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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Acer Swift 3 depends on your specific needs. The Acer Nitro 5 15, with its higher price, offers superior performance suitable for gaming, 3D work, and engineering software, but it may be bulkier and have a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3 is more affordable, lighter, and likely has a longer battery life, which is great for general use and portability, but it may not handle intensive tasks as well. Consider what you’ll use your laptop for most and whether the additional performance or portability aligns with your priorities. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.3
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 excels in gaming and 3D activities as it has a higher-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which are critical for smooth and detailed gaming graphics. Conversely, the Acer Swift 3 has a less powerful integrated Iris Xe GPU and standard refresh rate, making it capable for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks, but not as efficient for intensive scenarios.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Nitro 5 15 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is highly suitable for engineering and design due to its capable CPU, substantial RAM, dedicated Nvidia GPU for complex graphics tasks, and a quality IPS screen, but it is heavier and therefore less portable. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3 still performs well for engineering with a solid CPU and comparable RAM, adds portability with its lighter weight, and has a touchscreen, though it relies on integrated graphics which are less suited for intensive graphics work.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 has a better screen for engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a display that's sharp and bright enough for everyday tasks and some professional applications, but its color range may fall short for precise engineering and design work, and the lower refresh rate could detract from the smooth visuals expected in gaming and 3D. The Acer Swift 3, while also providing a clear and bright display suitable for a variety of general tasks and engineering applications with better color coverage, may not deliver the high refresh rate that gaming and 3D modeling require. In both cases, the limitations in refresh rates make them less ideal for the fluid motion graphics demanded by high-end gaming and 3D rendering, despite their adequacy in resolution and panel quality for general use.
Battery
5.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$780
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is equipped with a dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate display, making it well-suited for general use that may include casual gaming, while its larger size and weight impact portability. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3's lighter weight and longer battery life make it exceptionally portable for general use, though its integrated GPU offers less power for graphically intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Nitro 5 15 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
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Nitro 5 15 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The Acer Swift 3 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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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Acer Swift 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 12.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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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Dig into reviews and images
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 Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Acer Swift 3
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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