If you prioritize gaming or graphic-intensive tasks, the Acer Nitro may serve you well due to its robust graphics capabilities, but it is larger and heavier, which makes it less convenient for travel. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while usually more costly, offers greater portability and is known for its durability and business features, making it a good match for professional environments and everyday productivity with a balance of performance and battery life. Consider how much you value performance for specific tasks against the need for mobility and battery life when making your 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
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17, with its emphasis on CPU and RAM, excels in tasks requiring high performance, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad T14; the ThinkPad, while still delivering solid performance, offers better screen quality, longer battery life, and greater portability, making it more suitable for on-the-go general use. Moreover, while both laptops have ample storage and good keyboard quality, the ThinkPad typically has an edge in speaker quality and heat management, which can contribute to a more comfortable user experience during extended use.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.7/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
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
8.3/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 typically features a high-performance GPU and a faster screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications where smooth graphics and quick image rendering are crucial. On the other hand, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 may have a good CPU and decent screen quality for general use, its GPU and refresh rate may not match the Acer's, which makes it less optimal for those high-intensity visual tasks.
Software Development
7.4/10
8.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
6.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Acer Nitro 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 both have screens with suitable resolution, panel type, and brightness, making them pleasant for daily tasks like browsing and document editing. For engineering and design, their screens cover a broad range of colors, crucial for accurate visuals in professional graphics work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may result in less fluid motion and responsiveness, which are essential for a smooth visual experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Portability
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,241.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers robust CPU and GPU capabilities coupled with ample RAM, making it well-suited for demanding engineering tasks and design software that require significant processing power and high-quality graphics, although it is less portable due to its size and weight. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while still providing good performance and screen quality, emphasizes a balance with portability and has a reputation for an excellent keyboard, making it a more versatile option for engineers and designers who value mobility and typing comfort alongside computing power.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
110,895
Recommendations made
24,028
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.