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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated August 21, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a balance of performance and value, suitable for general use and gaming with its Ryzen 7 processor and RTX 4050 graphics card. It's more affordable, has a decent battery life, and is lighter, making it a better choice if you need a portable machine for everyday tasks and some gaming. However, its screen is less sharp and not as color-accurate as the Asus, and it lacks the premium build quality and advanced cooling system of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D. On the other hand, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, thanks to its Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor and RTX 4090 graphics card. It has a superior, higher-resolution display with better color reproduction, a faster refresh rate, and a higher contrast ratio, which is ideal for professional work and immersive gaming experiences. The Asus also boasts a more robust build quality and better thermal management, but it comes at a higher price, has a shorter battery life, and is heavier, making it less portable than the Acer. In summary, if you prioritize portability, cost-effectiveness, and have general use and casual gaming needs, the Acer Nitro 17 is the way to go. But if you're looking for top-tier performance, a superior display, and don't mind a heftier, pricier laptop, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is the better investment, especially for demanding tasks and serious gaming. 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
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
9.2
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
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
7.9
9.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for software development, though the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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
7.4
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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.
Cost
$970
$3,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D costs $3,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 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.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Acer Nitro 17 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $3,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 6, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 6.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 11.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 5.7/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
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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