When choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, consider that the Nitro 5 is designed for gaming with higher performance for graphics-intensive tasks and might have a shorter battery life, while the ThinkPad T14 offers more portability, longer battery life, and is better suited for business and general productivity tasks. If you need a laptop primarily for gaming or demanding applications, the Acer Nitro 5 is a strong option despite its higher price and less portability; if you prioritize battery life, mobility, and everyday work use, the ThinkPad T14 is a cost-effective and reliable 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 gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its robust CPU and ample RAM, provides a powerful option for demanding tasks, but it's less portable due to its larger screen and typically has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, which offers a balance of performance, better screen quality and longer battery life in a more compact form, enhancing its suitability for general use that requires mobility. The ThinkPad also typically features a higher-quality keyboard and quieter operation, which adds to its appeal for everyday tasks and professional settings.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
6.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its high-end GPU and fast screen refresh rate, excels in gaming and 3D applications, providing smooth visuals and responsive gameplay. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while it has a capable CPU and good screen quality, doesn't match the Nitro's performance in graphics-intensive tasks due to a less powerful GPU and lower refresh rate.
Software Development
7.4/10
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
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
8.2/10
6.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a large, clear display which appeals to everyday users and professionals needing detail, but its slower refresh rate makes it less appealing for fast-paced gaming. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14's reputation for robust build and quality display aligns well with the demands of general users and professionals in engineering and design who value color accuracy, but like the Acer, it falls short for gaming due to a modest refresh rate. Both laptops provide sufficient resolution and panel quality for general tasks and detailed design work, yet for gaming and 3D, where smooth motion is key, neither is ideal.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
2.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
7.2/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,241.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 typically features high-performance CPUs, ample RAM, and dedicated GPUs, with a larger screen that benefits visually intensive tasks, making it ideal for demanding engineering and design software. Comparatively, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers solid performance for engineering with quality CPUs and sufficient RAM, a reputable keyboard, and greater portability, but with a smaller screen size and potentially less powerful GPU, it might not handle graphically intense applications as smoothly.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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.
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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