Acer Nitro 5 (renamed to Nitro V 15) overview: Would possibly well or now no longer it be 2023’s very best low-cost gaming computer?

UPDATE: Nov. 13, 2023, 2:27 p.m. EST After an Acer receive’s request, this overview used to be updated to direct Acer Nitro 5’s rebrand to “Nitro V 15.”

Whoa! The Acer Nitro 5, now renamed to Nitro V 15, packed with nice internals that can form out triple-A gaming, blew my mind. Right here’s a sub-$1,000 gaming computer, so naturally, I did no longer desire to earn my hopes up.

Nonetheless, the Nitro V 15 is arguably one of many very best low-cost gaming laptops in the marketplace. Or now no longer it’s even better than the MSI Cyborg 15 — one other low-cost gaming computer I honest now no longer too prolonged previously reviewed.

Nonetheless with out a doubt, the Nitro V 15 is a funds-pleasant computer, meaning Acer had no desire but to originate some compromises that would honest flip you off. That being stated, let’s dive into what I adore and hate relating to the Acer Nitro V 15.

Acer Nitro V 15 designate and specs

The Acer Nitro V 15 on this overview is extremely best $999. You could perhaps earn it at Newegg and it comes with the next specs:

• Intel Core i7-13620H CPU

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU

• 16GB of RAM

• 1TB of SSD storage

• 15.6-run, 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh fee

What I adore relating to the Acer Nitro V 15

I’m a sucker for gaming laptops that see valid in every environments: a glitzy leisure room and internal a stuffy company office. The Acer Nitro V 15 matches that invoice.

The construct is fire

Name me a snoozefest all you desire, but I cannot stand gaming laptops that see adore “gaming laptops.” , the eyesores that simply secure too grand occurring the chassis, lid, and keyboard. I desire to sport — now no longer throw a darn 80’s earn together on the keyboard. The closing thing I desire is distracting aspects (I’m lookin’ at you RGB lighting) disrupting my focus exact by map of gameplay.

The Nitro V 15 has the perfect steadiness of fun and severe. It has a fab lid that appears to be like adore Wall-E rolled over it, leaving futuristic tracks on the veil. On the highest heart, yow will detect an iridescent “N” that supplies the Nitro V 15 its edge. Nonetheless, it be now no longer plagued with per-key RGB lighting it’s likely you’ll well honest earn on pricier gaming laptops, which I’m now no longer complaining about. The Nitro V keeps it straightforward with white backlighting.

Easy earn entry to to Nitro Sense app by map of keyboard

With the easy faucet of the “N” key, it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps earn entry to the NitroSense app.

This nifty machine is assuredly your most-visited app; it allows you to tweak the machine to your liking earlier than launching games. To illustrate, it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps alter the followers essentially based fully on your workflow and projects. Earlier than leaping into lightweight work (e.g., web browsing), it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps exercise the NitroSense app to flip one of many two following modes:

• Restful — Restricts fan speeds to reduce noise ranges

• Balanced — Instructed for daily, fashioned usage

While gaming (or diving into any varied project that stresses the CPU and GPU), it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps flip on Performance mode. Every other mode you need to be responsive to is Eco; this lets you squeeze out as grand battery life as imaginable.

Performance is rattling valid

I will dive more into this in subsequent sections, but I ran the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark on the Acer Nitro V 15 and it exceeded my expectations.

As mentioned on the outset, I reviewed the MSI Cyborg 15, which has the identical designate imprint because the Nitro V 15 — and the Acer computer overwhelmed its competitor adore an eggshell.

Sizable different of ports

Acer offers a candy vary of I/O choices on the Nitro V 15. On the left, yow will detect the vitality port (DC-in), an Ethernet port, HDMI 2.1, two USB Kind-A ports, and a USB Kind-C port (Thunderbolt 4). On the perfect, yow will detect one other USB Kind-A port, a headset jack, and a Kensington lock slot for security capabilities.

I could perhaps exercise an extra USB-C port, however the Acer Nitro V 15 is a sub-$1,000 gaming computer, so I will grab what I’m able to earn.

What’s ‘eh’ relating to the Acer Nitro V 15

You could well well perhaps now no longer be bougie on a beer funds, but there’s one explicit ingredient relating to the Acer Nitro V 15 that I’m aggressively indifferent about.

The display received’t secure any trophies

I adore the display’s 144Hz refresh fee, meaning that it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps earn delicate visuals that’ll support you whereas playing like a flash-paced games. To illustrate, whereas gunning down enemies in Deathloop, I felt a sense of heightened responsiveness and seamlessness.

Nonetheless, the 15.6-run, 1080p display is now no longer the leisure to write dwelling about. While playing Cyberpunk 2077, the coloration richness seemed mid, which is par for the route for a sub-$1,000 gaming computer. Hey, it’s likely you’ll well well perhaps now no longer secure your cake and use it too, perfect?

Loud AF, but this is now no longer out of the everyday

Some games will take a look at the limits of your CPU and GPU, and when that occurs, the Nitro V 15’s twin-fan machine will kick in to secure its mighty internals temperate.

Positive, they fabricate a fanciful job at retaining the Ntiro 5 chilly, but after I did no longer know any better, I could perhaps mistake ’em for a leaf blower. Or now no longer it’s rate noting, though, that this is par for the route for many gaming laptops. While you happen to desire a quieter experience, take grasp of the Lenovo Legion 9i, which has a special thermal resolution — even as you earn now no longer mind dropping an extra $3,000, with out a doubt.

Sound is OK

Low price laptops in most cases secure a unfortunate standing of offering restful, tinny audio. After launching Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” on Spotify, the quick tune sounded repressed on the Nitro V 15’s twin-speaker setup — as if any individual placed a stereo internal a miniature, closed field.

Nonetheless, I’m now no longer too troubled because many avid gamers reach for headsets to pair with their laptops anyway. And on the plus aspect, the sound gets sufficiently loud.

Restful keyboard, but could well well be clickier

To gauge how pleased I’m on a brand fresh keyboard, I exercise the Dwell Chat typing take a look at. On my everyday driver computer, the M2 Pro MacBook Pro, I form at a rush of 82 phrases per minute (WPM).

Nonetheless, on the Acer Nitro V 15, I form at 75 WPM. What I adore relating to the Nitro V 15’s keyboard is that it be restful. If a murderer used to be out to earn you, and all you had on your hand used to be the Nitro V 15, it’s likely you’ll well potentially earn away with emailing any individual for support without alerting the intruder. Plus, there’s a corpulent-sized numpad — a priceless addition for some avid gamers.

Nonetheless the keyboard’s clickiness could well well be improved. The keys are rather too comfortable for my fashion, but this is now no longer a dealbreaker. Or now no longer it will most certainly be rate noting that the touchpad is now no longer the smoothest, but all another time, it is a negligible flaw.

What I abominate relating to the Acer Nitro V 15

While I’m blasé relating to the Nitro V 15’s display coloration richness and accuracy, I firmly abominate Nitro V 15’s dim, 250-nit display.

The display veil could well well be brighter

While playing Cyberpunk 2077, I chanced on myself attempting to magnify the display veil to a brighter setting, but I used to be disappointed to earn that I had already hit the max tier.

Battery life is meh

Esteem most gaming laptops, the Nitro V 15 is now no longer very energy environment pleasant.

I could perhaps counsel retaining the Nitro V 15 plugged in. I experienced the computer shutting down on me in honest moderately over an hour whereas playing Cyberpunk 2077 — and I did no longer earn to place my progress. (Scroll correct down to glimpse our recorded runtime for the Acer Nitro V 15.)

Chassis attracts fingerprints

My Nitro V 15 is a criminal investigator’s dream.

Acer Nitro V 15 Geekbench and 3DMark scores

Acer Nitro V 15 delivered a multi-ranking ranking of 12,797 (Performance Mode) on the Geekbench 6 take a look at, which tests for CPU prowess. Compare this to the equally priced MSI Cyborg 15, which notched a ranking of 12,075.

The Acer Nitro V 15 also overwhelmed the MSI on 3DMark’s Time Look benchmark, which tested the Nitro V’s 4050 GPU. It delivered a ranking of 8,670, beating the MSI’s 6,907 resolve.

How nicely does ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ bustle on Acer Nitro V 15?

I adore to glimpse now no longer decrease than 60 frames per second for my games, and the Acer Nitro V 15 hit an spectacular common of 92 frames per second on the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark (High preset). After activating DLSS, a function designed to double the frame charges with AI upscaling, it jumped to a 122 frames per second.

On the assorted hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 could perhaps very best muster 54 frames per second on Cyberpunk 2077. With DLSS on, it climbed to 113 frames per second.

Acer Nitro V 15 battery life

As mentioned earlier, the Nitro V 15’s battery life is now no longer mammoth. Positive, the battery lifetime of most gaming laptops is fast, but that doesn’t originate it any less disappointing. We ran the PCMark 10 battery benchmark (gaming version) on the Nitro V 15, and it lasted exact 1 hour and 29 minutes.

Nonetheless, this is better than its rival, the MSI Cyborg 15, which very best survived for 1 hour and 1 minute.

Final recommendations

The Acer Nitro V 15 is the perfect low-cost gaming computer I’ve tested to this level. It’ll form out Cyberpunk 2077, one of many most graphics-intensive games in the marketplace, adore a champ. It even beats the MSI Cyborg 15, which shares an identical specs.

Nonetheless, as one could perhaps demand of, a gaming computer priced under $1,000 could well well secure some trade-offs. Within the case of the Nitro V 15, meaning dropping out on a radiant display, a vivid display veil, per-key RGB lighting, and more.

While you happen to could well well be exact procuring for a gaming computer that ditches the total bells and whistles for spectacular gaming performance, the Nitro V 15 is the one for you.