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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 cater to different needs. The Nitro 17, being less expensive, offers a larger screen, better for gaming with its higher refresh rate, and a gaming laptop appearance. It's less portable and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the ThinkPad Z16, while more expensive, boasts superior display quality with a higher resolution OLED touchscreen, making it excellent for professional creative work. It has more storage, more RAM, and a premium business look with better portability and battery life. Choose the Nitro 17 if price and gaming are priorities, or the ThinkPad Z16 for top-tier screen quality and business use. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 surpasses the Acer Nitro 17 in general use due to its higher-quality OLED screen, more RAM, and lighter, slimmer design, which contribute to better performance and enhanced portability despite having slightly less battery life. However, the Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen and is better equipped for gaming thanks to its GPU, but it is heavier and bulkier, making it less portable.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.7
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a high-refresh-rate screen and a capable Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, ideal for smooth and responsive gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while it has a lesser screen refresh rate, compensates with an AMD RX 6500M GPU and superior overall screen quality, including OLED technology, which is excellent for vibrant colors and deep blacks in both gaming and 3D content.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out for engineering and design due to its double the storage capacity, twice as much RAM, and superior OLED screen with a higher resolution over the Acer Nitro 17, enhancing workflow and visual detail for complex tasks. While the Acer Nitro 17 does have a larger screen and a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU which is good for certain types of graphical tasks, it falls short in portability and has lower screen quality when compared to the ThinkPad Z16's attributes.
Content Creation
7.8
8.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a well-rounded display for everyday tasks with sufficient resolution and brightness, but for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate can hinder the smoothness and responsiveness needed. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with a high-resolution, bright screen excels in providing vivid and accurate colors crucial for engineering and design work, but like the Nitro, falls short for gaming due to a less optimal refresh rate. Both laptops are not ideal for gaming and 3D work, where displays with high refresh rates are essential for optimal performance.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
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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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