If you prioritize performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the Lenovo Legion 9i with a more powerful processor and graphics card would be a superior choice. However, it's more expensive and has a shorter battery life for typical usage. The Acer Nitro 17 is more budget-friendly, offers decent general performance, and has a longer battery life but is less powerful for demanding tasks. The Lenovo is also more portable with a lighter weight and smaller dimensions, despite a bigger price tag and lesser battery life. Both have similar storage and non-touch high refresh rate displays, but the Lenovo's display is sharper and brighter, enhancing visual work and entertainment. 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 battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out in general use due to its higher RAM capacity, a more powerful CPU, and superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness than the Acer Nitro 17; however, the Nitro 17 provides better portability with longer battery life, though it scores lower in keyboard and speaker quality compared to the Legion 9i.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
9.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is considered excellent for gaming and 3D because it has a more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4080, compared to the Acer Nitro 17's Nvidia RTX 4050, contributing to better graphic performance; both have similar screen refresh rates, which is critical for smooth gameplay. Additionally, the Lenovo Legion 9i offers a mini LED display with higher resolution, enhancing screen quality, which complements its more capable CPU, boosting overall gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
9.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i outshines the Acer Nitro 17 for engineering and design owing to its substantially stronger processor, double the RAM, and a more advanced GPU, all enhancing intense application performance; concurrently, the Legion 9i's superior Mini LED display with higher resolution provides sharper and more vibrant visuals. The Nitro 17, despite having a capable setup with a solid AMD processor and Nvidia GPU, offers lower screen quality and may not keep pace with more demanding tasks as smoothly as the Legion 9i, which also boasts better speaker quality but at the cost of heavier weight and less portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is 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
8.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
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
7.4/10
9.7/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a decent balance of resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and engineering applications where precise color representation is not critical. The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out with its high-resolution display and wide color gamut coverage, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which is paramount for professionals in engineering and design who require color accuracy. However, both laptops fall short for 3D uses due to their lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smoothness required for gaming and rendering fast-paced graphics.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
"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 Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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