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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is built for heavy-duty performance, with a robust processor and high-end graphics, perfect for gaming and demanding engineering applications. However, it is heavier and has shorter battery life, which may not suit you if you need something more portable and for longer usage away from power outlets. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3 is lighter and boasts a longer battery life, making it a solid option for general use, especially if you are on-the-go. Its performance is adequate for everyday tasks and light engineering work, plus it has a touchscreen for added convenience, but it may not handle intensive gaming or 3D tasks as well as the Nitro 5. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.3
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications because it is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, which is significantly more capable for graphical tasks than the Iris Xe graphics in the Acer Swift 3, and it has a high screen refresh rate, ideal for smooth visuals in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-performance AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU which makes it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, but it is less portable due to its larger size and weight. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3’s Intel CPU and integrated graphics offer sufficient capability for engineering and design, while being lighter and more portable, making it easier to carry around.
Screen Quality
8.2
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 has a better screen for content creation.
If you prioritize a clear and vivid display for everyday tasks and work in fields like engineering or design, the Acer Nitro 5 17's larger screen with its resolution and brightness will serve you well, despite lacking in the higher refresh rates desired for smooth gaming and 3D experiences. The Acer Swift 3, while more compact and portable, offers similar benefits for general use and productivity with a good balance of resolution and brightness, but, like the Nitro, may not satisfy gamers or 3D professionals due to its standard refresh rate. In essence, both laptops will cater to your productivity and creativity needs, but if fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering is a significant part of your routine, you might want to look for options with higher refresh rates.
Battery
6.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its larger screen and superior gaming-grade CPU and GPU, is suitable for general use with a potential bias towards performance-oriented tasks, though its size and shorter battery life affect portability. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3's smaller screen and integrated graphics offer enough power for day-to-day tasks, a touchscreen adds to its usability, and a significantly longer battery life and lightweight design greatly enhance its portability.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
7.4/10
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 Nitro 5 17 and Acer Swift 3 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
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Nitro 5 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Nitro 5 17 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 17 and the Acer Swift 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
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 17 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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