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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 offers robust performance and is better suited for gaming and engineering tasks due to its powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card; it will excel in 3D rendering and machine learning as well. However, it is also heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may be a concern if you require mobility and long hours away from a power source. On the other hand, the Gateway 11.6" is much more affordable and portable, with a lighter build and longer battery life, but it's far less powerful due to its Intel Celeron processor and basic Intel UHD graphics, making it more appropriate for general use or lightweight tasks. 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 general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Nitro 17, with robust processing power from an AMD Ryzen 7 chip, ample 16GB of RAM, and a quality screen, stands out for general use, at the expense of portability given its larger size and weight. Conversely, the Gateway 11.6" laptop's lower-tier Intel Celeron processor, minimal 4GB of RAM, and inferior screen quality make it a less suitable option for general use, despite its better portability attributed to a smaller size and lightweight build.
Gaming and AI
7.4
5.4
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which are very important for gaming and running 3D applications efficiently. In contrast, the Gateway 11.6" uses an Intel UHD Graphics 600, has a basic refresh rate of 60Hz, and notably inferior processing power, making it unsuitable for those tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
5.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Nitro 17 is suited for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, substantial RAM, dedicated Nvidia graphics, and a quality IPS screen, which support demanding software. Conversely, the Gateway 11.6" falls short with a basic Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, integrated graphics, and a lower-resolution screen that can't handle intensive tasks as effectively.
Content Creation
7.8
5.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17, with its higher resolution and brightness, offers a clearer and more vibrant display suited for various tasks, making it good for general use and engineering, where precise colors and sharp details are crucial. However, its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops means gamers may not experience the fluid motion they prefer for fast-paced games. The Gateway 11.6" falls short in providing a satisfactory visual experience across the board due to its lower resolution, brightness, and narrow color gamut, leading to less impressive display performance for any demanding visual tasks.
Portability
Poor
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
5.1
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$89
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" has 8 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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 Gateway 11.6"
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 Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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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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