A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 is less expensive and sports a large 17.3-inch screen, making it suitable for immersive gaming and multitasking. However, its larger size and weight reduce its portability. The battery life is suitable for typical use. It features an AMD Ryzen process and an Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card, providing solid performance for general use and gaming. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is pricier but offers superior performance with an Intel i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which is better suited for demanding 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, and intensive gaming. It has a smaller 15.6-inch screen with a high refresh rate, yielding smoother visuals, especially in fast-paced games. Additionally, its smaller size and lighter weight make it more portable, although battery life is similar to the Acer Nitro 17. Both laptops are gaming-oriented, with backlit keyboards and ample storage. 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 17
- Good battery life
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
8.3
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is highly suited for gaming and 3D tasks thanks to its superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a very high screen refresh rate, creating smoother visuals. While the Acer Nitro 17 is a good option with a decent Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and an above-average screen refresh rate, it falls short of the ASUS's performance, important for demanding games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17, with an AMD Ryzen CPU and RTX 4050 GPU, offers reliable performance for engineering tasks, but the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 outperforms it with a higher-tier Intel i9 CPU and RTX 3070 Ti GPU, which are more capable for intensive design work. While both have quality IPS displays, the ASUS's higher screen refresh rate may benefit design precision, though the Acer's larger screen size could be preferred for multitasking; both compromise on portability due to size and weight.
Screen Quality
7.4
7.9
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
If you prioritize a vibrant display and do crisp work in engineering or design, consider the Acer Nitro 17 or ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 as both offer high resolution and a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate and vivid color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications where motion clarity is key, both these laptops may fall short as they lack high refresh rates which are essential for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes. For everyday tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, or document editing, both will serve you well with their bright, clear screens, but for specialized tasks, your experience may vary based on the laptops' specific screen attributes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen and longer battery life, which is great for general use, but it's heavier and less portable compared to the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, which has a more powerful CPU and GPU better suited for performance-intensive tasks but with shorter battery life. Both laptops provide high-quality displays and adequate RAM, but the ROG Strix Scar 15 boasts a higher refresh rate and enhanced color coverage, making it superior for both work and play activities, although it does come at the cost of being less portable and having a slightly shorter battery life than the Nitro 17.
Content Creation
7.8
8.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 17 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
7.4
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 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 17 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 13.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 13.94" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 300Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 283 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | No Webcam | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | May 2022
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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