When choosing between the Acer Nitro 16 and the Acer Nitro 5 17, consider that the Nitro 16 generally costs more but offers a higher resolution and refresh rate display, a more powerful GPU, and a higher battery capacity for longer usage. Despite the larger screen, the Nitro 5 17 is slightly less expensive and offers double the storage. Both have similar weight and memory, but the Nitro 5 17 might have less gaming and multitasking performance compared to the Nitro 16 due to its less powerful GPU. If budget allows and performance is crucial, particularly for high-end gaming or intensive tasks, the Nitro 16 may be a better fit. Otherwise, for general use with plenty of storage space at a lower cost, the Nitro 5 17 could be sufficient. 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 Nitro 16
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 5 17
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Acer Nitro 16.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3/10
8.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 16's screen provides clear and vibrant visuals ideal for browsing, document editing, and media consumption, thanks to its resolution and brightness, which make fine details sharp and colors pop. For engineering and design projects, this laptop's color accuracy covers a wide range of the color spectrum, ensuring that designs are seen as intended. However, gamers looking for a smooth visual experience during fast-paced action may find the screen's lower refresh rate less conducive to gaming, where quick image transitions are critical.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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.
Cost
$1,050
$830
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Acer Nitro 5 17 costs $830.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Nitro 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 is geared more towards power users with its higher resolution screen, better CPU, and stronger GPU, making it suitable for intensive tasks and some gaming, but these features come at the cost of shorter battery life. The Acer Nitro 5 17, on the other hand, offers a larger screen and double the storage space, which is ideal for users prioritizing screen size and data capacity, but it has a less powerful CPU and GPU, making it less suitable for demanding software applications.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
7.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 16 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 delivers a better gaming and 3D experience due to its more advanced Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and high screen refresh rate, although the Acer Nitro 5 17 has a higher refresh rate, its older Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU doesn't perform as well. While both boast solid gaming credentials, the superior GPU in the Nitro 16 offers more power for graphically intensive tasks, even at a slightly lower refresh rate compared to the Nitro 5 17.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design due to their strong CPUs and GPUs, ample RAM, and high-quality IPS screens which are essential for such tasks. The Nitro 16 offers better screen quality and battery life, enhancing visual work and usage time, while the Nitro 5 17 offers a larger storage capacity and a higher refresh rate screen, which might be preferred by those prioritizing game development or real-time simulations.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Nitro 16 are both good for content creation.
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.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Nitro 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Nitro 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Acer Nitro 5 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Acer Nitro 5 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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,995
Recommendations made
23,833
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.