The Acer Nitro series is a series that has made its mark in all of our minds with its affordable gaming laptops. When you decided to buy a new laptop, if your aim was to play AAA games in a way that would not shake your budget, you will definitely have come across a laptop from this series during the research phase. Since the models in this series generally focus on price/performance, it is not possible to deliver what is desired in every aspect. However, this Acer Nitro 5 model we have received starts the race one step ahead of previous generations with its 12th generation Intel processor, RTX 3060 graphics card and nice design. Of course, this model also has its shortcomings, but if your goal is purely gaming-oriented, this device may be useful to you.
How is Acer Nitro 5 Designed?
Frankly, the previous Acer Nitro 5 model looked a bit dated with its red and black design. However, we can easily say that the new model has a more modern design. The design has given way to cleaner lines and thinner screen frames. Of course, the frames are still not very thin, but they are thick enough to not be uncomfortable. There are 2 ventilation holes on the back that add an aggressive atmosphere to the laptop. The design of the cover is neither too plain nor too exaggerated, just as it should be.
Nitro 5 is a lightweight model with powerful features. Although its weight of 2.50 kilograms is reasonable for a 15-inch gaming laptop, its thickness makes it a bit difficult to carry. That’s why you need to allocate more space in your backpack. The only advantage of being thick is that it feels solid. Although its material is plastic, it is quite hard and does not seem to be damaged when hit.
The laptop’s keyboard exceeds expectations. The feel of the keys is soft and allows comfortable typing in an ergonomic way. The RGB backlights of the keyboard are divided into 4 sections. You can customize the lighting via Acer’s NitroSense application. From here it is possible to adjust RGBs in any color, either static or dynamic. Additionally, a special key has been included in the numeric keypad of the keyboard to quickly turn on NitroSense.
When we look around the case, the charging port and 2 ports, one USB Type-C and the other HDMI, are located on the back of the device. Additionally, the Type-C port here can also be used to charge the laptop. While there is an Ethernet port, 1 USB Type-A port and a headphone jack on the left side, there are 2 USB Type-A ports on the right side.
What are the Acer Nitro 5 Display Features?
Nitro 5’s 15.6-inch screen uses IPS technology and combines 1080p resolution with a 144 Hz refresh rate. We have been using Nitro 5 for about 2 months, and during this time we had the opportunity to watch many videos and play games. Of course, we also used it in our work. First of all, the brightness does not cause any problems in terms of usage, whether indoors or outdoors. Although the screen visibility decreased in dark tones outdoors, it was sufficient to keep the screen brightness at half when used in the office or at home.
The 144 Hz refresh rate helps reduce eye fatigue while increasing fluency in both games and daily use. Although the colors of the screen are not very vivid, they are vibrant enough to display the content correctly. It’s not noticeable when gaming, but when it comes to professional video editing or design, it may be insufficient for some. Apart from that, the contrast ratio and black balance are good.
What are the features of Acer Nitro 5 and how does it perform?
The most important feature that makes Nitro 5 stand out is undoubtedly its performance. Equipped with a 12th generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor, RTX 3060 graphics card and 16GB RAM, the model has all the features you need. Even though RTX 4000 series graphics cards are used today, RTX 3060 can easily handle any task. On the other hand, it has a 512 GB SSD capacity where you can easily fit current games or large files.
Nitro 5 looks good on paper, but does it deliver what is desired in real life in terms of performance? We said that we played many games in 2 months. But the game we spent the most time with on the laptop was Death Stranding. Because it has RTX support and it puts a lot of pressure on the system. Now, after hours of gaming experience, the picture we encounter is quite satisfactory. At high settings and with DLSS turned on, the fps averaged around 80. It sometimes dropped to the 60s depending on the scene, but we did not encounter any problems such as lag or freezing.
If you ask whether there is a problem of overheating after these long gaming adventures; We can say that these are the same temperature levels that we encounter in most gaming laptops. In the past, since the fan outlets were placed on the sides, the heat could burn your hand, but this is no longer the case as the fans are usually included at the back. However, we should also point out that there is no decrease in performance as a result of warming up.
If we talk about the negative aspects of the laptop, the most critical one is battery life. Even when doing daily routine tasks, the battery can only last for about 1 and a half hours. That’s why we had to keep it plugged in while we were using it. We do not expect a long battery life from a gaming laptop, but this time is below average.
Although it is not as critical as battery life, one of the aspects that the laptop is missing is its speakers. However, this part is not as bad as the battery life. We can rate the Nitro 5’s stereo speaker system as average rather than good. Frankly, we expected a higher sound level, you have a hard time hearing sounds in noisy environments. But they are not bad in terms of quality, they are just a little lacking in terms of bass. There is a ‘content Mode’ in the NitroSense app where you can customize the sound, but you can’t feel the differences between the modes; At least we couldn’t. It is also almost impossible to hear the sounds coming from the speakers while playing games; During gaming, the fans run very loud in performance mode, so using headphones is the best solution. By the way, it is also possible to adjust fan speeds via NitroSense.
Conclusion
Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 is a good option that offers solid gaming power, a good keyboard and a variety of ports in a renewed chassis. On the other hand, insufficient sound level and poor battery life work against Nitro. However, when we evaluate it from all angles, we can definitely say that it is still a model that can be purchased.
On the other hand, if you want a laptop with good features in every aspect, you can take a look at Acer’s Predator series. But keep in mind that you will have to spend 2 – 3 times more money.
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