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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 is less expensive and has a solid performance, making it a good choice for general use and gaming on a budget. It has an AMD processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics, sufficient for many tasks and lighter gaming. However, the Lenovo Legion 9i, while more costly, offers superior performance, particularly for intensive engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its Intel processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics. It also boasts better build quality, keyboard, speakers, and a Mini LED screen which provides a sharper and more color-accurate display. If portability is crucial, both laptops are similar in weight, but the Legion 9i has a slightly longer battery life for typical use. If you prioritize performance over cost and want a high-end experience, the Legion 9i stands out, otherwise, the Nitro 16 offers good value for less intensive usage. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
8.0
9.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
The Acer Nitro 16's RTX 4070 GPU and IPS screen with a high refresh rate offer strong gaming and 3D performance, while the Lenovo Legion 9i's higher-end RTX 4080 GPU and Mini LED screen not only push the envelope in graphics but also provide a brighter display with richer colors, making it an exceptional choice for serious gamers and professionals in 3D work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for engineering and design use because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU than the Acer Nitro 16, along with a higher resolution mini LED display which provides better screen quality. While the Acer Nitro 16 is still very good with a respectable processor, plenty of RAM, and a robust GPU suitable for demanding tasks, the screen quality doesn't measure up to the Legion’s, and its components are just a step behind in performance, making it less ideal for the most intensive engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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
8.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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
9.7
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 16's strong resolution and brightness contribute to its very good screen quality for everyday tasks and engineering, while its color gamut supports detailed design work, but its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming where fluid motion is key. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion 9i excels in screen quality across general use and engineering due to top-notch resolution, brightness, and extensive color ranges, ensuring crisp, vivid visuals for precision tasks, but like the Acer, it falls short for gaming due to a subpar refresh rate. Gaming enthusiasts would notice less smooth visuals during fast-paced action, despite the good image quality presented by both laptops.
Battery
9.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Acer Nitro 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.4/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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