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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 15 offers a lower price making it attractive for general use with satisfactory performance for everyday tasks such as browsing and office applications; its portability is aided by a lighter weight and smaller screen. On the other hand, the Acer Nitro 17, while more expensive, is more suitable for gaming, 3D applications, and intensive engineering tasks due to its high-performance graphics card. The Nitro also features a larger screen, which despite reducing portability, offers an improved experience for multimedia and complex visuals. However, its larger size and higher performance hardware may result in shorter battery life compared to the Aspire. Choose the Aspire for cost-effective, portable computing or the Nitro for more demanding applications and entertainment, keeping in mind the tradeoff between performance and portability. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 15
- Good portability
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 17
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.4
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers better gaming and 3D experiences primarily because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz compared to the integrated Iris Xe graphics and 60 Hz screen on the Acer Aspire 5 15. Additionally, the Nitro 17's GPU supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS, features that enhance visual quality and performance in games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 with an Intel i5 CPU, integrated graphics, and a 15.6-inch screen is more portable for engineering tasks, while the Acer Nitro 17's stronger AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, Nvidia dedicated GPU, and a larger 17.3-inch display provides better performance but is less portable. Screen quality is good on both, but the Nitro 17 stands out with slightly better screen attributes and thus may be more suitable for design work that benefits from enhanced visuals.
Content Creation
7.3
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
6.2
7.4
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 likely has a display with adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but its color range may not be wide enough to appeal to engineers and designers who need more precise color reproduction. Additionally, its lower refresh rate could hinder the gaming and 3D experience, where smoother motion is crucial. Conversely, the Acer Nitro 17 achieves higher marks in general use and engineering due to a superior color gamut and better brightness, but still falls short for gaming and 3D, as its refresh rate may not be high enough for the most fluid visuals.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$480
$970
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the Acer Nitro 17 costs $970.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a solid CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, a quality screen, and at under 4 pounds combined with a respectable battery life, it's easy to carry around, making it well-suited for general use. On the other hand, while the Acer Nitro 17 has a more powerful CPU and GPU, ample storage, and superior screen quality for multimedia and gaming, its larger size, heavier weight, and slightly better battery life trade off against portability, but it still serves well for general use and particularly shines for those needing more robust performance.
Software Development
7.3
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Acer Nitro 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | Acer Nitro 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $970 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 15.77" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 11.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the Acer Nitro 17
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
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