Acer TravelMate P6 14 is an unassuming portable workhorse

Balancing power, portability and all-day battery life isn't easy, but the TravelMate P6 14 gets two out of three.

by Justin Choo

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 is a laptop for number crunchers constantly on the move.

First impressions-wise, it looks rather elegant — some might say plain — but its minimalism is perfect for a professional vibe. The TravelMate P6 14’s best attribute has to be its form factor. While it is not ultra-thin, it is slightly lighter with its 1.2 kg weight. It may not fall under the sub-1kg category, but this laptop meets the MIL-STD 810H standard for shock and vibration, which is handy if you are often on the move. What I love most is how well the weight is distributed; it feels feather-light even with the lid open.

Under the hood, this particular TravelMate P6 14 packs an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a high-performance processor for those who need to do high computational stuff like working with large Excel files and complex macros or data analysis (Acer does offer U-versions, starting from i5). In this case, it’s paired with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. And while these Lunar Lake chips have an NPU, they will not break any records for AI-intensive operations. However, they do come in handy with features like Windows Hello login.

Despite being a work laptop, the TravelMate P6 14 has a 2.8K OLED panel, offering vibrant colours and deep blacks that make presentations and videos pop. As is the case, productivity-themed laptops often sport a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is better for daily work, thanks to that extra vertical space for spreadsheets or documents. The speakers are sufficiently loud and articulate but lean on the trebly side.

Battery life is probably the weakest aspect of this laptop, which comes as no surprise because of the ‘full-fat” processor. 6-7 hours on the balanced setting on medium brightness. Battery efficiency mode doesn’t help as much on the H processors, so opt for the U versions if that bothers you.

Webcam cameras are hardly the most exciting thing about a laptop, but if you make calls regularly, the FHD webcam with AI-powered noise reduction certainly does give a much-needed boost when you take calls in poorly lit places; no, it doesn’t remove the deathly shade of pale, but it certainly is much easier to see your face. Likewise, for the microphone, but that’s less useful as most people are more likely to wear a headset for calls. But it’s a nice feature to have in any case.

The best thing about Acers — and the TravelMate P6 is no exception—is that you often don’t need to carry a dongle thanks to its wealth of connectivity options: two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, one USB-A 3.2 port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a microSD card reader. Whether connecting to peripherals in the office or streaming presentations on the go, this laptop ensures you’re in the loop.

  • 7.4/10
    Acer TravelMate P6 14 - 7.4/10
7.4/10

Acer TravelMate P6 14

Price: Starts from $1,698; $2,398 for configuration tested

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 balances performance and portability well but battery life will be a limitation if you need to do a lot of number crunching outdoors. Nonetheless, it remains a compelling choice if you primarily are concerned with weight and portability.