TechComputers & PCsAcer Nitro 5 review: performance without the priceThe Acer Nitro 5 is more than just cheap and cheerfulWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)T3 VerdictIf you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity optionsReasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery lifeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechComputers & PCsAcer Nitro 5 review: performance without the priceThe Acer Nitro 5 is more than just cheap and cheerfulWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)T3 VerdictIf you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity optionsReasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery lifeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Acer Nitro 5 is more than just cheap and cheerful
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)T3 VerdictIf you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity optionsReasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery life
(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)
(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)
T3 VerdictIf you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity optionsReasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery life
T3 VerdictIf you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.
T3 Verdict
If you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.
Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity optionsReasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery life
Reasons to buy+Value for money+Solid performance+Strong connectivity options
Value for money
Solid performance
Strong connectivity options
Reasons to avoid-Can get supersonic-Poor battery life
Can get supersonic
Poor battery life
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
This 15.6-inch laptop of course doesn’t match up punch for punch with thebest gaming laptopsthat cost four times the price, but it definitely can hold its own.
If you’re considering buying aPS5orXbox Series X, you should definitely consider the Acer Nitro 5 instead. So let’s break down its strengths, weaknesses and what it’s like to live with this machine…
Acer Nitro 5: Price & Availability
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Today’s best Acer Nitro 5 (2022) deals9 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$1,329.99$750View$910$879View$899ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Acer Nitro 5 (2022) deals
9 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
9 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$1,329.99$750View$910$879View$899View
$1,329.99$750View
$1,329.99$750View
$1,329.99$750View
$1,329.99$750
$750
$910$879View
$910$879View
$910$879View
$910$879
$879
$899View
$899View
$899View
$899
$899
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
As I mentioned, this is definitely a gaming laptop at the cheaper end of the scale, but it’s still a pretty premium purchase. The Intel Core i5 Processor and 8GB of RAM model I was sent for review costs £/$999, but you can find a more powerful Intel Core i7 option with 16GB of RAM for a similar price.
Acer Nitro 5 review: Design
(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)
(Image credit: Future / Andy Sansom)
Some gaming laptops can end up looking more like rocket ships orStar Trek-style technology. That’s not the case with the Acer Nitro 5. Aside from theTron-style pattern on the lid of the laptop and angular rear vents, this is a fairly standard, blocky-looking laptop.
This 15.6-inch laptop isn’t as sleek as some of thebest lightweight laptops, but weighing in at 2.5kg isn’t that bad and the power brick especially is much lighter than that of theMSI Raider GE 78 HX, for example. So it’s not superlight but fits reasonably in a backpack.
As for build quality, there’s a lot of plastic, but that’s to be expected for the price, and in fairness it does feel pretty sturdy and solid.
Acer Nitro 5 review: Display
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro 5 review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
I’ve spent a lot of time in this review caveating concessions related to the price tag, and it’s going to be more of the same here. Under the hood of my machine the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor delivers strong, but it’s not quite the latest model. There’s also an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU with 8GB of DDR4 RAM.
If I had to summarise those specs in one word, it would be… fine. The 4050 GPU holds up well with most titles, but I do wish that for the money, you’d get an Intel Core i7 processor.
In action, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Playing the excellentDeathloop,a graphical powerhouse, on Ultra settings, I managed to get around 55-65fps even in the most hectic battles.
This was under the proviso that you play on Performance Mode, however, which cranks the fans up to an obnoxious volume. Without the Performance boost, I was getting between 25-35fps, which is playable but not preferable. Without being plugged into a power socket this is the kind of performance you can expect.
As well as being loud, longer gaming sessions also made the machine pretty hot to the touch, to the point where it was uncomfortable resting on my lap.
If you’re looking to play the likes ofFortnite,League of LegendsorFootball Manager(my guilty pleasure), then there’s more than enough machine to chew through them here. It must be noted that playingStarfieldandLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga(split screen) I did experience a few crashes, but admittedlyStarfieldis a new release (and a Bethesda game).
If you are a keen benchmarker, on our Geekbench tests the Acer Nitro 5 registered a 1805 Single-Core score and 5801 Multi-Core score, while the GPU scored 44,773.
Acer Nitro 5 review: Features
Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 - Cell 0Row 0 - Cell 1Weight:2.5kgCPU:12th Gen Intel Core i5 - 12450HGraphics:Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050RAM:8GB DDR5 SDRAMDisplay:15.6in, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 144HzStorage:512GB SSDWebcam:720p HDPorts:1x Thunderbolt 4 USB C, 3x USB A, 1x HDMI port, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0Row 0 - Cell 1Weight:2.5kgCPU:12th Gen Intel Core i5 - 12450HGraphics:Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050RAM:8GB DDR5 SDRAMDisplay:15.6in, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 144HzStorage:512GB SSDWebcam:720p HDPorts:1x Thunderbolt 4 USB C, 3x USB A, 1x HDMI port, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm
The Acer Nitro 5’s keyboard is a strong effort that I have had no issues using with accuracy and speed, although placing the volume controls on the arrow keys is a little awkward.
In terms of ports, you’re reasonably well catered for thanks to three USB-A ports, while I was pleasantly surprised to see a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connector too.
A 512GB SSD is pretty large if you know exactly what you want to play, but if you’re a game hopper then you might have to juggle installs, particularly with the size of AAA titles these days.
Acer Nitro 5 review: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming laptops are not exactly endurance masters when it comes to battery life and I’m sorry to report that the Nitro 5 is pretty lacklustre even in this field. You will be lucky to hit the hour mark when gaming without it being plugged into power.
In general use, however, you can get about 5 hours of use before hitting the plug, which still doesn’t really match up to other (admittedly more expensive) machines like theHP Omen 16- which can top 7 hours.
Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
If you’re not into consoles, the Acer Nitro 5 is a brilliant gaming laptop alternative. As long as you keep it plugged in and aren’t looking to go crazy with settings, you’ll have no problems running the latest games and playing at a steady framerate. It’s the best of PC gaming without the biggest of price tags.
If you want to runCyberpunk 2077at top specs this isn’t the one for you, but for students looking to balance work and play, or who want to join their PC gaming friends, the Nitro 5 is not to be missed.
Also consider
If you’re looking to go even cheaper then the older-generationAcer Nitro 5model offers similar specs with an even sweeter price, or you could try theAcer Chromebook 516 GEan impressive gaming-focused Chromebook.
Those with a more elastic budget should consider the HP Omen as another rung up the performance ladder, while if money is not an issue why not go all-out with theMSI Raider GE78 HX?
Today’s best MSI Raider GE78 HX, HP Omen 16 and Acer Chromebook 516 GE dealsLow StockHP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all pricesAcer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best MSI Raider GE78 HX, HP Omen 16 and Acer Chromebook 516 GE dealsLow StockHP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all pricesAcer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best MSI Raider GE78 HX, HP Omen 16 and Acer Chromebook 516 GE dealsLow StockHP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all pricesAcer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best MSI Raider GE78 HX, HP Omen 16 and Acer Chromebook 516 GE deals
Low StockHP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all pricesAcer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all prices
Low StockHP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all prices
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
HP Omen 16$1,259$959ViewSee all prices
HP Omen 16
HP Omen 16
$1,259$959View
$1,259$959
$959
See all prices
Acer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all prices
Acer Chromebook 516 GE$579ViewSee all prices
Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Acer Chromebook 516 GE
$579View
$579
$579
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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