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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is a strong choice with its high-resolution touchscreen, excellent color coverage, and a 3:2 aspect ratio that's great for productivity. It's also lighter and thinner, making it more suitable for on-the-go use. However, if you prioritize gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, the Acer Nitro 17 offers superior performance with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and larger screen, albeit at the cost of portability due to its larger size and weight. The Acer's faster refresh rate also makes it better for fast-motion content, but the Surface Laptop's PPI and color accuracy are superior for detailed visual work. Consider the Surface for general use and productivity with some light gaming, and the Acer for more demanding graphics tasks and gaming. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
- Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.6
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Screen Quality
7.4
7.8
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.04 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel Core Ultra 7 135H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8.7/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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