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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 is less expensive and has a good balance of general use, gaming, and engineering capabilities with hardware ray tracing and DLSS for improved graphics. However, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, while more expensive, offers significantly enhanced performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, owing to its more powerful processor and graphics card. Both have similar battery life and portability, but the Strix has a much higher refresh rate display, which can offer smoother visuals in fast-motion scenarios like gaming. If top-tier performance for demanding applications is required, the ASUS is justifiable; otherwise, the Acer offers a more budget-friendly option with respectable capabilities. 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
- The Acer Nitro 5 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15.
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
8.3
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and 3D because it has a more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, and a higher screen refresh rate of 300Hz, compared to the Acer Nitro 5 15's Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and 144Hz screen refresh rate. While both laptops have quality IPS displays and capable CPUs, the superior GPU and refresh rate of the ASUS make it more suitable for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
6.9
7.9
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5's screen is well-received because it likely offers a decent resolution and brightness, giving clear and vibrant images for everyday tasks, but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, which can limit smoothness and responsiveness in fast-paced environments. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, with its good screen, benefits engineering and design users with wider color gamuts, providing more accurate color representation needed for precision work, but may disappoint gamers due to a suboptimal refresh rate compared to specialized gaming displays. In both cases, the lower ratings for gaming and 3D indicate that neither laptop has the high refresh rate demanded by these scenarios, which can detract from the immersive and fluid experience gamers seek.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 5 15 both have only fair portability, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 5 15 both have good build quality, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 with a mid-range processor and graphics card, sufficient memory, and ample storage provides adequate power for everyday tasks, but its heavier weight and lower screen refresh rate might not suit those needing extremely smooth visuals or frequent mobility.
Content Creation
7.5
8.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 to be 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
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 13.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 13.94" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i9-12900H | |
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 | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 300Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 283 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | No Webcam | |
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 | 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."
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | May 2022
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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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