The Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen, a more powerful processor, and a higher-capacity battery, making it suitable for intensive gaming and demanding tasks such as 3D rendering and machine learning. However, it is less portable due to its size and weight. The Gigabyte A5 is more affordable, slightly more compact, and lighter, which enhances its portability, but comes with a less potent processor and graphics card. If battery life and easy carrying are your priorities, the Gigabyte A5 may suit you, but for better performance in gaming and professional applications, the Acer Nitro 17 is the preferable 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
The Acer Nitro 17 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte A5.
Advantages of the Gigabyte A5
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen, higher storage capacity, and a more powerful CPU which can provide smoother multitasking and better handling of demanding applications; however, it's less portable and has a shorter battery life than the Gigabyte A5, which compensates with its own solid performance and better portability due to a smaller screen and lighter weight.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
7.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17 and the Gigabyte A5 both offer solid CPU and GPU configurations that are essential for engineering and design tasks, with the former featuring a newer graphics card and the latter having a higher contrast display, both with quality IPS panels. The Acer is less portable due to its larger size and weight, while the Gigabyte, being lighter and more compact, could be more comfortable for on-the-go use; however, this comes at the expense of a shorter battery life and a smaller screen size compared to the Acer.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 have panels with adequate resolution and brightness, making text and images clear and easy to interact with during everyday tasks. Engineers and designers would find that both laptops display a wide range of colors accurately, which is crucial for precise visual work. However, gamers may be disappointed with both models as their screens don't refresh as quickly, leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced games.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte A5 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$830
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a high-refresh-rate screen and a powerful GPU, which are very important for gaming and 3D tasks, paired with a strong CPU, ensuring smooth performance. Meanwhile, the Gigabyte A5 also offers a good refresh rate and a capable GPU for gaming, albeit with a somewhat less powerful CPU, appealing to those prioritizing a balance between performance and cost.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 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
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gigabyte A5 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 Gigabyte A5 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."
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Gigabyte A5
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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