge, Acer’s first convertible Chromebook packs four “versatile” usage modes optimized for both productivity and leisure.

Additionally, it features a 1366×768 11.6-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, up to 4GB of RAM, and your choice of Intel Celeron N3150 or N3050. Also included is a 2×2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter and a standard USB 3.0 port.

Aspire R13 Convertible Notebook

The Aspire R 13 shifts further toward the performance end of Acer’s new convertible notebooks. It boasts a 13.3-inch display with either 2560×1440 or 1920×1080 resolution. It also packs in the option of either an Intel Core i7-6500U or i5-6200U, up to 8GB of RAm, and an Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU.

Storage capacity-wise, we’re looking at either 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SATA SSDs in a RAID 0 arry, with the alternative option of either 128GB, 256GB, or 512 GB SATA SSD. Also impressive is the battery life, which Acer claims to last up to 10 hours at 1080p or 8 hours at the 1440p resolution.

Notably, the R 13 makes the switch to USB Type-C and aims to deliver “faster wireless” using its onboard Qualcomm VIVE 2×2 802.11 ac Wi-Fi in conjunction with Qualcomm’s MU / EFX MU-MIMO tech.

Aspire V Nitro

The touchscreen Aspire V Series also receives the update to Sixth Generation Skylake processors, along with updates to the Wi-Fi system that should lead to better reception.

Like the R13, the V Nitro also dons a USB Type-C port and a Qualcomm 2×2 802.11ac wireless card with MU-MIMO technology. Graphics start out with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 520, but scale all the way up to a Nvidia GeForce 850M with 4GB of GDDR3, or the GeFoce 945M with 2GB of GDDR3.

You can also build an Aspire V with up to 2 terabytes of storae, while the V Nitro supports a hybrid drive of up to 1TB, or an SSD with either 128 or 256GB of storage space. There’s also the V 15 Nitro-Black Edition and V 17 Nitro which boast similar specs, but with subtle differences between each variant.

Revo Build Series

Perhaps one of the more interesting products Acer brought to IFA is the Revo Build M1-601 series of mini PCs. They’re modular, which gives even more customization power to the user by allowing them to remove and insert “Blocks” into their computer, each of which provide unique functionality.

The default processor is the Pentium N3700, or either the Celeron N3150 or N3050. It allows for up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, “optional AMD graphics” if you want something with a little more kick than Intel Integrated, as well as 32GB of eMMC storage. And if that’s not enough, there’s also the option to add a portable 500GB or 1TB HDD in the process. Onboard input/output ports include three USB 3.o ports, one HDMI port, a DisplayPort, an SD card reader, and an audio combo jack.

No word on release info or pricing for Acer’s expanded computing line, but with good customization across the board, you’re unlikely to not find something in your price range.

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