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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For those who need a powerful laptop for gaming or intensive engineering tasks and can handle some extra weight, the Acer Nitro 5 15 comes at a lower price range with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a high refresh rate screen. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. The ASUS Zenbook S 13, on the other hand, is significantly lighter with a longer battery life and better screen quality, including an OLED display, which makes it excellent for general use and portability. It is more expensive, has an integrated graphics card, and might not handle intensive gaming or engineering tasks as well as the Acer. 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
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
- 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
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 15, with a robust CPU and dedicated graphics card, can handle general computing and some gaming, offering a balance between price and performance but with less portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use due to its higher-resolution OLED screen, more RAM, top-tier CPU, and longer battery life, making it highly portable but also commanding a higher price.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 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.
Content Creation
7.5
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 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
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
6.9
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
365.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you primarily use your laptop for everyday tasks like browsing the internet or working with office applications, the ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its superior panel type, higher resolution, and brightness, will offer a clearer and more vivid display. However, for engineering and design work, where accurate color reproduction is crucial, the Zenbook's higher coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB means more true-to-life colors. On the other hand, for gaming and 3D applications that demand smooth motion, the Acer Nitro 5's lower refresh rate makes it less suitable compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates in mind.
Battery
5.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 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
Best in Class
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$780
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the ASUS Zenbook S 13 costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook S 13 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is equipped with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and an IPS screen, making it capable for engineering and design tasks that involve graphics, yet its screen quality is not as superior as the ASUS Zenbook S 13, which boasts a higher-resolution OLED display for more precise color and image quality, along with double the RAM for more complex multitasking. While the Nitro may excel in certain performance aspects due to its GPU, the Zenbook's portability, courtesy of its lighter weight and smaller size, in conjunction with its premium screen and double the storage, make it very suitable for on-the-go professionals who prioritize screen quality and multitasking over raw graphics performance.
Build Quality
7.2
7.6
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 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 ASUS Zenbook S 13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | ASUS Zenbook S 13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 11.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 8.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-1355U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 63 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 365 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 | 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."
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the ASUS Zenbook S 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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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