Acer's budget-friendly Nitro 5 gaming laptops are ready for Windows 11

[nanoguy]

In brief: Acer's Nitro 5 refresh likely won't knock your socks off, but if you're in the market for a relatively inexpensive gaming laptop you should definitely give it a look before you make your decision. At least on paper, the new models offer good value for people who want to be productive and do some light gaming after work.

Acer's Nitro 5 laptop has been a good option for gamers on a tight budget for years, even if it doesn't always match our top recommendations in the value segment.

The company has now refreshed the Nitro 5 family with a 17.3-inch model that offers some pretty compelling specifications given its $1,199.99 price tag. The display isn't the sharpest out there at this size, but the 1080p resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate are decent for an entry-level gaming laptop.

Internals include an 11th generation Intel Core i7-11800H CPU paired with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, but Acer didn't reveal any details regarding the power envelope of the graphics solution. Otherwise, this model will come equipped with 16 gigabytes of DDR4 memory and one terabyte of PCIe storage.

Acer is also introducing a smaller, 15.6-inch model that comes with a more palatable $769.99 price tag, but there are a few notable differences from the 17.3-inch Nitro 5. The display is still 1080p with a 144 Hz refresh rate, but you only get an 11th generation Intel Core i5 CPU paired with a more modest Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Laptop GPU. Also along for the ride is eight gigabytes of DDR4 memory and 256 gigabytes of solid-state storage.

Both models come with a few minor design changes to the chassis. Most notably, the barrel plug for the charger now goes in on the right side of the laptop as opposed to the back. Connectivity options include three USB Type-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a Kensington slot.

The two Nitro 5 laptops are now available for pre-order and will start shipping later this month.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91579-acer-budget-friendly-nitro-5-gaming-laptops-ready.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I feel comfortable with a laptop that has a 3050Ti or 3060, but the 3070 is really the sweet spot.

As long as these prices hover around $999 or below, it’s cool.

 

[Uncle Al]

I always liked Acer products since I got my first monitor from them. It was well made, inexpensive, and they gave good support .... and it's right over there supporting my server ...... sometimes the old equipment is still the best equipment ....

 

[Avro Arrow]

Two words that don't belong together are "Gaming" and "Laptop".

 

[pcnthuziast]

I have an N5 with a 9300h and a 1650 with 1024 cuda cores. Got it at Microcenter for 599. Upgraded it over time to 16gb of ram, an additional m.2 (1tb) and a sata ssd (1tb). Played tons of games on it with reasonable expectations and have greatly enjoyed it. Can run plenty of games on it at high settings at 1080p. Rage 2 for example runs over 60 fps with those settings and Doom Eternal runs at medium at mostly over 60fps.

 

[yRaz]

Two words that don't belong together are "Gaming" and "Laptop".

Considering you can get an entire "gaming" laptop for the price of a midrange graphics card, they don't look like such a bad deal right now, especially for people who are already looking for a rebuild. Just put it on a cooling dock and use it like a normal desktop

 

[madboyv1]

I always liked Acer products since I got my first monitor from them. It was well made, inexpensive, and they gave good support .... and it's right over there supporting my server ...... sometimes the old equipment is still the best equipment ....

back in the mid 2000s Acer laptops were absolutely atrocious... I saw them failing left and right while working for a university's technical support group. If it could break we saw it. Screens panels/inverters go bad, HDD crashing, bad heatsink mating (-very- cheap thermal pads were the rage), had a couple batteries smoke up and AC plug housings melt too... And these were all laptops that were maybe 0-2 years old with the highest drop out rate of devices at the beginning of semesters. At least an Acer laptop did not have the dubious honor of having a battery failure so bad that it warped the aluminum chassis and fused to a desk by melting the tabletop material (ahhh the Sony battery Apple debacle).

That being said the quality of equipment now from Acer has VASTLY improved, so much so that I've even recommended a couple Acer laptops recently to friends and a family member.

 

[trparky]

I always liked Acer products since I got my first monitor from them. It was well made, inexpensive, and they gave good support .... and it's right over there supporting my server ...... sometimes the old equipment is still the best equipment ....

I have an Acer gaming monitor in front of me right now. 144hz 1440p Freesync monitor. Decent performance without breaking the bank.