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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, consider the following tradeoffs: the Acer Nitro 5 17, with a lower price, usually offers good performance for gaming and tasks that require a dedicated graphics card, yet it might be bulkier and heavier, making it less convenient for travel. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while more costly, typically shines with its portability, innovative form factor for creative professionals, and a higher-quality screen. Battery life tends to be longer in the Surface Laptop Studio, which could be essential for all-day use without a charger. Ultimately, your decision should align with your priorities like budget constraints, the need for gaming or intensive tasks, versus the desire for a premium build, portability, and versatile design for creative work. 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
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.6
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
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
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for engineering and design.
Laptop displays like the Acer Nitro 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio cater to different user preferences; the former may offer a larger screen which can be favorable for multitasking and viewing large designs, but it may not have the high refresh rates desired for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, on the other hand, may boast superior color accuracy and a high-resolution display, making it ideal for professionals in engineering and design who require precision and detail. However, for gaming and 3D purposes, both might fall short due to less emphasis on high refresh rates that provide the smooth visuals gamers often seek.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.4in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a larger screen and dedicated numeric keypad which enhances multitasking and data entry for general use, complemented by a high-end CPU and GPU that ensure smooth performance, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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