I bought this to replace a 7 year old Linux gaming computer (dual-boot, multi-drive) with a corroded power supply, expecting to install a couple extra hard drives, while still playing a few games on the original Windows drive it shipped with. After a little research, it looked like I wouldn't have a lot of trouble installing drivers for the hardware that comes with this model, and the price was reasonably low compared with System76, so I went ahead and ordered it.
BIOS and hardware upgrades: Once the 2nd drive I ordered arrived (separate packages, couple days later), I proceeded to install the 1 TB drive along with the 500 GB drive from my old system, using the upgrade kit which came with this computer. Taking apart the computer was fairly straightforward, but because Linux requires you to disable Secure Boot, I proceeded into the BIOS to enable booting from USB and turn off Secure Boot and UEFI. The BIOS password was NOT set, and I was allowed to add one of my own, but all the settings related to security and boot order were still greyed out. Despite installing 2 additional drives, and being allowed to set a password for one of them, I was not allowed to boot from anything except the 500 GB drive this computer shipped with or any kind of external media.
I called the support number in the pamphlet that came with the computer, and asked about this, but was told that Acer locks the BIOS on all computers shipped through Amazon in order to "protect" customers from changing things that might break the computer if they don't know what they're doing. He explained that all computer vendors do this to one extent to another, such as Apple with iPhones, and refused to provide me any means to unlock it no matter how technical I am. He continued that if I want to upgrade anything, I should call Acer's main customer service line and order it from them, instead of trying to modify it myself. At this point, I demanded a refund because the item was materially different from what was advertised, and effectively unusable for my purposes as a result, but he refused because the package was already opened. I pointed out the product description did not list the BIOS being locked, and based on forum postings about this model on Acer's website, locking the BIOS did not appear to be a standard configuration for this model, but he stated that's what Acer wanted for Amazon-shipped computers, and that they're under no obligation to disclose this information prior to purchase, so I replied I will simply complain to Amazon and seek a refund through them. I did try contacting Acer's customer support number listed on Amazon, and on their own website; after a few days of trying, I did eventually reach someone (average wait time of 60 minutes), who ultimately confirmed Acer intends to limit customers' ability to change boot sequence for their "protection".
Keyboard: This was a real nuisance. The 1 key, Q key, Z key, and I think a couple others make a distinct "clicking" noise when I press them, sometimes don't press in properly, and feel like they will pop out or otherwise break within about a month or so of use. It also has some weird light-up pattern that runs from left to right and flickers a bit as soon as it lights up. Almost looks like something is wrong, and might burn out in a few months.
Battery life: While waiting for the 2nd hard drive to arrive, I played Elder Scrolls Online over Wifi a little bit. Computer was fast enough to handle it, but the battery died within about an hour, despite being brand new. Given how batteries decline over time, I worry about how it will perform after a few years.
Screen quality: Says it's 1920x1080, but looks a little pixelated, which is kind of weird. I don't know how to describe it, but the pixels look a little larger than I'd expect, and the computer defaulted to a lower resolution out of the box for some reason. Nothing too special or standout-ish, I've seen better, but also not terrible.
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Memory Speed | 2666 MHz |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 6 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 4 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 6 Hours |
