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Updated January 12, 2024·
For intensive tasks, including gaming, 3D modeling, or engineering simulations, the Acer Nitro 16 with its powerful AMD processor and Nvidia RTX graphics may be a better choice as it can handle more demanding applications and provides a smoother experience with its higher refresh rate display. However, it is bulkier and less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which offers a more lightweight and compact form with a sharper, touch-enabled display that's great for general use or business applications. The Surface Laptop also offers better portability due to its lighter weight and is suitable for on-the-go productivity. The Acer might have a longer battery life but the Surface Laptop balances that with a more premium build and possibly better color accuracy for visual work. Both run Windows 11 Home, but if you appreciate a larger screen and anticipate performing resource-intensive tasks frequently, Acer Nitro 16 is preferable; if portability, touch display, and a sleek design are more crucial, Surface Laptop 5 13" might serve you better. 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.1
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.1
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Acer Nitro 16's high-performance CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, along with a larger and higher resolution screen, make it well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 offers greater portability and a touchscreen but has a less powerful integrated GPU, which may not be optimal for the most intensive applications.
Screen Quality
8.3
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Acer Nitro 16 stands out with its high resolution and brightness, which make for sharp and vivid images ideal for everyday tasks. For engineering and design professionals, the same model offers a wide range of colors, covering significant portions of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spectrums, ensuring accurate color representation which is crucial for detail-oriented work. However, the Acer Nitro 16 falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, meaning it isn't as smooth as other screens tailored for high-frame-rate gaming, where smooth motion and quick image changes are key.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, which makes it suitable for general use and beyond, including more demanding tasks and gaming, though its larger screen and heavier weight reduce its portability compared to lighter options. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" with its Intel CPU and integrated GPU is also well-equipped for general use, provides a high-quality touch-enabled screen, and boasts superior portability and battery life, which is ideal for users who prioritize mobility and longer use away from a power source.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
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 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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