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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 is a higher-end laptop with a larger screen, better graphics, and overall superior performance which is suitable for intensive tasks like gaming or 3D modeling. As expected, it is also heavier making it less portable. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion 15 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and hence easier to carry around, but it has less power especially in terms of graphics performance, which makes it better suited for general everyday tasks rather than resource-heavy applications. The Pavilion's battery is also smaller, which could mean less usage time between charges compared to the Nitro. If price is a major concern and you only need a laptop for basic tasks, the Pavilion could be the right choice. However, if you rely on your laptop for demanding software and games, and are okay with a less portable device and a higher price, the Nitro would be more appropriate. 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the HP Pavilion 15
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and HP Pavilion 15 are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers robust performance with a higher end CPU and GPU, a better screen resolution and quality, but it is less portable and has moderate battery life, making it ideal for high-demand tasks at a fixed location. The HP Pavilion 15, on the other hand, is much more portable with excellent heat management and a lighter weight, but it has a lower-grade CPU and display, suiting it for general tasks on the go.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Pavilion 15 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.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, ideal for tasks that demand high processing power and graphic performance, common in engineering and design work; it also boasts a large, high-refresh rate IPS screen that enhances visual clarity.
Content Creation
7.8
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Nitro 17 and HP Pavilion 15 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.
Software Development
7.4
6.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
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
5.3
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17's screen, with its vibrant colors and clarity, benefits general usage and engineering tasks due to high resolution and color accuracy, ensuring detailed visuals and precise color representation which are essential for these activities. For engineering and design professionals, the coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB on the Acer Nitro 17 allows for a more true-to-life representation of colors, which is critical for tasks that demand color fidelity. However, the lower refresh rate of the Nitro 17 makes it less suitable for gaming and 3D work where smoother motion and quick screen updates are key, strengths that align with high refresh rate displays.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The HP Pavilion 15 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.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Pavilion 15 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.2
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the HP Pavilion 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$587
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the HP Pavilion 15 costs $587.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the HP Pavilion 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | HP Pavilion 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $587 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 9.5'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.53" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 Pavilion 15
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Alex Cox | August 2022
"The HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the HP Pavilion 15
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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