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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 is better suited for intensive gaming and engineering tasks with a high-performance graphics card and processor, a larger screen, and a high refresh rate, which is great for fast motion but it is heavier and has a bulkier gaming laptop appearance. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14, on the other hand, offers a higher level of portability with its lower weight and is equipped with a touchscreen. It's designed as a premium business laptop, with features such as a fingerprint reader and facial recognition for security, but it may not perform as well in graphically demanding situations. 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
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.5
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and better performance for demanding tasks. In contrast, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a less capable AMD Radeon 680M GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming and 3D-heavy activities despite its good screen quality and CPU.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.3
7.1
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, where clarity and comfort are key, the Acer Nitro 16's vibrant and bright display provides a visually engaging experience, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a slightly smaller screen but still maintains good quality for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, where color accuracy is critical, both laptops deliver with screens that cover a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that professionals see precise hues and shades. However, for gaming and 3D applications, which demand smooth motion and quick reflexes, the Acer Nitro 16 falls short as it lacks a high refresh rate, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" also does not prioritize the quick screen refresh necessary for optimal gaming experiences.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" outshines the Acer Nitro 16 in general use due to its superior portability, with a lighter weight and slightly longer battery life, coupled with a higher quality keyboard and speakers. Although both laptops have comparable CPU and RAM, the HP's touch-enabled, better-quality screen, along with a quieter operating noise and more effective heat management, contributes to a more user-friendly experience for everyday tasks.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
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."
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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