Acer Ferrari One: An AMD Ultraportable
by Vivek Gowri on June 8, 2010 4:12 AM ESTAcer Ferrari One: Overview
Ferrari. The name itself evokes images of supercars and racecars bearing the famed prancing horse logo, of glorious V12 exhaust notes, and red. Oh yes, Rosso Scuderia, quite possibly the most instantly recognizable color in the automotive world.
So when Acer set out to create its latest Ferrari-branded laptop, it naturally decided to make the lid bright red, with the iconic prancing horse shield right in the middle. As with the rest of the Ferrari line, the 11.6" Ferrari One ultraportable has an AMD processor; in this case, it's a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 L310 clocked at a very un-Ferrari-like 1.2GHz. Beyond that, we've got 3GB of RAM, a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive, ATI's Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics chip, Windows 7 Home Premium, a bunch of red accents to match the lid, a faux carbon-fibre palm rest, and a nice Scuderia Ferrari logo under the keyboard.
| Acer Ferrari One Specifications | |
| Processor |
AMD Athlon 64 X2 L310 (1.20GHz, 65nm, 2x512KB L2, 800FSB, 13W) |
| Chipset | AMD M780G |
| Memory |
1x2048MB+1x1024MB DDR2-800 Running @ DDR2-480, 3-4-4-12 Timings |
| Graphics | Integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 |
| Display | 11.6" LED Glossy 16:9 WXGA (1366x768) |
| Hard Drive | 2.5" 250GB 5400RPM (Toshiba MK2555GSX) |
| Networking |
Atheros AR8131 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Atheros AR5B93 802.11a/g/n WiFi |
| Audio |
Realtek AL269 2-Channel HD Audio (2.0 Speakers with headphone/microphone jacks) |
| Battery | 6-Cell, 10.8V, 4400mAh, 48Wh |
| Front Side | None |
| Left Side |
1 x USB 2.0 VGA ATI XGP Connector |
| Right Side |
SD/MMC reader Microphone/Headphone Jacks 2 x USB 2.0 AC Power Connection Kensington Lock Gigabit Ethernet |
| Back Side | None |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium |
| Dimensions | 11.22" x 8.03" x 1.03" (WxDxH) |
| Weight | 3.31 lbs (with 6-cell battery) |
| Extras | 1.3MP Webcam |
| Warranty | 1-year standard Acer warranty (USA) |
| Price | Red 4GB Ferrari One FO200-1799 at $569 |
Ignoring the Ferrari branding, this ultraportable is basically the AMD version of the Aspire 1410/1810T that we have come to know and love. The Athlon 64 X2 L310 is one AMD alternative to Intel’s CULV platform (though other 45nm models would likely improve the overall picture). Beyond the 1.20 GHz clock speed, there’s a 333MHz DDR2 on-die memory controller, 800MHz HyperTransport link, and 2 x 512KB L2 cache. It’s manufactured on a 65nm process, and has a power envelope of 13 watts. The closest competitor to it in Intel’s CULV processor lineup is the 1.30 GHz Pentium SU4100, which is built on a 45nm manufacturing process and has a TDP of 10W. Of course, the AMD thin and light platform contains the aforementioned Radeon HD 3200 IGP, which should be faster than the CULV-standard GMA 4500 MHD.
Of note is that our test system is an older model equipped with a 1GB and 2GB SO-DIMM, which means the memory runs in single-channel mode and performance is somewhat lower than the FO200 model with 4GB RAM. The MSRP on this particular model was $549, but it's no longer available online.
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taltamir - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
Glossy red plastic with a giant logo in the middle...this is probably the ugliest looking laptop I have ever seen.
VivekGowri - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
I agree that it's a bit ostentatious, but I actually like how it looks. Maybe it's the Ferrari fan in me, but still. Compared to the regular version of this chassis (1410 and 1810T), the Ferrari definitely has a lot more character, and personally I prefer it (I say this as the owner of a black AS1410.)Anubis - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
its no more ugly then t white plastic laptops with a glowing fruit on themSouka - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
+1 for Anubis :)LoneWolf15 - Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - link
Bashing Apple is like trying to teach a pig to sing.It's a waste of your time, and only annoys the pig.
Plus, other people who see you doing it will wonder why you tried in the first place.
KaarlisK - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
I had never thought that AMD has no asymmetric dual channel capability... Intel can run different sized memory sticks in dual channel, up to a limit obviously.And removing the HDMI port was really unwise.
But I like the looks :D
Could you pleease add Starcraft 2 to your tests? It very much is a game I would casually play on a laptop.
I sure hope that AMD's new 45nm platform has better power consumption :)
DJMiggy - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
Sure they can. They just need to go into the future and swipe the game so they can test it.therealnickdanger - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
I'm always looking for a tiny gaming platform and this particular model (w/4GB RAM) always sticks out as a candidate due to its dual-core CPU and decent 3200 IGP... but your review has swayed me. The last thing I want is hot and loud. I'm just going to stick with my original thought and wait for 12.1-and-under Arrandales. If I can get one with a low-end Optimus part for cheap, I'll be a very happy consumer!classy - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
I usually look at the weight of these new laptops. 3.3 lbs is still heavy.maniac5999 - Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - link
Hmmm, I guess you have to review what you're sent, but the Ferrari One really looks like it's the overpriced turd of the Congo platform.To quote your conclusion:
"At $449, the Ferrari One would be decent and would at least merit consideration over the 1410 due to the dual-core processor and increased graphics performance. At $499, the proposition gets more questionable, and at anything above that, the math just doesn't add up."
How about the MSi Wind U230? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8... Same size chassis, slightly bigger screen (12.1") and most importantly, a L335 processor, which runs at 1.6ghz, all for $490. add a 2nd 2gb of memory and you're good to go, or you could go for the Toshiba T115D, with a 1.5ghz x2 for $459.
Both of those are more powerful than the Acer (the U230 by a full 33%) and cheaper, and would probably be decent buys for someone looking to do casual gaming on the go. (WoW, SC2, etc. I even have BattleForge running pretty decently on my U230)