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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 15 generally comes at a lower price and is adequate for general use and casual gaming, offering a midrange graphics card and a standard display resolution with an average refresh rate. However, if you are looking for higher performance suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering tasks, the Acer Predator Helios 16, which costs more, features a more powerful processor and graphics card, a higher-resolution screen with a wider color gamut, and an extended battery life. The Predator Helios also provides a higher storage capacity. Both models have similar portability, but the Helios may offer a slightly better screen for creative work with its superior color accuracy and contrast. 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 5 15
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
8.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers superior gaming and 3D performance compared to the Acer Nitro 5 15 due to its more powerful GPU (Nvidia RTX 4070 vs. RTX 4050) and higher screen refresh rate (240Hz vs. 144Hz), which translates into smoother visuals and potentially better responsiveness during gameplay. While both laptops have capable CPUs and quality screens, the Predator's advantages in critical gaming specs make it more suitable for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is more suitable for engineering and design tasks because it has a higher-end CPU and GPU, which are essential for demanding applications, and a superior screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, crucial for detailed work. On the other hand, the Acer Nitro 5 15, while still capable, offers lower processing power and screen quality, making it a more budget-friendly option but less optimal for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for software development, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.
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
6.9
8.8
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
498.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
Acer Nitro 5's screen, with its adequate resolution and brightness, offers a comfortable viewing experience for browsing, streaming, and productivity tasks, which are typical in general use. For engineering and design, its fair screen quality suggests it covers enough colors to suffice for some design work, but professionals may require better color accuracy found in laptops with higher color gamut coverage. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the Nitro 5 falls short due to a lower refresh rate which makes for less fluid motion, a drawback for fast-paced visuals and detailed graphics work.
Cost
$780
$1,599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Acer Predator Helios 16 costs $1,599.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
498.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 5 15 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 5 15 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 5 15 and the Acer Predator Helios 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Acer Predator Helios 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $1,599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 10.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-13700HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 498 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 15
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
Acer Predator Helios 16
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IGN
Samuel Horti | June 2023
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Acer Predator Helios 16
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.
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