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Updated January 10, 2024·
In choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", think about your primary needs. If you require a laptop with a faster graphics card for intensive gaming or 3D work, the Acer Nitro 5 with its Nvidia RTX 4050 will be a better option. However, it is heavier, which compromises its portability. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, on the other hand, offers a larger screen size and considerably longer battery life, which could be more suitable for general use and media consumption. It is also lighter, enhancing its portability, but it has a less powerful integrated GPU, making it less suitable for demanding gaming or graphic work. The Lenovo is generally less expensive, but with lower general and engineering performance scores than the Acer. Both models come with similar storage capacity, but the Acer has more RAM, which can improve multitasking and performance in resource-intensive applications. 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 overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.1
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
9.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which offer better performance and smoother visuals compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", which is equipped with an integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15's stronger CPU and GPU, along with more RAM, make it ideal for demanding engineering tasks over the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", which has a less powerful CPU with integrated graphics and less RAM. Furthermore, while both have quality IPS displays, the Nitro 5's screen has a higher refresh rate, which can be critical for design precision, though the IdeaPad offers a large 17.3" screen for extensive workflow but at the cost of lower portability and somewhat reduced screen quality.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.7
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen for engineering and design.
For general use, a laptop like the Lenovo IdeaPad with a clear, bright display and higher resolution offers a comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. In areas like engineering and design, the Lenovo's wider color coverage ensures more accurate color representation for professional work such as photo editing or CAD software. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer Nitro 5 15's slower refresh rate means it won't be as smooth in displaying fast-paced visuals compared to laptops with higher refresh rates, which is key for a more immersive gaming experience.
Battery
5.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
6.5
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a robust CPU and dedicated GPU, making it responsive for a variety of tasks and light gaming, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life which affects its portability. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a sharp and large screen with good color accuracy and a longer battery life for extended use, although it has less RAM and relies on an integrated GPU, making it less suited for performance-heavy tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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.
Cost
$780
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
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 | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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