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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 is much more expensive than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" but offers better performance, especially for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, thanks to its superior processor and graphics card. It also has a higher resolution display, more RAM, and a faster refresh rate which is beneficial for fast-paced games and intensive engineering applications. However, it's heavier and has a smaller screen compared to the Lenovo, which might be less ideal for portability. The Lenovo offers a larger screen and is lighter, making it more comfortable for general use and better for carrying around, but it has less powerful performance capabilities. If portability and cost are top priorities, then the Lenovo is more suitable, but if performance and gaming are more important, then the Acer would be the better choice. 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 overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers more powerful performance with a better CPU and more RAM which is great for multitasking and more demanding applications, but it's less portable due to its heavier weight and slightly lower battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" that offers a larger screen and lighter design favorable for extended use and portability, although with less computing power and memory capacity.
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.1
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
9.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
6.6
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is ideal for engineering tasks because it has a stronger processor, more RAM, a higher-end graphics card, and a higher resolution display, which means it can handle complex computations and render detailed visuals smoothly.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.7
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, where clarity, sharpness, and the ability to comfortably view the screen for extended periods matter, the Acer Nitro 16 stands out with its higher resolution and brightness, making text and images crisper and more vibrant. When it comes to engineering and design, the Acer's superior color coverage means it can display a wider range of colors more accurately, essential for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's lower refresh rate hampers its ability to render fast-moving images smoothly, which is less than ideal for a seamless visual experience in these scenarios.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,050
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
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 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
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
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
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 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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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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