Acer Nitro 5: An Honest Review

The basic Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop from Acer costs just $699, the same price as the model we reviewed last year. This time, though, the company sent us a $1,699 model that was not entry-level. It had an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics, and a sharp 15.6-inch WQHD screen to show off the best technology of 2021. Even though our test model was expensive, don’t write off the Nitro 5. It is still one of our top-budget gaming laptops because it offers excellent value in its less expensive configurations.

Acer Nitro 5 Specifications

PROS

• Strong AMD CPU
• High-resolution WQHD screen
• It takes up to three hard drives
• Battery life is okay

CONS

• In high-end configurations, plastic doesn’t look as good
• Max-Q GPU limits performance in the RTX 3070 model

Design and LooK

With the Acer Nitro 5, Acer hasn’t tried to change how gaming laptops work. It has a simple design with gaming flair thanks to an RGB backlit keyboard with four zones, red Nitro text, and a pinstripe-like effect on the lid. The Nitro 5 is quite thick and big. It weighs 14.19 inches long, 10.67 inches wide, and 1.06 inches thick, and it weighs 5.51 pounds, so you’ll know when it’s in your backpack. On the right side, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. One can charge a device like a smartphone even when the Nitro 5 is turned off. On the back of the Nitro is a charging port, a Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port, and an HDMI 2.1 port.

On the left side is a 3.5mm audio jack, a standard USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and an RJ45 Ethernet jack. It’s an expected answer since the hub can only put out a maximum of 90W, and the Nitro 5 can only charge 65W through the Thunderbolt 4 port. The 15.6-inch screen has a refresh rate of 144Hz and a resolution of 1920×1080. The bezels around the screen fit the rest of the Nitro 5’s design. In other words, they aren’t skinny. A 720p webcam is on top of the screen.

Price and Performace

One of the most affordable gaming laptops on the market today is the Acer Nitro 5. With a starting price of $749, you get the model we tested and its most basic setup. You can get this exact configuration in the UK, but it will cost you about £335 more. But this model is not sold in Australia. There are several other configurations for the US market, with $1099 being the most expensive. For that price, the laptop has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, but the GPU and hard drive are the same.

Keyboard

Going back a bit, the keyboard on the Acer Nitro 5 is a big plus. There’s nothing that makes it stand out. Yes, the symbols are red, the backlight is red (but it only works when plugged in, so it’s hard to see the keys in the dark when it’s not), and the WASD keys are painted red. This is just a standard keyboard in the middle of the road. So, we find it to be both comfortable and reliable. We haven’t had any lags, missed presses, or accidental presses. It’s fast and responsive. It doesn’t matter if you’re typing or playing a game.

Screen, camera, and sound

The camera can record video at 720p 30fps at its highest setting, but the video is grainy. It works fine for web chats, but don’t expect to make many high-quality images here. The sound on the laptop is a little too loud on the high end and has a lot of echoes, but you can change it with the equalizer in the Dolby Audio software to make it your own. In short, it’s just another laptop with lousy sound, which is pretty standard (unless your name is Origin). Lastly, the 1080p display is still sharp and clear but a little darker (even at its brightest setting) and is almost the opposite of bezel-free. At this price, we’ve seen other gaming laptops put a little more emphasis on the screen, which we’d like to see here.

Verdict

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t need a skinny laptop, the Acer Nitro 5 is an excellent option to think about. I liked trying it out, even though it didn’t blow me away. It costs a reasonable amount for a design that is average and works about as well as average. I can’t be upset about that.

FAQs

Trackpad of Acer Nitro 5?

Here’s a huge complaint. In PC gaming, especially FPS, RPG, and action games, gaming laptop trackpads are often disliked. This laptop’s trackpad is so bad you won’t want to use it for typical computing tasks. The trackpad has a lot of travel and is rigid, requiring strong pushing to register, which causes finger strain. Buttons 1 and 2, placed on the trackpad’s front left and right sides, miss more presses. After a day, we gave up and got a mouse.

What is the price of Acer Nitro 5?

One of the cheapest gaming laptops is the Acer Nitro 5. The $749 model we examined comes with its most basic setup. The UK sells this combination for £335 extra.