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 offers a larger screen, better GPU for gaming and engineering tasks, and additional features suited for gaming with a midrange price tag and is slightly heavier, making it less portable. On the other hand, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14 is lighter and more portable with superior battery life and build quality, with a touchscreen and higher resolution display, but has a less powerful GPU, which makes it less ideal for gaming or intensive engineering and 3D tasks. It is recommended to weigh the importance of portability and everyday use against performance for specialized tasks when choosing between the two. 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
7.1
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for gaming and AI, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen for content creation.
When considering the Acer Nitro 17 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, their good screen quality comes from a combination of adequate resolution, panel type, and brightness, ensuring clear and vivid visuals suitable for everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design tasks, these laptops provide good screen quality because they cover a range of colors accurately, important for professionals who rely on precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are essential, their screens are less suitable due to lower refresh rates, which could lead to motion blur and less smooth transitions in dynamic scenes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" outperforms the Acer Nitro 17 in general use primarily due to its increased portability, longer battery life, and higher quality display, while both boast a capable CPU and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks. Although the Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen and dedicated graphics, which are beneficial for gaming and visually intensive tasks, its bulkier size, shorter battery life, and heavier weight limit its appeal for users prioritizing portability and all-day use.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a high-performance GPU and a CPU that is suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, and its larger screen with high refresh rate makes detailed design work more comfortable. Conversely, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" provides better portability due to its lighter weight and more compact size, and its screen boasts higher quality with better resolution, brightness, and color accuracy, making it ideal for precision in design and color-critical work.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for content creation.
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
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8.3/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
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."
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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