Acer ConceptD 7 Pro challenges MacBook Pro for the creator laptop crown

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro
(Image credit: Acer)

Acer is announcing the latest PCs in its ConceptD line of laptop and desktop PCs aimed at content creators, with designs that will satisfy both amateur YouTubers and video professionals alike, but the top dog in the new laptops is the ConceptD 7 Pro, a slim notebook that boasts workstation-level hardware in a sleek, portable design.

With the sort of portable design that rivals the Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro in portability, the ConceptD 7 Pro promises unmatched power, offering a professional-grade workstation with up to an 8-core processor, commercial-level Nvidia Quadro graphics and all of the expected industry certifications.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro specs

Model: Acer ConceptD 7 Pro (CN715-72P)
Starting price: $3,499
Display: 15.6-inch IPS Ultra HD 3840 x 2160, 400 nits
CPU: Intel Core i7-10875H / Intel Core i7-10750H / Intel Core i5-10300H
GPU: NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 / NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 with Max-Q design
RAM: Up to 16GB DDR4 / upgradable to 32GB
Storage: 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB, NVMe, RAID 0 SSD
Wireless: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i / 802.11ax wireless LAN
Size: 14.1 x 10 x 0.7 inches
Weight: 4.6 pounds

Coming for late 2020 are three new ConceptD models, the Acer ConceptD 7 Pro workstation, ConceptD 7 laptop, the and the ConceptD 300 desktop PC.

Here's what we know about the new Acer ConceptD 7 Pro (and its siblings) so far.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro release date and price

The Concept D 7 Pro  (CN715-72P) workstation notebook will be available this December, with a starting price of $3,499.

Other configuration options offer higher processing power and larger storage, so configurations ranging up to $5,000 or higher are likely to be offered, as well.

 Acer ConceptD 7 Pro design

Acer ConceptD 7 laptop

(Image credit: Acer)

The Acer ConceptD 7 Pro is a 15-inch notebook, measuring 0.7-inch thick and weighing under 5 pounds, making it fairly portable for a desktop replacement, but without the thin and light profile seen on ultraportable laptops. 

The stark white on white color scheme looks smart, but leaves me worrying about scuffs and scratches, but Acer claims that the finish has a ceramic protective layer that not only provides hardness, but resists dirt and yellowing.

The laptop features a full keyboard and Gorilla Glass-covered touchpad.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro

(Image credit: Acer)

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro display 

The ConceptD 7 Pro boasts a 15.6-inch 4K display with IPS panel and Pantone color validation. That 3840 x 2160 resolution is backed with 400 nits of brightness, and is factory calibrated.

Made for color critical use, the display features wide color gamut and high accuracy, with Acer claiming 100% coverage of the Adobe RGB color space and a DeltaE rating of less than two.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro performance 

For pure power, the ConceptD 7 Pro is available with several processor options, starting with quad-core Intel Core i5-10300H, stepping up to a 6-core Intel Core i7-10750H and topping out with an 8-core Intel Core i7-10875H. Memory scales up as high as 16GB in configured models, but Acer notes that the system's two SO-DIMM slots will actually accommodate up to 32GB, giving you room to upgrade.

Similarly, the 7 Pro is available with either an Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 graphics card, or an even more potent Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics card, which also benefits from Nvidia's Max-Q design for improved efficiency. Armed with 3,072 CUDA cores, 48 RT cores, 384 Tensor cores and 16 GB of dedicated VRAM, the top ConceptD 7 Pro configuration will be equipped to take on serious content creation, and even multitasking across several apps as you do it.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro battery life

Details are still scarce about the ConcveptD 7 Pro's battery, but Acer does claim that the 4-cell battery should get roughly 7 hours of battery life, based on their internal testing with MobileMark 2014.

Acer ConceptD 7

Acer ConceptD 7 laptop

(Image credit: Acer)

For consumers that don't need professional grade workstation power, but still want to enjoy a high level of media creation capability, Acer has the non-Pro ConceptD 7 (CN715-72G), which shares many features with the Pro version of the notebook.

This still-formidable content creation system offers hardware for processing and graphics performance and color precision displays, providing powerful digital creation tools in a 15-inch notebook design.

Under the hood the ConceptD7 notebooks are outfitted with the same 10th-generation Intel Core processors as the ConceptD 7 Pro (with 4, 6 and 8-core CPUs available), as well as speedy Wi-Fi 6 Gig+ wireless connections, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.

The ConceptD 7 is outfitted with an Nvidia GeForce RTX  2080 SUPER graphics card, providing the sort of graphics horsepower needed for video editing, real-time 3D content rendering, and live streaming through services like Twitch.

The Acer ConceptD 7 laptop will begin selling this December, with a starting price of $3,299.

Acer ConceptD 300 Desktop

Acer ConceptD 300 desktop

(Image credit: Acer)

Acer also has a new desktop model, the ConceptD 300. The latest member of the ConceptD desktop series is a midsize tower, boasting a compact 18-Liter volume and outfitted with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, 64GB of DDR4 2666 MHz RAM and up to 4TB HDD storage and 1TB PCIe m.2 SSD storage.

The desktop boasts a good collection of ports, that includes multiple USB 3.2 connections, an integrated SD card reader, USB-C with multiple displays support and a 10GBps LAN connection for enterprise network connections.

Acer ConceptD 300 desktop

(Image credit: Acer)

Designed for tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, and designing in CAD, the ConceptD 300 is aimed at architects, 3D artists and video editors. As such, it pairs potent hardware with a stylish design. It's also quiet. Acer touts the ventilation system as being as quiet as a library, with noise levels under 40 decibels.

The ConceptD 300 tower has a sleek and elegant design, with a round-rectangle shaped case that knocks the usual right angle corners off of the standard desktop tower. The case is an elegant white, with a black molded front panel that serves as a ventilation grill and a wooden top panel. The end result should be right at home in the poshest of offices, and most stylish of homes.

Acer also has a handful of ConceptD monitors and peripherals that will be offered alongside the ConceptD 300 desktop.

Acer ConceptD 7 Pro outlook

With a stunning 4K display, sleek notebook design and a roster of powerful hardware options, the Acer ConceptD 7 Pro promises to be one of the most powerful laptops on the market. With workstation-grade performance and a price tag to match, it's not going to be for everyone, but if you want serious capability for the most demanding media creation tasks, the Acer ConceptD 7 Pro will outperform most of the systems on our best laptops list. Stay tuned for our full review.

Brian Westover

Brian Westover is currently Lead Analyst, PCs and Hardware at PCMag. Until recently, however, he was Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, where he led the site's TV coverage for several years, reviewing scores of sets and writing about everything from 8K to HDR to HDMI 2.1. He also put his computing knowledge to good use by reviewing many PCs and Mac devices, and also led our router and home networking coverage. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.