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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a more powerful laptop designed for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, with a high-performance processor and advanced graphics card. This makes it suitable for engineering and advanced computing needs, but it also means the laptop is heavier and likely has a shorter battery life due to its high-performance components. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is a budget-friendly option, more suitable for general use such as web browsing, office applications, and media consumption. It's lighter and typically offers longer battery life, but it's not suited for resource-intensive tasks due to less powerful hardware. Therefore, if high performance for demanding applications is your priority and you're okay with a heavier laptop and a potentially larger hit to your wallet, the Acer Nitro 5 17 could be the right choice. If you prioritize affordability, portability, and sufficient performance for everyday tasks, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" may be the better option. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14"
- Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
239.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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.
Gaming and AI
7.7
5.5
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
10.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.0
5.5
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is favored for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, abundant 16GB of RAM, high-performance Nvidia RTX GPU, and a quality IPS display, which together provide the necessary performance and screen clarity for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.8
6.2
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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
6.4
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
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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
5.3
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
239.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a pleasant visual experience for everyday tasks, the Acer Nitro 5 17's superior resolution and brightness offer a clear advantage, enhancing activities like browsing and watching videos. For engineering and design work, this same laptop provides a decent range of colors, although not the widest, which is crucial for accurately rendering designs. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its subpar refresh rate leads to less fluid motion, making it less suitable for fast-paced or graphically demanding content.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has very 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
6.0
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$150
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" costs $150.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.9'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.09 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.88" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.25" | |
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 | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 32 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
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 | 239 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
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 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | August 2021
"The IdeaPad 1 14 is a simple machine, but it’s well-designed and has nearly everything you’d expect from a no-nonsense laptop that allows you to check emails and get schoolwork or other light tasks done with relative ease. A "true" 128GB SSD (as opposed to an eMMC drive) and a roomy 14-inch full HD display are arguably the star attractions, with the comfortable keyboard and reasonably modern styling playing important backup roles."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14"
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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