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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Nitro 16 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 depends on your priorities. If high performance for gaming or demanding applications is what you need, and you're okay with the higher cost and a weightier device, the Acer Nitro 16 with its advanced graphics and more powerful processor would serve you well. However, if you want a more affordable, lightweight device with the flexibility of a 2-in-1 convertible that can function as both a laptop and a tablet, then the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is a better pick, albeit with less power and graphics capability than the Acer. Both have similar display sizes and resolutions, but the battery life will be longer on the Lenovo, which can be a major advantage for on-the-go use. Keep in mind that the Acer offers you better gaming and engineering capabilities while the Lenovo offers versatility and cost savings. 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
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which provides smoother visuals, especially in fast-paced scenarios. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, on the other hand, offers a more modest gaming experience with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it suitable for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 stands out for engineering and design due to its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, which provide powerful performance and graphics rendering capabilities, making it suitable for compute-intensive tasks and 3D modeling, although it's heavier and makes it less portable. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, while also having a solid Intel CPU and integrated graphics, offers the versatility of a 2-in-1 convertible design with touch capability and a lighter build for better portability but with slightly less emphasis on high-end graphics performance.
Screen Quality
8.3
7.3
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 16 likely has a high resolution and bright display, making it crisp and clear for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate hampers gaming experiences. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 also offers a good display for everyday use and engineering tasks due to decent color accuracy and brightness, but it falls short for gaming due to its refresh rate. Both laptops probably don't meet the high refresh rate demands of 3D gaming, which is essential for smooth motion and gameplay.
Battery
9.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$779
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16's powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU make it suitable for heavier tasks and ensure smooth general performance, while its high screen brightness and color coverage contribute to a good visual experience, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to its counterpart. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its Intel CPU and integrated graphics, provides ample performance for everyday tasks, and its lighter weight and longer battery life enhance portability, while its 2-in-1 convertible design and touch-enabled screen offer versatility for general use.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Flex 5 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
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Flex 5 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.0
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 52.5 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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