Choose the Acer Nitro 16 for a robust gaming and engineering experience, as its GPU is better suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. However, it comes at a higher price point and is less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers good general use and engineering performance at a more affordable price and is significantly lighter, making it easier to carry around. The battery life on the Lenovo is shorter, but if your priority is portability and cost over cutting-edge performance, it's a worthy option. 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 gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 stands out for gaming and 3D due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, enhancing visual fluidity and gaming performance. While the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is also equipped with a capable Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU for good gaming experiences, its lower refresh rate compared to the Acer Nitro 16 makes it less optimal for the fastest-paced games where screen refresh speed is crucial. Both laptops feature quality IPS screens and proficient CPUs, but the Acer's GPU and refresh rate make it better suited for very demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 16 boasts a screen with excellent color accuracy and high resolution, important for general use and detailed engineering tasks, but its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for 3D applications, where smooth motion is key. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers sharp and bright visuals for everyday tasks, and respectable color coverage that benefits engineering and design work, while also falling short in refresh rate, which is a disadvantage for gaming and 3D modeling. Both laptops may lack the fluidity in display that gamers and 3D designers seek, but excel in providing clear, vibrant images for more static visual needs.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$950
$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 Pro 5i costs $950.
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 16 is equipped with a strong AMD Ryzen CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, both of which are ideal for demanding engineering software and provide high-quality visuals on its IPS display, but it trades off some portability due to its weight and thickness.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
7.7/10
7.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Acer Nitro 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i compare to other laptops
"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’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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.
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.