The Acer Nitro 16 provides better performance for intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, supported by its powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card, but it's more expensive and less portable. The ASUS Vivobook 15 is more budget-friendly and lightweight, making it very portable, but with its Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics, it's better suited for general use rather than demanding tasks. The Acer has a larger, higher resolution display, which is useful for detailed work and entertainment, while the ASUS is more compact with a smaller screen. Remember, the Acer has a longer battery life compared to the ASUS, which might be important if you frequently work on the go. 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 15
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is rated higher for general use due to its superior CPU, larger RAM, and better screen quality, making demanding tasks and multimedia more fluid and visually pleasant; however, it's heavier and bulkier, affecting portability and has a shorter battery life than the ASUS Vivobook 15, which is more portable due to its lighter weight and longer battery life but falls behind in performance with a less powerful CPU and less RAM, making multitasking and intensive applications less seamless. The ASUS Vivobook 15's screen and general hardware might suffice for basic tasks, but it lacks the high-performance components and robust screen features of the Acer Nitro 16.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
5.9/10
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 15 is poor.
The Acer Nitro 16, equipped with a high-performance Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, is very good for gaming and 3D tasks, providing smooth visuals and detailed graphics. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15 has a less powerful Intel integrated graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, making it only fair for such activities and not as suited for demanding graphical tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
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 15 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 excels in engineering and design due to its higher-end CPU, more RAM, and superior GPU which greatly benefit resource-intensive applications, along with a high-quality screen that ensures precise color and detail for design work. The ASUS Vivobook 15, while still capable, offers more modest specifications in these areas, making it less optimal for such demanding tasks but more appealing for those prioritizing portability and lower operating noise.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
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 15 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
6.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
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 15 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
15.6in
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 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you're looking for a laptop primarily for general use, the Acer Nitro 16 offers a better visual experience as it likely comes with a higher resolution and brighter display, making text and images sharp and easy to see. For engineering and design tasks, where color accuracy is crucial, the same laptop stands out due to its superior color range coverage, essential for precise color work. However, if your focus is on gaming or 3D applications, despite its clarity, the Acer's lower refresh rate might lead to less smooth visuals compared to other laptops specifically designed with higher refresh rates for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$530
$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 15 costs $530.
"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 Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the ASUS Vivobook 15
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.
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.