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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use like web browsing, writing, and streaming, the Acer Aspire 5 17 is more affordable and offers ample performance, with a decent screen size and resolution, but it's not ideal for intensive tasks like gaming or engineering. If you need a laptop with high performance for tasks such as 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, the Acer Nitro 16 is better equipped with a more powerful processor and graphics card, higher RAM, and a higher resolution and refresh rate screen, but it's also heavier and typically more expensive. Keep in mind that while the Nitro 16 excels in performance, its battery life for typical usage isn't readily available. Both laptops share some conveniences like a backlit keyboard and multiple USB ports, however, the Nitro 16 features hardware ray tracing and DLSS, useful for gaming and visual effects. Choose the Aspire 5 17 for a balance of portability and price for everyday tasks, or the Nitro 16 if your needs lean towards more performance-demanding applications despite the added weight and cost. 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 17
- Good portability
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
494.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 with its lighter weight and longer battery life is ideal for those prioritizing portability and general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 offers superior screen quality and is better suited for tasks like gaming due to a more powerful CPU and graphics, more RAM, but is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 stands out for gaming and 3D due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and high screen refresh rate, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is less suitable for these tasks with its less capable integrated Intel graphics and a standard refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.2
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 16 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
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
494.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 likely has a display with adequate resolution, brightness, and a panel type that provides a satisfactory visual experience for everyday tasks but lacks the wide color gamut necessary for precise color work in engineering and design. For gaming and 3D applications, the screen's lower refresh rate hinders the ability to render smooth motion, making it less suitable despite its acceptable resolution and panel.
The Acer Nitro 16 probably boasts a screen with high resolution, good brightness, and an advanced panel type that ensures crisp and vivid images for general use and engineering tasks, along with encompassing a broad range of colors demanded by design professionals. However, its lower refresh rate falls short for gaming and 3D purposes, where fluid motion and rapid image updates are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,050
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Acer Nitro 16 costs $1,050.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.2
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Aspire 5 17 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 17 and the Acer Nitro 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Acer Nitro 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,050 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.18" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 11.02" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 494 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Acer Nitro 16
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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