Acer Nitro 5 review: A big-screen RTX 3080 laptop with screaming value

Best Prices Today

With the 15.6-inch Acer Nitro 5 model we reviewed earlier this 12 months, Acer pushed its venerable Nitro 5 funds gaming laptop computer line into midrange gaming laptop computer territory by outfitting the $1,700 configuration with RTX 3070 graphics and a QHD panel. With this Nitro 5 (model AN517-41-R3NX), Acer additional extends into the midrange class by bumping up the graphics to an RTX 3080 GPU and stretching the show to 17.3 inches — albeit with a decrease, 1080p decision. These upgrades push the value north of $2,000.

The cumbersome, plastic chassis doesn’t scream “premium gaming laptop” and even utter with a lot confidence “midrange gaming laptop.” If your objective is to purchase essentially the most energy and the most important show to your gaming {dollars}, then the 17.3-inch Nitro, which is powered by GeForce RTX 3080 graphics and AMD’s stellar Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, is worthy of your consideration.

This evaluation is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best laptops. Go there for info on competing merchandise and the way we examined them.

Specifications

At $2,099.99, this specific model (AN517-41-R3NX) is the very best configuration of the 17.3-inch Nitro 5 line. It pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU with GeForce RTX 3080 graphics. Here’s the total spec listing for our evaluation unit:

• CPU: Octo-core AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
• Memory: 16GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 100 TGP score
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch, 1920×1280 IPS
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: Right facet: 1 x USB SuperSpeed 10Gbps Type-C,1 x USB SuperSpeed 5Gbps Type-A, HDMI 2.0. Left facet: 2 x USB SuperSpeed 10Gbps Type-A (one with power-off charging), ethernet, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Biometrics: None
• Battery capability: 57.5 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 15.9 x 11.0 x 0.98 inches
• Measured weight: 5.9 kilos (laptop computer), 1.2 kilos (AC adapter)

Acer additionally sells two related, however lower-cost 17.3-inch Nitro 5 fashions. The entry-level mannequin prices $1,450 and options RTX 3060 graphics whereas the midrange model prices $1,700 with RTX 3070 graphics. All three fashions have the identical Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Strangely, the mid-tier configuration has a QHD (2560×1440) show decision the place the highest and backside fashions have a FHD (1920×1280) panel. A baseline model with considerably much less highly effective RTX 3050 Ti graphics and an Intel processor can also be available in the 17-inch form factor for $1,100.

Familiar Nitro 5 design however larger

Regardless of the configuration you selected, the Nitro 5 is available in a cumbersome, molded plastic enclosure. Such a design is smart when the value is a few grand or much less, however it’s more durable to justify when the value creeps above $2,000. Then once more, 17-inch gaming laptops with RTX 3080 graphics usually price just a few hundred {dollars} greater than the Nitro 5, which makes me really feel a bit higher about shelling out greater than $2,000 for a plastic chassis. That mentioned, the Nitro 5’s chassis feels strong, with little flex and no creaking that may plague plastic designs.

While I wouldn’t go as far as to name the Nitro 5 svelte, it does weigh lower than different 17-inch gaming laptops we reviewed and weighed lately. Compared to the MSI GE76 Raider and the Gigabyte Aorus 17G, each of which weigh 6.6 kilos, the Nitro 5 weighs considerably much less at 5.9 kilos. The 180-watt energy brick provides 1.2 kilos to the entire carrying weight whereas the 280-watt energy bricks of the MSI and Gigabyte machines weigh a hefty 2.2 kilos every.

Matt Elliott/IDG

If you’re conversant in the favored 15-inch Nitro 5, you then’ll instantly acknowledge its 17-inch sibling. It follows the identical blueprint design: a primary matte black physique with some angular accents and pink vent covers. The cheapest-looking a part of the design are the thick, plastic show bezels. Thinning these out a bit and including a shiny end would enhance the general aesthetic. However, it’s a funds gaming laptop computer at its coronary heart. This configuration simply occurs to be filled with high-end parts.

The keyboard is geared towards avid gamers. In addition to RGB backlighting, the arrow keys and the WASD keys are outlined with a white border. This helps information avid gamers to the keys they’ll use essentially the most. As with most 17-inch laptops, the keyboard features a devoted quantity pad.With 15-inch laptops, the quantity pad’s keys are narrower than the remainder and the suitable Shift key will get trimmed right down to accommodate the full-sized arrow keys.

There’s sufficient room on both facet of the keyboard to make the letter keys and the keys on the quantity pad larger. It’s a bummer that Acer didn’t benefit from the additional house and produce a roomier keyboard. The shortened right-Shift key might not have a lot of an affect when gaming, however I discovered it annoying for normal Windows use.

Matt Elliott/IDG

In addition to the WASD and arrow keys, there’s one different key outlined in white. A particular “N” key above the numpad launches Acer’s NitroSense utility, which helps you to alter the laptop computer’s energy mode and cooling fan pace. You may customise the RGB keyboard backlighting throughout 4 zones.

Matt Elliott/IDG

The touchpad seems to be undersized, given the massive expanse that surrounds it on the large keyboard deck. Its puny dimensions, nonetheless, is the one disadvantage. It felt correct and the clicking supplied the right quantity of journey with snappy suggestions.

Dim 17.3-inch FHD show

The 17.3-inch show includes a full HD (1920×1080) decision, which is okay for some gaming and net shopping however the step-down mannequin includes a nicer QHD (2560×1440) show. Most avid gamers don’t want something above 1080p, however the larger decision would make the Nitro 5 extra succesful for normal use. For instance, content material creators would possibly respect the finer decision for photograph and video modifying.

Matt Elliott/IDG

The greatest disadvantage in regards to the show is its lack of brightness. If you do most of your gaming in a darkened den, you then’ll be okay. In sunnier environments, nonetheless, you’ll have the brightness setting maxed out and nonetheless be on the lookout for extra. Offsetting the show’s dimness is its huge viewing angle. If you progress aways from the middle place, the show’s brightness doesn’t diminish all that a lot.

Plainly acknowledged, the 720p webcam is subpar. Even in near-ideal lighting circumstances, the webcam produces a grainy picture with oversaturated colours. It additionally lacks a privateness cowl.

The audio system produce common laptop computer sound. Their sound can fill a small room, however there’s little to no bass. YouTube movies and Zoom calls sound high-quality, however you’ll need headphones for video games and films.

Matt Elliott/IDG

Matt Elliott/IDG

The port choice gives neither nice surprises nor obtrusive omissions. There’s each USB Type A and Type C ports, which eliminates the necessity for a dongle. As with different AMD laptops, the USB-C port doesn’t embrace Thunderbolt help.

Matt Elliott/IDG

You can retailer a big recreation library on the Nitro’s 1TB M.2 SSD. If that’s not sufficient capability, there’s room inside so as to add a 2.5-inch drive. Acer additionally contains the mandatory cable and screws within the field to make such an addition straightforward. To enhance the laptop computer’s 16GB of RAM would require changing the 2 8GB sticks — there are solely two DIMM slots.

Acer Nitro 5 efficiency

Our Nitro 5 AN517 check system is predicated on AMD’s octo-core Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. Some variations of the RTX 3080 boast 16GB of VRAM, however this one is extra of the frequent 8GB selection. To assist maintain thermals in test, the GPU has a decrease Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 100 Watts. It will cede some efficiency to higher-wattage RTX 3080 GPUs; we’ve seen most within the 155-Watt vary.

We in contrast the Nitro 5 towards different gaming laptops such because the Asus ROG Zephyrus S17, the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition, the MSI GS66, and the Dell XPS 17 9710. We additionally included the 15-inch Acer Nitro 5 AN515. All the CPUs – from each AMD and Intel–function eight bodily cores and 16 processing threads.

To decide how properly a laptop computer handles crushing CPU masses over a prolonged time period, we used HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. When we transcoded a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets, the Nitro 5 topped the Core i7-based Dell XPS 17 9710 however completed behind just a few different programs. This is a assassin’s row of graphics powerhouses, nonetheless. All proved of them encoded movies with comparatively speedy occasions.

Matt Elliott/IDG

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive check however one which renders a posh 2D scene over a brief time period. The Nitro 5 once more completed fourth, beating solely its 15-inch sibling. With a rating north of two,000 on the multithreaded check, nonetheless, the Nitro 5 is greater than able to dealing with heavy photograph modifying duties. The single-threaded scores of all of the laptops right here have been glorious except the MSI GS66 Stealth, which was properly behind the Nitro 5.

Matt Elliott/IDG

Matt Elliott/IDG

Graphics efficiency

The Nitro 5 did a decent job when it comes to graphics efficiency. When we ran Time Spy 1.2 on 3DMark (these cinematic clips are designed to push the GPU to its limits), the Radeon RX 6800M-based Asus ROG Strix G15 and the RTX 3080-based Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 reached a rating of 10,000. With a rating of 9,679, the Nitro 5 wasn’t far behind. That’s spectacular, as these laptops have the CPU benefit of utilizing both a Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processor.

Matt Elliott/IDG

For real-world recreation testing, we performed each Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1920×1080 decision on the highest high quality graphics preset and Metro Exodus at 1920×1080 on the excessive high quality graphics preset. When taking part in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Nitro 5 turned in a really playable 97 fps. As for the extra demanding Metro Exodus, it averaged solely 42 fps, which suggests you’ll must dial again the graphics high quality settings for smoother gameplay.

Matt Elliott/IDG

Matt Elliott/IDG

Battery life

The Nitro 5 lasted practically six hours on our battery-drain check, which is about common for a gaming laptop computer. We check the battery by looping a 4K video utilizing the inventory Windows Movies & TV app with display screen brightness set to 250 nits and the quantity dialed to 50 % with headphones plugged in. However, battery life is much less vital on an enormous gaming laptop computer, which is able to spend most of its time tethered to a wall outlet.

Matt Elliott/IDG

Performance > design

If you’re on the lookout for essentially the most bang to your gaming buck, the 17-inch Acer Nitro 5 is an efficient purchase. Getting RTX 3080 graphics together with AMD’s glorious Ryzen 7 5800H and a roomy 1TB SSD for $2,100 is a improbable deal, as most laptops with the identical graphics are priced nearer to $3,000. However, when you count on a premium priced laptop computer ought to have a glossy aluminum chassis and a shiny show the place colours pop, you then’ll be much less enamored by the Nitro 5.