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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 falls into the midrange price category and is known for its stylish gaming laptop appearance, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is priced lower and prioritizes durability, making it suitable for intensive gaming. If you prefer aesthetics and can afford a slightly higher cost, the Acer may appeal to you, though for a more budget-friendly option that still supports demanding games, consider the ASUS. Keep in mind the balance between price, design, and the amount of heavy gaming you'll do when choosing between these laptops. 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 engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.4
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card, which is superior to the AMD RX 7600S found in the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, and they both have equally high screen refresh rates which is crucial for smooth visuals. While both laptops have capable processors and quality displays, the Nitro 16's GPU and higher resolution screen give it an edge in rendering detailed graphics and more pixels for crisper images.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16, with its Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, offers superior graphics performance and display brightness, making it highly favorable for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, while still proficient for engineering applications, has a less powerful AMD RX 7600S GPU and a screen with lower resolution and brightness, but it gains an edge in portability due to its lighter weight.
Screen Quality
8.3
7.5
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering a laptop for general use, the Acer Nitro's panel type, higher resolution and better brightness make it an excellent choice for crisp and clear viewing, but these specifications aren’t as critical for gaming, where it falls short due to a lower refresh rate. For engineering and design, the laptop’s wider color range ensures more accurate color representation, giving the Acer Nitro an edge. However, the lower refresh rate on the Acer Nitro compared to what's optimal for 3D work and high-end gaming makes it less suitable for these tasks, which could be a drawback for users focused on such activities.
Battery
9.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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
4.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$940
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 costs $940.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are suitable for general use due to their potent CPUs and ample RAM, providing smooth performance for everyday tasks. While both feature quality screens, the ASUS is more portable with better battery life, making it a better option for on-the-go use; however, the Acer has a brighter display and better heat management, which may enhance the user experience during extended use.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Acer Nitro 16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | ASUS TUF Gaming A16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $940 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.97'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.85 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 12 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 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 TUF Gaming A16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Dominic Bayley | May 2023
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
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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