If portability and longer battery life for general use are priorities, the Razer Book 13 is a strong choice due to its smaller, lighter design, and efficient power usage. However, for more performance-intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering or engineering software, the Acer Nitro 17 with its dedicated GPU and larger screen would be preferable, despite being larger and having a shorter battery life. The Razer Book 13, with its integrated graphics, may not be suitable for heavy graphics tasks despite its high-resolution touchscreen and overall build quality. The Acer is generally less expensive, but if a compact and premium build is important along with a touchscreen, the Razer Book offers those qualities at a slightly higher price point. 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
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Razer Book 13
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Razer Book 13 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications because it is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and offers a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which can improve the visual fluidity in games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
7.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Razer Book 13 are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a larger screen with a high refresh rate, catering to engineering simulations and design tasks that benefit from graphic performance and display real estate, while the Razer Book 13 offers a more portable form factor with a high-resolution touchscreen and Intel's integrated Iris Xe graphics which can handle less demanding engineering applications and offer convenience for on-the-go design work. However, while both have ample RAM and capable CPUs, the Acer's AMD Ryzen 7 and focus on gaming imply stronger computational capabilities required for more intensive engineering software compared to the Razer's Intel i7 processor.
Screen Quality
7.4/10
7.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
507.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Razer Book 13 for gaming and AI, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro 17 and the Razer Book 13 offer screens with clear visuals and sufficient brightness, making activities like browsing and watching videos comfortable experiences. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops have displays that represent colors accurately, which is crucial for professionals who rely on color fidelity for their work. However, both fall short for gaming and 3D due to lower refresh rates, which means they aren't as smooth in displaying fast-moving visuals, an aspect that's crucial for immersive gaming and fluid 3D rendering.
Battery
8.0 Hours
14.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Razer Book 13 has 14 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Razer Book 13 has excellent 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 Razer Book 13 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
$1,389
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Razer Book 13 costs $1,389.
The Acer Nitro 17 and Razer Book 13 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a large screen and potent CPU and GPU for solid performance, adequate for a variety of tasks, but it is heavier and has less battery life which impacts portability. In contrast, the Razer Book 13 provides a more portable package with better battery life and high-quality screen, although its integrated graphics may not handle intensive tasks as well, it remains a competent choice for general use.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Razer Book 13 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
7.4/10
7.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Razer Book 13 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Razer Book 13 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."
"The Razer Book is like an XPS 13, but faster. The Book 13 combines the design philosophy and performance of a Blade Stealth with the 16:10 display of a Dell XPS 13 for an impressive piece of hardware. Office users who want something more stylish than the typical Dell, HP or Lenovo will certainly find themselves drawn to this Razer subnotebook. If your priorities are to have the best-looking and fastest 13-inch laptop in the office over auxiliary features, however, then the Book 13 proudly fulfills that niche."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Razer Book 13
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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.