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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 is a solid choice if you prioritize gaming performance, as it comes with a powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card. However, be aware that it's somewhat heavier and may have lower battery life compared to the Gateway 15.6", which could be more convenient for carrying around. The Gateway is generally less expensive and has a good display, but it has less graphical processing power due to its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, making it less ideal for intensive gaming or 3D tasks. Both laptops are similarly equipped with RAM and storage, making them suitable for general use and engineering tasks that don't rely heavily on GPU performance. 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 5 15 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 boasts a powerful CPU with gaming-capable graphics and a good-quality screen with a high refresh rate, making it a solid performer for general use but slightly less portable due to its weight. The Gateway 15.6" offers similar CPU and RAM specs for general tasks, with the advantage of being lighter and having better battery life, though it falls short in gaming performance and has lower screen quality compared to the Acer.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 excels in gaming and 3D applications largely due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which delivers smoother visuals and enhanced gaming performance compared to the Gateway 15.6", which comes with an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics card and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz. Although both laptops have similar CPUs and screen resolutions, the higher-end GPU and faster refresh rate in the Acer will provide a more responsive and immersive gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 stands out for engineering and design use with its powerful Intel i5 processor, a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and its high-quality IPS screen which supports brighter images and higher contrast ratio. Conversely, the Gateway 15.6" has a less powerful integrated GPU, lower screen brightness and contrast, and also offers a less robust cooling system, which makes it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, although it is lighter and thus more portable.
Content Creation
7.5
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 5 15 is somewhat better.
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
6.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
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
6.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a vibrant display with higher resolution and brightness, ensuring a clear and comfortable viewing experience in various lighting conditions. When it comes to engineering and design tasks, however, its color coverage isn't broad enough to guarantee accurate color representation, which is crucial for such work. On the other hand, while also suitable for everyday tasks, the Gateway's performance in Gaming and 3D falls short due to a lower refresh rate which is key for smooth motion rendering, making it less ideal for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
5.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Gateway 15.6" has 8 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
5.1
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$800
$600
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $800 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $600.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Gateway 15.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Gateway 15.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$800 | $600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 14.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | Unknown | |
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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 250 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Gateway 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | July 2022
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Gateway 15.6"
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 Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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