Acer Nitro 5 Review
Armed with a GTX 1050 Ti GPU, i5 CPU and up to 16GB of RAM, the Nitro 5 is more than capable of dominating most 1080p games at a great cost.
From a technical standpoint, the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop provides excellent performance in every hardware category inside the machine. Let’s break down exactly what you’re getting for a great price!
Technical Overview of the Acer Nitro 5 i5 8300H
The Processor(s) | Intel i5 7300hq/8300H/9300H @ 2.5GHz with turbo boost up to 4.1GHz |
The Graphics Card | Nvidia Geforce 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 |
The Memory | 16/8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage |
The Sound | TrueHarmony and Dolby Audio Premium |
The Memory | 16/8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage |
The Processor
Intel i5 7300hq/8300H/9300H models
The primary brain of the machine in the Acer Nitro 5 starts with the 7th generation i5 CPU from Intel. With four actual powerful cores running on Intel’s Kaby Lake architecture, this powerful budget CPU only uses between 35-45 watts. Embedded is 6MB of cache memory and obtains a bus speed of 8 GT/s DMI. As a result, the i5 7300hqH is perfect for gaming, as most games utilize four cores or less and even prefer fewer cores with higher per-core performance. This increases the value of a PC equipped with a CPU such as the i5 7300Hq, as i7 CPU’s cost considerably more and provides multi-threading, which allows for enhanced video rendering and similar compute performance, but usually doesn’t increase gaming performance by a large margin.
The Graphics Card
Nvidia Geforce 1050ti 4GB GDDR5
Arguably, one of the most critical components of any gaming computer is the GPU. For a decent cost, the Nitro 5 provides you with a Geforce 1050ti equipped with 4GB of superfast 7000MHz GDDR5 RAM and a GPU clock speed of 1493MHz up to 1620MHz. It also sports 768 unified Cuda cores. Through the amount of RAM and Cuda core’s and their respective rates, the 1050ti can easily acheive1080p high/ultra settings at over 60FPS in game just a few years old and medium on new games.
The Memory
16/8GB (Depending on model) DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage
The RAM and storage drive affects overall PC performance and operation. Two 8GB RAM modules allowing for 16GB of dual channel memory coupled with a solid state drive provides for a fluid transition between programs and fast loading times for games.
The Display
1080p IPS 15.6 inch
The display on the Nitro 5 is pretty decent. Many laptops above the $1,000 price point will provide higher quality, but for the overall cost including the other hardware, this IPS Panel display is great to look at. It’s easy on the eyes with the right contrasts and the response time is stellar. You will feel the buttery smooth FPS as you play, heightening the overall experience, even with simple computer operation.
The Sound
TrueHarmony and Dolby Audio Premium
The overall sound of the Nitro 5 is actually up to par with its pricing. As with the display, higher cost laptops will provide more precise sound. The Nitro 5 does, in fact, deliver loud and excellent quality sounds, better than any computer I’ve ever owned for under higher end costs and completes the overall experience.
The Aesthetics
Full backlit keyboard and plenty of ports.
What’s on the Outside?
Of course, this laptop has an excellent outward appearance and sports some of the latest technology to make it highly efficient and useful for gaming.
The Design
With a sleek, aluminum finish behind the display and a composite metal and plastic body, the Acer fits right in with its price point. It’s physical appearance, though appealing, is where they were smart on quality reduction to keep the price lower, but performance higher. The laptop won’t break apart on you with ease, but wouldn’t survive a substantial drop, either. In short, it looks great, but don’t throw it at anyone.
The Keyboard
Fully backlit and comfortably spaced keys provide a smooth typing experience. The WASD keys are lit up brighter than the others to solidify the focus that this laptop model has for gamers. It’s easy to keep small particles out from under the individual’s keys to help ensure proper lifespan and function.
The Cooling System
The cooling system is entirely silent when no gaming is being performed. Using “passive” cooling, thanks to the new processors low power consumption and maintains low levels of heat. When under load, the fans do start to spin up and this causes some decent noise to spray out of the cooling vents, but it is not on any level to create any distraction. During testing, Idle temperatures sit in the mid 30-degree Celsius range and under full load, never went above 61 degrees Celsius.
The Ports
The Nitro 5 comes with a diverse stock of ports and display availability. Three full-size USB 3.0 ports, one USB-C port, one HDMI port, one SD card slot and one Ethernet port. This leaves many connectivity options for both display, internet connectivity, and peripherals.
