Choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the ASUS ROG Flow X16 depends on what you prioritize. If portability is a priority, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is lighter and offers longer battery life, making it a better fit for on-the-go users. For those interested in gaming or 3D tasks, both laptops are capable, but the Acer Nitro 5 17 has a more powerful GPU which provides a slight edge in performance. However, the ASUS has a higher resolution touchscreen, which can be an advantage for creative work or multipurpose use. The Acer typically comes at a lower price than the ASUS, which might be more appealing for budget-conscious buyers. 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 battery life
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X16
Very good for general use
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 17 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 both boast screens with high resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant visuals, but the panel type of the ASUS enhances color accuracy and viewing angles. In engineering and design, the ASUS pulls ahead with a wider color gamut coverage, allowing for more precise color work which is crucial in those fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates can result in less fluid motion compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rate displays, which are more suited to these fast-paced activities.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the ASUS ROG Flow X16 costs $1,300.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow X16 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers strong performance with its top-of-the-line graphics card and robust processor, suitable for demanding applications and multitasking, combined with a large screen ideal for productivity and entertainment, though its bulk and modest battery life might limit mobility.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, which is top-tier for gaming laptops, and an impressive screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, ensuring incredibly smooth visuals. The ASUS ROG Flow X16, while still suitable for gaming and 3D with its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, offers a more modest 165 Hz refresh rate but includes a high-quality screen with a higher resolution and touch capability, which might benefit general use more.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is tailored for engineering and design due to its powerful NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, which offer robust performance for 3D rendering and complex simulations, accompanied by a high-refresh-rate screen that ensures smooth visuals.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow X16 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.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow X16 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 17 and the ASUS ROG Flow X16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average performance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the ASUS ROG Flow X16
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.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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