Acer Nitro 5 overview: Is it one of the best low-cost gaming laptop computer of 2023?

Whoa! The Acer Nitro 5, filled with scrumptious internals that may deal with triple-A gaming, blew my thoughts. It is a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop computer, so naturally, I did not wish to get my hopes up.

Nevertheless, the Nitro 5 is arguably among the best low-cost gaming laptops available on the market. It is even higher than the MSI Cyborg 15 — one other low-cost gaming laptop computer I not too long ago reviewed.

However in fact, the Nitro 5 is a budget-friendly laptop computer, which implies Acer had no alternative however to make some compromises which will flip you off. That being stated, let’s dive into what I like and hate in regards to the Acer Nitro 5.

Acer Nitro 5 worth and specs

The Acer Nitro 5 on this overview is just $999. You could find it at Newegg and it comes with the next specs:

• Intel Core i7-13620H CPU

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU

• 16GB of RAM

• 1TB of SSD storage

• 15.6-inch, 1080p show with a 144Hz refresh price

What I like in regards to the Acer Nitro 5

I am a sucker for gaming laptops that look good in each environments: a glitzy leisure room and inside a stuffy company workplace. The Acer Nitro 5 suits that invoice.

The design is fireplace

Name me a snoozefest all you need, however I am unable to stand gaming laptops that appear like “gaming laptops.” You already know, the eyesores that merely have an excessive amount of happening the chassis, lid, and keyboard. I wish to recreation — not throw a darn 80’s occasion on the keyboard. The very last thing I would like is distracting options (I am lookin’ at you RGB lighting) disrupting my focus throughout gameplay.

The Nitro 5 has the proper stability of enjoyable and severe. It has a cool lid that appears like Wall-E rolled over it, leaving futuristic tracks on the quilt. On the highest heart, you may discover an iridescent “N” that provides the Nitro 5 its edge. Nevertheless, it is not plagued with per-key RGB lighting you could discover on pricier gaming laptops, which I am not complaining about. The Nitro 5 retains it easy with white backlighting.

Quick access to Nitro Sense app by way of keyboard

With the easy faucet of the “N” key, you’ll be able to entry the NitroSense app.

This nifty software program will doubtless be your most-visited app; it allows you to tweak the system to your liking earlier than launching video games. For instance, you’ll be able to modify the followers in line with your workflow and duties. Earlier than leaping into light-weight work (e.g., net shopping), you should use the NitroSense app to show one of many two following modes:

• Quiet — Restricts fan speeds to cut back noise ranges

• Balanced — Advisable for on a regular basis, customary utilization

Whereas gaming (or diving into some other job that stresses the CPU and GPU), you’ll be able to activate Efficiency mode. One other mode you ought to be conscious of is Eco; this allows you to squeeze out as a lot battery life as potential.

Efficiency is rattling good

I will dive extra into this in subsequent sections, however I ran the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark on the Acer Nitro 5 and it exceeded my expectations.

As talked about on the outset, I reviewed the MSI Cyborg 15, which has the identical price ticket because the Nitro 5 — and the Acer laptop computer crushed its competitor like an eggshell.

Extensive collection of ports

Acer presents a candy number of I/O choices on the Nitro 5. On the left, you may discover the ability port (DC-in), an Ethernet port, HDMI 2.1, two USB Sort-A ports, and a USB Sort-C port (Thunderbolt 4). On the appropriate, you may discover one other USB Sort-A port, a headset jack, and a Kensington lock slot for safety functions.

I may use an additional USB-C port, however the Acer Nitro 5 is a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop computer, so I will take what I can get.

What’s ‘eh’ in regards to the Acer Nitro 5

You may’t be bougie on a beer price range, however there’s one specific ingredient in regards to the Acer Nitro 5 that I am aggressively detached about.

The show will not win any trophies

I admire the show’s 144Hz refresh price, which signifies that you may get clean visuals that’ll profit you whereas enjoying fast-paced video games. For instance, whereas gunning down enemies in DeathloopI felt a way of heightened responsiveness and seamlessness.

Nevertheless, the 15.6-inch, 1080p show is not something to put in writing residence about. Whereas enjoying Cyberpunk 2077the colour richness appeared mid, which is par for the course for a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop computer. Hey, you’ll be able to’t have your cake and eat it too, proper?

Loud AF, however this is not out of the bizarre

Some video games will check the bounds of your CPU and GPU, and when that occurs, the Nitro 5’s dual-fan system will kick in to maintain its highly effective internals temperate.

Sure, they do a superb job at protecting the Ntiro 5 cool, but when I did not know any higher, I might mistake ’em for a leaf blower. It is value noting, although, that that is par for the course for many gaming laptops. If you need a quieter expertise, seize the Lenovo Legion 9i, which has a novel thermal resolution — if you happen to do not thoughts dropping an additional $3,000, in fact.

Sound is OK

Low cost laptops usually have a poor fame of providing quiet, tinny audio. After launching Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” on Spotify, the snappy tune sounded repressed on the Nitro 5’s dual-speaker setup — as if somebody positioned a stereo inside a small, closed field.

Nevertheless, I am not too bothered as a result of many players attain for headsets to pair with their laptops anyway. And on the plus aspect, the sound will get sufficiently loud.

Quiet keyboard, however may very well be clickier

To gauge how comfy I’m on a brand new keyboard, I exploit the Dwell Chat typing check. On my day by day driver laptop computer, the M2 Professional MacBook Professional, I kind at a velocity of 82 phrases per minute (WPM).

Nevertheless, on the Acer Nitro 5, I kind at 75 WPM. What I like in regards to the Nitro 5’s keyboard is that it is quiet. If a assassin was out to get you, and all you had in your hand was the Nitro 5, you possibly can in all probability get away with emailing somebody for assist with out alerting the intruder. Plus, there is a full-sized numpad — a helpful addition for some players.

However the keyboard’s clickiness may very well be improved. The keys are a bit too smooth for my style, however this is not a dealbreaker. It is also value noting that the touchpad is not the smoothest, however once more, it is a negligible flaw.

What I dislike in regards to the Acer Nitro 5

Whereas I am blasé in regards to the Nitro 5’s show coloration richness and accuracy, I firmly dislike Nitro 5’s dim, 250-nit show.

The display may very well be brighter

Whereas enjoying Cyberpunk 2077I discovered myself wanting to extend the display to a brighter setting, however I used to be disenchanted to seek out that I had already hit the max tier.

Battery life is meh

Like most gaming laptops, the Nitro 5 is not very power environment friendly.

I might counsel protecting the Nitro 5 plugged in. I skilled the laptop computer shutting down on me in just a bit over an hour whereas enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 — and I did not get to save lots of my progress. (Scroll right down to see our recorded runtime for the Acer Nitro 5.)

Chassis attracts fingerprints

My Nitro 5 is a felony investigator’s dream.

Acer Nitro 5 Geekbench and 3DMark scores

Acer Nitro 5 delivered a multi-score rating of 12,797 (Efficiency Mode) on the Geekbench 6 check, which assessments for CPU prowess. Evaluate this to the equally priced MSI Cyborg 15, which notched a rating of 12,075.

The Acer Nitro 5 additionally crushed the MSI on 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, which examined the Nitro 5’s 4050 GPU. It delivered a rating of 8,670beating the MSI’s 6,907 determine.

How effectively does ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ run on Acer Nitro 5?

I prefer to see a minimal of 60 frames per second for my video games, and the Acer Nitro 5 hit a powerful common of 92 frames per second on the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark (Excessive preset). After activating DLSS, a characteristic designed to double the body charges with AI upscaling, it jumped to a 122 frames per second.

Alternatively, the MSI Cyborg 15 may solely muster 54 frames per second on Cyberpunk 2077. With DLSS on, it climbed to 113 frames per second.

Acer Nitro 5 battery life

As talked about earlier, the Nitro 5’s battery life is not nice. Sure, the battery lifetime of most gaming laptops is brief, however that does not make it any much less disappointing. We ran the PCMark 10 battery benchmark (gaming model) on the Nitro 5, and it lasted simply 1 hour and 29 minutes.

Nevertheless, that is higher than its rival, the MSI Cyborg 15, which solely survived for 1 hour and 1 minute.

Last ideas

The Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best low-cost gaming laptop computer I’ve examined thus far. It will probably deal with Cyberpunk 2077, one of the graphics-intensive video games available on the market, like a champ. It even beats the MSI Cyborg 15, which shares related specs.

Nevertheless, as one would possibly anticipate, a gaming laptop computer priced beneath $1,000 can have some trade-offs. Within the case of the Nitro 5, which means dropping out on a vibrant show, a vivid display, per-key RGB lighting, and extra.

In the event you’re simply in search of a gaming laptop computer that ditches all of the bells and whistles for spectacular gaming efficiency, the Nitro 5 is the one for you.

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