The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light. As for whether to go Intel or AMD on the 2021 Nitro 5, I’d go with the Intel configurations if I’d be primarily looking for a gaming machine or work laptop for applications that are favored by the Intel platform, such as content creation in the Adobe suite. However, I’d stay away from the base-level FHD 144Hz screen that we had on our test unit, and try to get the better quality 144Hz BOE panel instead, or even reach out for the sharper QHD option. Finally, the camera is placed on top of the screen, flanked by microphones. It’s OK for occasional calls, and I might argue slightly better quality than what you’ll normally get on mid-range laptops these days. Battery life Acer sent me a sample of their Nitro 5 AN515-57, the code name for the 2021 model built on Intel Tiger Lake 11th gen Core i7 and i5 hardware. It’s an early sample, but runs on the latest software available as of early August 2021, so I feel confident to share my findings with you in this article, with the reserve that some aspects might still change with future BIOS updates.

The Nitro 5 also features Acer’s CoolBoost technology which can automatically boost fan speeds by a further 10% when needed. The cooling solution looks almost the same as the one that we found in the Predator Triton 300 (PT315-52). This means that it has three heat pipes – one of them is shared between the CPU and the GPU and the other two are solely dedicated to these chips. The cooling solution is complimented by four heat sinks and two big cooling plates that cover the video memory and the voltage regulators. With the Nitro 5, you also get DTS:X Ultra audio technology, which works with your existing speakers or headphones to create a multi-dimensional sound that moves around you like it would in real life. The outer shell temperatures are pretty good, though, with only some hotspots around the components. No complaints here. Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-57)’s display (CMN1521) is PWM-free which is definitely good for your health no matter how long you plan to stay in front of the laptop.You also never have to worry about lagging or drop-outs when gaming on the Nitro 5, thanks to the combination of the latest Wi-Fi 6 support, offering speeds up to 3 times faster than previous generations; plus Killer Ethernet for gigabit speeds and reduced latency.

Explore Comet and discover a constellation of products from washing machines and fridge freezers to air fryers, 4K TVs, laptops, consoles and more - it’s easy to find everything you need for your home in the Comet universe. There’s still only a 58Wh battery inside the Acer Nitro 5 series, as the rest of the space is occupied by the 2.5″ storage drive. This is smaller than what the competition offers these days. In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.

Here’s what we got on our review unit, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~70 brightness). What we have here on this sample is the base-level 144Hz panel made by AU Optronics, which is a fairly poor panel choice, but in line with what the competition offers in this segment on the base specs: 60% sRGB color coverage, 250-nits of brightness, and slow response times, despite the 144 Hz refresh rate. We tested the laptop with a cooling pad and with the fans ramped up to their max state. With the cooling pad, the GPU frequency is a bit higher while the temperatures are the same compared to the default fan settings. Now, there is an improvement if you set the fans to max speed but good god almighty – the CPU fan spins at 5000 rpm and the GPU one is rotating with 6000 rpm. Nope, in this mode the laptop isn’t just a vacuum cleaner – it’s a fighter jet that flies near you. Comfort during full load In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. In other words, the leakage of light from the light source. The Nitro 5 comes with Windows 11 pre-installed - with a raft of new features, including DirectX 12 for better graphics, DirectStorage for faster loading and Auto HDR to help enhance visuals in non-HDR games, Windows 11 is the best Windows ever for gaming.