Acer Nitro 5 overview: Gigantic gaming cost with a mountainous lisp

You are most likely conversant in seeing objects of Acer’s feeble Nitro 5 rate range gaming notebook computer line with prices conveniently within the triple digits. The company extends the dual carriageway into midrange gaming notebook computer territory with this configuration ($1,700 at Acer), which packs a QHD lisp powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics. 

Despite its many charms and robust performance, the Nitro 5 takes a shut 2nd to the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model, which remains the excellent gaming notebook computer cost we relish seen as of late. The Nitro 5 has an evident profit in display conceal resolution, nonetheless: Its 15.6-ride QHD lisp lends a versatility to the Nitro 5 that makes it an very excellent productivity machine as effectively. If you occur to’re trying to derive a carry out-it-all notebook computer for every work and play, there’s a correct argument to be made for the Nitro 5.

This overview is half of our ongoing roundup of the excellent laptops. Scramble there for files on competing products and one of many best ways we examined them.

Acer Nitro 5 aspects and specifications

This Nitro 5 model we examined (AN515-45-R7S0) is undoubtedly one of many elevated-quit configurations within the Nitro 5 line, pairing the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU with GeForce RTX 3070 graphics. Here’s the longer spec listing:

• CPU: Octa-core AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
• Reminiscence: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB devoted GDDR6 VRAM
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Prove: 15.6-ride, QHD (2560×1440) IPS, 165Hz refresh rate
• Webcam: 720p
• Appropriate facet: 1 x USB SuperSpeed 10Gbps Kind-C,1 x USB SuperSpeed 5Gbps Kind-A, HDMI 2.0.
• Left facet: 2 x USB SuperSpeed 10Gbps Kind-A (one with vitality-off charging), ethernet, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Killer Gigabit ethernet E2600, Bluetooth 5.0
• Biometrics: None
• Battery skill: 4-cell, 57.5 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.3 x 10 x 1.0 inches
• Measured weight: 4.77 kilos (measured), 1.3-pound vitality brick

At $1,700, our check machine costs significantly better than many Nitro 5 objects that you just might well derive for beneath $1,000, but it’s now not the priciest Nitro 5 that Acer sells. The cease model within the dual carriageway is better than double the designate of our check machine. It costs $3,798 and aspects the equivalent QHD, 165Hz lisp powered by the Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU, 32GB of RAM and RTX 3080 graphics.

Midrange ingredients in a rate range chassis

Top rate aspects or no, it looks to be that every Acer Nitro 5 uses the equivalent cumbersome, plastic case as decrease-cost objects. I am draw more accepting of such bulk and heft when priced beneath $1,000, less so because the associated payment nears $2,000. The notebook computer is kind of all sunless, with excellent just a few type touches geared against players. You’ll derive a share of molded red plastic on the aid edge between the notebook computer’s vents, and the front corners are angled to create the machine appear rather less cumbersome than it genuinely is. It already weighs 4.77 kilos, and you’ll must lug spherical better than 6 kilos within the occasion you include the hefty vitality adapter.

The all-plastic chassis feels pretty real and inflexible. There is a slightly of flex beneath the keys when typing, however the lid is more referring to, feeling very skinny and flimsy. At this designate, it’s now not too distinguished to request a metal lid for elevated tension within the aid of the lisp. The equally priced Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model, for instance, aspects an aluminum lid and keyboard deck. The Nitro 5’s lisp bezels are also a little bit on the thick facet, which provides to the machine’s total hefty feel.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Abet to the keyboard: The keys felt gentle, but responsive. They are soundless without feeling soundless. Acer squeezes in a bunch pad, with a sacrifice: The actual-Shift key’s shortened, which would maybe well capture some getting historical to. While I understand stout-dimension arrow keys are literally helpful for a gaming notebook computer, I genuinely dislike having to present up just a few of my correct-Shift key. I repeatedly hit the up-arrow key by likelihood when attempting to press the becoming-Shift key—very annoying. The arrow keys and the WASD keys are outlined to manual players to the buttons they mash most. Acer also highlights one more key—the actual ‘N’ key above the numpad that launches Acer’s NitroSense utility. 

Matthew Elliott/IDG

The NitroSense utility helps you to alter the mode or chase of the cooling followers, capture a vitality scheme, and customise the RGB keyboard backlighting. You will be ready to save of living the color of the backlighting across four zones and capture between static and dynamic modes. Most laptops at this designate characteristic zone-lit keyboards, in save of living of per-key, so the Nitro 5 is correct on type.

The machine is moderate by formula of fan noise. The followers kick in all one of many best ways by video games and other intensive graphics tasks and would maybe well clearly be heard, but they’re rather soundless (now not rarely ever soundless) all one of many best ways by lighter hundreds. I played with the fan settings within the NitroSense utility and tried out the CoolBoost setting that cranks up fan chase to optimize CPU and GPU performance, but chanced on little alternate in fan noise or performance.

The touchpad looks a little bit undersized, given the expanse of the keyboard deck, but it precisely recorded my mousing gestures. Its clicks felt company with rapid feedback. No complaints right here, rather then believing Acer can even relish made the touchpad a slightly wider.

Prove goes to QHD

Most Nitro 5 objects you’ll come across characteristic the same outdated 1920×1080 lisp, but this Nitro 5 boasts a QHD (2560×1440) panel. The added pixels would maybe well merely now not pique the hobby of players, who most likely play the bulk of their video games at 1080p in save of living of 1440p, however the elevated resolution is a bonus all one of many best ways by productivity tasks because it affords a elevated workspace and a finer characterize. Transferring a step further to a 4K resolution on a 15.6-ride lisp is less in point of fact helpful—most customers won’t imprint distinguished of a difference in resolution on this dimension of a lisp, and battery lifestyles suffers the elevated the resolution will get. A QHD resolution is correct within the candy save of living for a 15.6-ride notebook computer.

The lisp seemed pretty radiant and exhibited radiant color and correct distinction. I played CS:GO in a sunny room and turn into ready to explore shrimp print in darkish scenes on the Extinct and Militia maps. If a buddy or two desired to slouch trying sitting next to you whereas you played, they’d be ready to explore the action since the lisp is an IPS panel. IPS skills delivers a broad viewing perspective, so the lisp doesn’t explore overly dim when viewed off axis.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

The speakers provide merely moderate output. They’ve ample vitality to have a shrimp room however the sound is muddied, with little separation between high and mid tones, and little within the formula of a bass response. Players will are attempting to discover their headphones helpful.

The 720p webcam above the lisp is underwhelming. Video suffered from noise and reddish skin tones. It also lacks a privateness quilt.

The port offerings quilt the fundamentals (peep photos of left and correct facets, beneath). As with other AMD laptops we’ve seen, nonetheless, the USB-C port doesn’t include Thunderbolt make stronger. And whereas you carry out score an HDMI port, you’ll must create carry out without a DisplayPort connection.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Our Nitro 5 check machine aspects a roomy 1TB SSD, and the notebook computer has room to add a 2nd storage pressure within the occasion you savor to relish to amplify. Opt away 11 screws from the backside panel and you might well score sooner or later of the notebook computer, the save you’ll derive a save of living for a 2.5-ride pressure. Acer thoughtfully involves within the box the cable and screws you’ll must create such an addition. The DIMM slots are also without misfortune accessible, but every had been occupied in our check machine, with an 8GB stick in every.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Acer Nitro 5 Efficiency

If now not for the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model, a correct argument will be made for this Acer Nitro 5 config because the associated payment-for-performance champ. Soundless, the Nitro 5 acquitted itself nearly as effectively in labs discovering out.

We in contrast the Acer Nitro 5 in opposition to other high-quit laptops with the most up-to-the-minute AMD and Nvidia GPUs. The Acer Predator Triton 300 aspects RTX 3060 graphics, the Asus ZenBook Educated Duo 15 OLED UX582 aspects RTX 3070 graphics, the Razer Blade 14 aspects RTX 3080 graphics, and the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model aspects Radeon RX 6800M. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G aspects a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU dialed down with a decrease Total Graphics Energy (TGP) of 105 Watts. We also included systems with earlier-generation Nvidia graphics from Alienware, MSI and XPG.

Our first benchmark tests how a notebook computer is able to address crushing CPU hundreds over a prolonged length—in this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format real for Android pills using HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Nitro 5 bested the Intel Core i7- and i9-based fully fully competition and even edged the Ryzen 9-based fully fully Razer Blade 14. The Asus ROG Strix G15, nonetheless, took top honors.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Next up is Cinebench, one more CPU-intensive check but one which renders a fancy 2D scene over a brief time-frame. The Acer Nitro 5 again topped the Intel-based fully fully competition, but this time finished within the aid of every Ryzen 9-based fully fully laptops. The Ryzen 9 5800HX and Ryzen 7 5800H CPUs are more identical than you might well mediate—every characteristic 8 cores and 16 threads, with the Ryzen 9 5800HX providing a limited edge in wicked and max boost frequencies. We snort multi-thread and single-thread results beneath.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Graphics performance

Now it’s time to explore how the Nitro 5’s RTX 3070 graphics chops stack up in opposition to laptops with RTX 3080 graphics and earlier-generation RTX 20-sequence graphics, as effectively because the Asus ROG Strix G15 and its Radeon RX 6800M GPU. On 3DMark, the Nitro 5 now not surprisingly slotted within the aid of a pair of laptops with RTX 3080 graphics. However it topped the opposite RTX 3070-based fully fully notebook computer (the Asus ZenBook Educated Duo) and stayed effectively ahead of the RTX 3060-based fully fully Acer Predator Triton 300 SE. The Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model finished first, and by a healthy margin.

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Transferring on to actual-world video games, we first proceed Upward push of the Tomb Raider at 1920×1080 resolution save of living to Very Excessive and in DX11 mode. The Nitro 5 turn into in a genuinely playable framerate of 101 fps, as we’d request an RTX 3070-based fully fully notebook computer to carry out on an older sport at these settings. We also ran the benchmark with CoolBoost enabled, and the framerate genuinely dropped rather to 99 fps. 

Matthew Elliott/IDG

On the more moderen Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1920×1080 resolution, the Nitro 5 averaged 104 fps. We also ran the more nerve-racking Metro Exodus (which would maybe well be too stiff) at 1920×1080 on the benchmark’s Indecent preset, and the Nitro 5 averaged 36 fps. It fared better on the equivalent resolution with the Regular preset, the save it achieved an moderate framerate of 102 fps. 

Battery lifestyles

We check notebook computer battery lifestyles by looping a 4K video using the inventory Home windows Motion images & TV app, with display conceal brightness save of living to about 250 nits and the amount dialed to 50 percent, with headphones plugged in.

It’s rare to derive a gaming notebook computer with first rate battery lifestyles, and the Nitro 5 is now not an exception to this rule. It lasted less than 5.5 hours on our battery-drain check, which is a little bit beneath moderate. Mind you, video rundown is a lot less nerve-racking than gaming, so don’t request to frag bots for prolonged off AC. 

Matthew Elliott/IDG

Strong performer with QHD bonus

The Acer Nitro 5 we examined costs better than most objects within the Nitro 5 line, better known for its sub-$1,000 rate range offerings. It’s rather disappointing to be paying more for a notebook computer that’s aloof carrying good deal-bin clothing, but within the occasion you might well score previous the aesthetics, this Nitro 5 model delivers popular midrange gaming notebook computer performance. With an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and RTX 3070 graphics, it outperforms laptops that cost a total lot more. And whereas its QHD 1440p lisp would maybe well merely now not be of hobby to players, the bump up in resolution from the more frequent FHD 1080p panel affords extra cost because it makes the Nitro 5 a more in point of fact helpful productivity machine—as prolonged because the shortened Shift key doesn’t pressure you loopy. 

If it weren’t for that pesky Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Model, the Acer Nitro 5 would be a elevated cost. Soundless, it’s undoubtedly one of many better (if now not the excellent) affords accessible, and effectively rate pondering.

• The Acer Nitro 5’s type is decidedly rate range-class, but it aloof affords popular cost amongst midrange gaming laptops.

  Execs

  • Crisp QHD lisp
  • Competitive performance for the associated payment
  • Roomy 1TB SSD with room to add 2nd pressure

  Cons

  • Heavy and cumbersome case
  • Flimsy lisp lid
  • Shortened Shift key’s annoying