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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming performance and newer hardware, the Acer Nitro 16 with its stronger graphics card and more recent processor will handle intensive gaming and 3D rendering better. However, it is slightly heavier and offers a higher resolution with a smaller screen size compared to the Lenovo Legion 5 17", which might be preferred for its larger display despite lower resolution. The Legion's older processor and graphics card, while less powerful, should still perform well for general use and engineering tasks. The Nitro has a higher battery capacity, likely meaning better battery life, which is worth considering if you're often on the go. Both are midrange in price and offer similar storage and RAM, so your decision may come down to whether you want a more portable machine with a large screen (Lenovo) or better gaming and engineering performance (Acer). 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 battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has no clear advantages over the Acer Nitro 16.
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers a stronger CPU and GPU combination for swift general use and multitasking, a higher-resolution screen for clearer images, and a longer battery life for extended use without charging. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" provides a larger screen for better visibility and a more comfortable visual experience, but it is less portable due to its greater size and weight and has a shorter battery life which may limit mobility.
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.4
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and 3D due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher refresh rate screen, which allows for smoother visuals and better responsiveness. Comparatively, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is still good for similar tasks given its capable Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a decent refresh rate, though not as high as the Acer's, resulting in slightly less fluid graphics during intense gaming or 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Acer Nitro 16, with a more recent and powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4070, as well as a higher-resolution and brighter screen, makes it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" features an older RTX 3060 GPU, and a lower resolution screen, making it less optimal for intensive workloads despite being good. Additional RAM or storage can be easily added to both laptops; however, the Acer's superior screen and GPU provide an advantage in visual clarity and computational power for professional applications, with a tradeoff in it being slightly less portable due to higher weight.
Content Creation
7.8
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
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
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
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
7.3
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 16’s screen offers vibrant colors and sharp visuals due to its high resolution and brightness, providing an appealing visual experience for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, its wide color gamuts ensure accurate color reproduction, which is critical for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the lower refresh rate of the Acer Nitro 16’s screen means it’s less suitable for fast-paced visuals compared to models with higher refresh rates.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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.
Cost
$1,275
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,275 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 16 to have only fair portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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 Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,275 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 80 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Lenovo Legion 5 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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