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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your priority is gaming or intensive 3D work, the Acer Nitro 5 17 with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card is the better option, although it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. However, if you prefer a lighter and more portable laptop for general use and can benefit from a higher resolution OLED display, the Acer Swift Edge 16 with AMD Radeon 780M graphics might be more appealing even though its performance for 3D tasks and gaming won't match the Nitro 5. Both laptops have similar storage capacity and RAM, and their prices are in the same range. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
- Very good for content creation
- Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.7
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is optimal for gaming and 3D applications with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate, ideal for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. Meanwhile, the Acer Swift Edge 16, while still suitable for these tasks with its AMD Radeon 780M graphics, offers a lower refresh rate but compensates with a higher-quality OLED screen, providing vivid colors and deep blacks for a more immersive experience.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 is somewhat better.
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
8.2
8.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Acer Swift Edge 16 for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When choosing a laptop for general use, the Acer Swift Edge 16 stands out with its sharper resolution and brighter display, enhancing everyday activities like browsing and video streaming, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 provides a decent experience but with less vivid details. For engineering and design tasks requiring precise color representation, the Swift Edge 16 delivers superior color accuracy with a broader color spectrum, important for professional photo editing and graphic design, whereas the Nitro 5 17 offers good but not exceptional color fidelity. However, for gaming and 3D work, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates that result in less fluid motion and responsiveness, a drawback for immersive gaming and smooth 3D model rendering, where higher refresh rates are crucial.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 stands out in engineering and design due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU matched with a capable CPU, which provides excellent performance for graphically intensive tasks, although it is heavier and bulkier, affecting portability.
Content Creation
7.8
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Edge 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Swift Edge 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$820
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Acer Swift Edge 16 costs $820.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Acer Swift Edge 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Acer Swift Edge 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $820 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 383 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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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 Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Acer Swift Edge 16
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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