The Acer Nitro 16 offers significantly better performance for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D rendering, and gaming. It has a much more powerful main processor and GPU, which ensures smooth performance for demanding applications. It also boasts a higher refresh rate screen which is better for gaming and fast-moving visuals. However, the ASUS Vivobook 14 is much lighter and offers greater portability, along with a lower price, making it easier to carry and more budget-friendly. The Vivobook 14 also has a smaller screen, which contributes to its portability, but at the cost of screen real estate compared to the Acer Nitro 16. The Nitro 16 has a longer battery life and a display with higher color accuracy and resolution, while the Vivobook's shorter battery life and less color accuracy might be enough for general use and less intensive tasks. Consider the Acer Nitro 16 if performance and gaming are priorities, or the ASUS Vivobook 14 for budget-conscious, everyday use 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 Nitro 16
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is rated higher for general use due to its superior CPU, more RAM, and a higher quality display, all of which contribute to better performance and a more pleasant visual experience, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the ASUS Vivobook 14. In contrast, the Vivobook's lower weight and longer battery life make it more suitable for on-the-go use, although its performance and screen quality are not as good due to a less powerful CPU and less RAM, which might affect multitasking and demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is favored for engineering and design due to its high-performance AMD Ryzen processor, RTX graphics card, substantial RAM, and higher quality screen, making it well-suited for demanding tasks that require advanced computation and detailed visual representations. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 14 has a more modest Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, less RAM, and a screen that, while adequate for everyday use, may not meet the demands of intensive engineering and graphics work, even though its lighter and more compact form factor offers better portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
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
6.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 14 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 16 likely has a high-resolution display and solid brightness, making it visually appealing for tasks like watching videos and browsing the web, which is why it excels in general use and engineering. Its strong suit in engineering and design can also be attributed to a wider color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction crucial for those fields. However, its lower refresh rate might be the reason for its subpar performance in gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion and quick screen updates are critical for an optimal experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 14 has 7 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$480
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the ASUS Vivobook 14 costs $480.
"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 Nitro 16 or the ASUS Vivobook 14
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.
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.
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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
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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.