For a balance of performance and portability, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is a strong contender. Its OLED display offers vibrant colors and deep contrasts, making it ideal for media consumption and light photo editing. The Intel Core Ultra processor and Intel Arc GPU provide ample power for everyday tasks and some light gaming or creative work. However, the Acer Nitro 17 shines for more demanding tasks like gaming and engineering applications, thanks to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 processor. It also has a larger screen, which can be beneficial for immersive gaming or multitasking. Keep in mind, the Acer's larger size and weight make it less portable than the ASUS. If you prioritize a superior display and portability for general use, the ASUS is the way to go. But for more intensive tasks and you don't mind a bulkier device, the Acer Nitro 17 is the better choice. 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 for gaming and AI
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.7/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Screen Quality
7.4/10
8.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Portability
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$1,249
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED costs $1,249.
The Acer Nitro 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both good for general use.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be very good 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.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
7.4/10
7.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 9 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
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 17 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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