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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a more expensive laptop that offers much higher performance, making it suitable for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, engineering simulations, and machine learning work. It's equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card, a large screen, and a higher resolution for crisp visuals, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is budget-friendly, extremely portable, and is sufficient for everyday tasks such as browsing, office applications, and media consumption. However, its performance is limited by a less powerful Intel Celeron processor and basic integrated graphics, along with a smaller screen with lower resolution, which might not be ideal for multitasking or demanding applications. Ultimately, if you need high performance and a larger display for resource-intensive activities, consider the Acer Nitro 5 17, but if affordability and portability are your priorities, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 would be the better choice. 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 general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.8
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers substantial computing power with a high-end CPU and more RAM, enhancing performance for a variety of tasks, alongside a higher quality IPS display, making it suitable for general use despite its limited portability and shorter battery life. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12, with its basic CPU, lower RAM, and poorer quality TN screen, although highly portable and with longer battery life, falls short in performance and display quality for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.7
5.4
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a very high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for gaming and 3D applications, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a much less powerful Intel UHD Graphics 600 and a standard refresh rate, making it less suitable for those intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.0
5.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
5.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a more vivid and detailed display for general use with a higher resolution and greater brightness than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12, which as a result, delivers less clarity and vibrancy. For engineering and design tasks, the Acer Nitro 5 17 boasts superior reproduction of colors, accommodating a wider spectrum which is crucial for precision in visual projects; meanwhile, the Vivobook's limited color range may not render images as accurately. When it comes to gaming and 3D, the Acer's lower refresh rate affects the smoothness of motion, while the Vivobook Go 12's poorer overall screen quality makes it less suitable for such dynamic content despite its refresh rate being less of a concern given its other limitations.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
11.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
5.1
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$267
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 costs $267.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | ASUS Vivobook Go 12 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $267 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 10.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 7.52" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 38 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9.3/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 480p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
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 | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the ASUS Vivobook Go 12
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.
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