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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 generally costs less and offers solid performance for gaming and general use, with a backlit keyboard and decent portability. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, while more expensive, has double the storage, a slimmer and lighter design, a higher refresh rate display for smoother visuals, and slightly better performance across the board including for engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning. The Zephyrus also boasts a better build quality, speakers, and keyboard but has a shorter battery life which may impact its use on the go. Choose the Nitro 16 for a budget-friendly, gaming-focused option or the Zephyrus M16 for premium build and performance catered towards a range of intensive tasks. 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
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
8.5
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Nitro 16 are both very good for gaming and AI, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both highly suitable for gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to their powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPUs, which handle graphics-intensive applications smoothly. Moreover, the ASUS offers a higher screen refresh rate, which results in smoother visuals during gameplay as compared to the Acer, making it more appealing for fast-paced gaming experiences.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Nitro 16 are both very good for engineering and design, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 boasts a higher screen color accuracy and resolution which is excellent for design engineering, along with an Intel i9 processor that offers superior performance over the AMD Ryzen 7 in the Acer Nitro 16, making it better for intensive tasks. However, the Nitro 16 is slightly heavier and thicker, which may offer more robust build quality but can reduce portability compared to the lighter and thinner Zephyrus M16.
Screen Quality
8.3
9.0
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offer vivid, sharp displays and sufficient brightness, making them suitable for activities like browsing, video streaming, and document editing. For engineering and design work, these laptops provide wide color coverage, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing and CAD software. However, gamers and professionals working with 3D applications might find the displays lacking due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness during fast-paced scenes or when working on time-sensitive 3D modeling.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,050
$2,059
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $2,059.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Nitro 16 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Nitro 16 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 Nitro 16 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $2,059 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 627 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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.
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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