Acer Nitro V 16 AI review: Budget gaming meets great battery life

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Shoppers trying to purchase a laptop computer with Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics for round $800 or much less have few choices—certainly one of which is the Acer Nitro V 16 AI, which retails for about $799 on-line. Although it offers acceptable efficiency for a funds machine, its day-to-day usability and battery life are what units it other than the pack.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Specs and options as-tested

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI’s specs make the laptop computer really feel like a vessel for the RTX 5050 8GB GPU. The AMD Ryzen 5 240 CPU is among the many least succesful in AMD’s line-up, and the laptop computer makes do with solely 16GB of RAM in addition to a 512GB strong state drive.

• Model: ANV16-42
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 240
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5-5600
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5050 8GB
• NPU: Up to 16 TOPS
• Display: 16-inch 1920×1200 180Hz IPS-LCD show
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 strong state drive
• Webcam and microphone: 720p webcam with dual-array microphone
• Connectivity: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, 1x microSD card reader, 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), 1x 3.5mm combo audio
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: None
• Battery capability: 76 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.9 x 0.92 inches
• Weight: 5.38 kilos
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Price: $899 MSRP / $629 to $799 typical retail

This is a typical technique for a funds gaming laptop computer. Most rivals, from the Asus ROG TUF line to the Lenovo LOQ 15 and Dell G15, additionally depend on entry-level CPUs and have 16GB of RAM alongside a 512GB strong state drive. You’ll often have to pay about $1,000 in order for you 1TB of storage (in a laptop computer with an Nvidia RTX 50-series GPU, not less than).

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Design and construct high quality

Foundry / Matthew Smith

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI doesn’t make a lot of an impression. It’s a black laptop computer with a refined metallic luster adorned solely with a chrome “N” on the lid, which is the emblem for Acer’s Nitro sub-brand. Besides that, there’s not a lot to say in regards to the laptop computer’s type. It’s easy however inoffensive.

Opening the laptop computer will reveal a pair refined touches, although none are all that enticing. The Nitro emblem is engraved into the palm relaxation, together with the phrase “Victory starts here” engraved slightly below the numpad.

Build high quality is suitable. Quickly opening the laptop computer’s lid reveals apparent show flex, however the decrease chassis is strong when the laptop computer is picked up from a nook or edge. Keyboard flex might be discovered should you attempt however it’s not an issue in regular use.

As with most funds gaming laptops, the Nitro V 16 AI isn’t small. It measures over 14 inches extensive, practically 11 inches deep, and virtually an inch thick at its thickest level. It additionally weighs 5.38 kilos. With that mentioned, most gaming laptops of this dimension are not less than this heavy (over six kilos shouldn’t be unusual).

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse

Foundry / Matthew Smith

I discovered the Acer Nitro V 16 AI’s keyboard to be merely useful. The laptop computer’s dimension offers a very good quantity of room, which Acer makes use of to squeeze in a numpad. However, the areas between every key are massive, which in flip means the keys are smaller than you may count on. This is most noticeable for the fitting aspect Shift key, and left-side Tab and Control keys, that are tiny.

Annoyingly, the Microsoft Copilot key is without doubt one of the largest keys on the keyboard. This is odd as a result of, regardless of its title, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI doesn’t qualify as a Microsoft Copilot+ PC.

Though the important thing structure does the keyboard no favors, it’s balanced by the basic benefits of a bigger, thicker laptop computer. Keys have a very good quantity of key journey, the general dimension of the keyboard is spacious, and the palm relaxation gives a very good quantity of room. I used to be capable of hammer out a number of thousand phrases in consolation.

The touchpad is a bonus. It measures about 5 inches extensive and just a little greater than three inches deep. Alternatives just like the Lenovo LOQ 15 and Dell G15 have noticeably smaller touchpads that really feel cramped by comparability.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Display, audio

Foundry / Matthew Smith

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI ships with a 1920×1200 decision IPS-LCD show that may obtain a refresh price as much as 180Hz.

The 16-inch 1200p show is price particular point out. Most funds gaming laptops nonetheless use a 15.6-inch 1080p show. Compared to those, the Nitro V 16 AI offers a barely taller show with extra usable area. It’s not a giant deal in video games however it makes the laptop computer extra pleasant for net shopping and work.

IPS-LCD shows are inclined to have lackluster distinction and colour when in comparison with OLED alternate options. That interprets to comparatively boring, flat picture high quality. With that mentioned, the IPS show is nice sufficient in most conditions. The distinction difficulty solely turns into apparent when the laptop computer is utilized in a darkish room, as darker scenes seem grey and hazy.

The picture is sharp and shiny and the show has a semi-gloss coat that resists reflections. You should still discover the show tough to see should you sit close to a big sunlit window, nonetheless, and open air use isn’t comfy even with the show at its most brightness. The identical is true for different funds gaming laptops.

Motion efficiency is respectable. The 180Hz refresh price offers fluid, responsive movement when video games render at a body price near the panel’s most refresh price. Motion readability is respectable with good element throughout a scene, however small parts like fonts or HP bars can nonetheless be tough to make out. G-Sync is absent, sadly, which suggests you’ll want to make use of a recreation’s V-Sync setting or threat ugly display screen tearing.

Audio high quality is an issue. The built-in audio system aren’t loud even at most quantity. Despite that, I typically observed an disagreeable rattling sound attributable to vibrations within the laptop computer chassis when the audio system had been at excessive volumes.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

You’re not going to need to take video calls on the Acer Nitro V 16 AI. The laptop computer has a barebones 720p webcam with a mushy, grainy picture. It’s a fundamental expertise excused solely by the very fact best funds gaming laptops even have a 720p webcam.

The dual-array microphone is a little more usable, however not by a lot. It picks up audio that’s crisp, clear, and loud sufficient to be usable on Zoom or Google Meet. But, as soon as once more, it is a minimalist expertise.

Biometric login shouldn’t be supported. This, as soon as once more, is typical for a funds gaming laptop computer. Very few supply a fingerprint reader or IR digicam for facial recognition.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Connectivity

You’ll discover loads of ports lining the Acer Nitro V 16 AI’s flanks. The left aspect offers Gigabit Ethernet, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader, whereas the fitting aspect gives two extra USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports. The rear contains HDMI 2.1, USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, and a barrel plug connector for the bundled 135-watt energy brick.

The USB-C port can be utilized to cost the laptop computer, although it doesn’t present as a lot energy because the 135-watt energy brick.

While the Nitro V 16 AI’s bodily connectivity is strong, it’s common for the class. Most funds gaming laptops have the same quantity and configuration of ports. The microSD card reader is the one bodily connectivity possibility that’s surprising.

Wireless connectivity is disappointing, because the Acer Nitro V 16 AI solely helps Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. This places it two generations behind the most recent Wi-Fi commonplace and a era behind the most recent Bluetooth commonplace.

I wouldn’t name it a direct drawback, as Wi-Fi 6 remains to be relatively fast and new requirements are backwards-compatible, however this might make the laptop computer’s Wi-Fi connectivity really feel outdated extra rapidly as new requirements emerge (Wi-Fi 8 is already introduced).

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Performance

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI that I obtained for assessment had an AMD Ryzen 5 240 CPU. It’s a low-end CPU in AMD’s present line-up. It has the AMD Zen 4 structure (a step behind the most recent Zen 5) and a complete of six CPU cores with hyper-threading for a complete of 12 threads. The most enhance clock is 5GHz.

That’s paired with the Nvidia RTX 5050 with 8GB of VRAM and a most graphics energy of solely 95 watts—pretty low for a contemporary Nvidia cell GPU in a devoted gaming laptop computer. 16GB of DDR5-5600 reminiscence and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 strong state drive spherical out the specs.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

First up is PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark. Here the Acer Nitro V 16 AI offers a very good results of 7,259. That defeats the Alienware 16 Aurora and older HP Victus 15.

On the opposite hand, there’s nonetheless an enormous distinction between the Acer Nitro V 16 AI and alternate options with a extra power-hungry processor, such because the Lenovo Legion 5i with the Intel Core i7-14900HX.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Cinebench 2024, a closely multi-threaded CPU benchmark, reaches a modest rating of 685 on the Acer Nitro V 16 AI. That’s not an enormous shock as a result of, as talked about, the AMD Ryzen 5 240 is in direction of the decrease half of AMD’s product stack. Still, there’s important hole between the Ryzen 5 240 and different CPUs you may discover in funds gaming laptops, such because the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core 7 240H.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Handbrake is one other multi-threaded CPU benchmark, however one with an extended length. This take a look at as soon as once more places the Acer Nitro V 16 AI in direction of the underside of the pack, although the margin of its defeat is smaller than it was in Cinebench 2024.

I believe it’s clear the AMD Ryzen 5 240 shouldn’t be a performer in CPU assessments. It’s tremendous, however it’s simple to discover a gaming laptop computer with a quicker CPU even within the sub-$1,000 worth bracket. The Acer Nitro V 16 AI is geared toward gaming, nonetheless, so how does Nvidia’s RTX 5050 8GB carry out?

Foundry / Matthew Smith

3DMark locations the RTX 5050 the place I’d count on it. The Acer Nitro V 16 AI is a good bit faster than the HP Victus 16 that PC World examined with an RTX 4050. However, new laptops with an RTX 5060 show faster.

The margin of victory for the RTX 5060 is commonly slim, although, relying on the laptop computer used for comparability. The Lenovo LOQ 15 leaps forward, however the Alienware 16 Aurora with RTX 5060 is simply about 10 % faster in 3DMark benchmarks.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is an older recreation that virtually any trendy gaming laptop computer can deal with, and the Acer Nitro V 16 AI isn’t any exception. It achieved a mean of 120 frames per second.

As the 3DMark take a look at outcomes prompt, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI shouldn’t be as fast as RTX 5060 laptops, however has a bonus over the older RTX 4050.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Metro Exodus, although additionally an older recreation, stays extraordinarily demanding if the Extreme preset is used. The Acer Nitro V 16 AI can’t even crack a mean of 40 FPS. To be honest, although, most RTX 5060 laptops additionally barely exceed 40 FPS. And the Nitro V 16 AI as soon as once more exhibits a good lead over the HP Victus 15 with the older RTX 4050.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

We spherical out issues with Cyberpunk 2077. While the Nitro V 16 AI is unquestionably much less succesful than RTX 5060 machines, the RTX 5050 permits Acer’s funds gaming laptop computer to hit a mean of 72 FPS at 1080p and the Ultra preset. In common, a nice 1080p/60 expertise is feasible on the laptop computer even with out using DLSS, which was not energetic for this take a look at.

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI’s total outcomes are about what I’d count on. Nvidia’s RTX 5050 8GB is an entry-level half and, predictably, it doesn’t fairly match the efficiency obtainable from an RTX 5060—although the 2 are sometimes shut. If you’re upgrading from an older RTX 3050 or RTX 4050 laptop computer you will note a noticeable enchancment.

Pricing doesn’t work to Acer or Nvidia’s favor, nonetheless. Laptops with the RTX 5060 are barely costlier than the Acer Nitro V 16 AI. Lenovo’s LOQ 15 is an effective instance of this, as it may well retail as little as $809.99.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Battery life and portability

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI has a 76 watt-hour battery. That’s a modest dimension for a gaming laptop computer (although typical for one priced beneath $1,000). You may count on battery life to be terrible, however right here the Nitro V 16 AI is ready to pull off a shock.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Our commonplace battery rundown take a look at, which loops a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of Steel, ran for over 12 hours earlier than the Nitro V 16 AI needed to name it a day. As the graph exhibits, that’s a significantly better consequence than is typical for a gaming laptop computer—at any worth.

Several components mix to assist the Nitro V 16 AI pull this off. It has help for Nvidia Optimus, which turns off the discrete GPU when it’s not wanted. This transfers work to the AMD Ryzen 5 240, which is a miserly chip for a gaming laptop computer. I believe the 1200p IPS LCD additionally helps, because it ought to draw much less energy than the higher-res OLED show you’d discover on a costlier gaming laptop computer.

While this result’s wonderful, keep in mind that battery life will range relying on how the laptop computer is used. Gaming on the laptop computer will have interaction the Nvidia GPU, which in flip can drain the battery in below two hours should you’re enjoying a demanding recreation.

Real-world use will even are typically lower than the benchmark suggests, relying on what you’re doing. Still, I skilled real-world battery lifetime of roughly eight hours in a mixture of net shopping and writing in LibreOffice. That’s not dangerous for a funds gaming laptop computer.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Conclusion

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI is a decent funds gaming laptop computer that gives respectable recreation efficiency and surprisingly good battery life. I additionally just like the laptop computer’s 16-inch show with 1200p decision, which is a step up from rivals with a 15.6-inch 1080p show. Other benefits embrace a variety of bodily connectivity and a good touchpad.

However, the AMD Ryzen 5 240 doesn’t submit nice ends in CPU assessments and the laptop computer has to make do with simply 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The built-in audio system are a miss, too.

I like to recommend the Acer Nitro V 16 AI over many of the funds gaming laptops I’ve examined or utilized in 2025. It’s among the many extra reasonably priced entries on this area and manages to keep away from points (like brief battery life and a sub-par show) that affect rivals together with the Lenovo LOQ 15 and HP Victus 15.

Also preserve a pointy eye on worth. Though it has an MSRP of $899, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI is at present $629 on Walmart, in comparison with $799 on Amazon. The Nitro V is price an additional half-star when on sale beneath $700, because it’s a terrific worth at that pricing.