Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 Review: Affordable gaming laptop with RTX 4050 and long run times
With a price of just under €1,250, the current configuration of the Acer Nitro 16 belongs to the lower price segment gaming laptops. Our Nitro 16 unit is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS APU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU.
The competition includes devices like the Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS, Schenker XMG Focus 15 (E23), Gigabyte G7 KE, Asus TUF A15 FA507, and the Medion Erazer Scout E20.
Information about the case, equipment and input devices can be found in our review of the identically built sister model that features a Ryzen 7 7735HS and an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86.7 % | 08/2023 | Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE R5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 2.6 kg | 27.9 mm | 16.00" | 1920x1200 | |
86.9 % | 06/2023 | Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS R9 7940HS, Radeon RX 7600S | 2.2 kg | 22.1 mm | 16.00" | 1920x1200 | |
85.1 % | 07/2023 | SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) i9-13900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 26.9 mm | 15.60" | 2569x1440 | |
83.3 % | 01/2023 | Gigabyte G7 KE i5-12500H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.6 kg | 25 mm | 17.30" | 1920x1080 | |
86.3 % | 06/2023 | Asus TUF A15 FA507 R7 7735HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 2.2 kg | 24.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
83 % | 05/2023 | Medion Erazer Scout E20 i7-13700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU | 2.8 kg | 29 mm | 17.30" | 1920x1080 |
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Average of class Gaming (19 - 202, n=93, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Average of class Gaming (25.8 - 269, n=94, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Gigabyte G7 KE (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) |
Display - 16:10 panel with sRGB coverage
Positives for the matte 16-inch 1,920 x 1,200 IPS screen in 16:10 format include G-Sync support, the absence of PWM flickering, and short response times. Brightness and contrast of the 165 Hz panel meet the respective targets (> 300 cd/m² and 1,000:1, respectively).
There are not many differences apart from these when compared to the WQXGA panel (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) of the sister model, although the latter offers a higher maximum brightness (almost 500 cd/m²).
|
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 415 cd/m²
Contrast: 1153:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.95, calibrated: 2.68
ΔE Greyscale 3.6 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
77.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
80% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.182
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE AU Optronics B160UAN01.Q, IPS, 1920x1200, 16" | Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS BOE NE160WUM-NX2, IPS, 1920x1200, 16" | SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) BOE0AD1, IPS, 2569x1440, 15.6" | Gigabyte G7 KE AU Optronics B173HAN05.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | Asus TUF A15 FA507 N156HMA-GA1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Medion Erazer Scout E20 LG Philips LGD0611, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.3" | Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 BOE CQ NE16QDM-NY1, IPS, 2560x1600, 16" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -8% | 12% | -6% | -12% | -12% | -8% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 80 | 69.3 -13% | 98.6 23% | 70.4 -12% | 64.9 -19% | 65.1 -19% | 67.9 -15% |
sRGB Coverage | 99.4 | 97.3 -2% | 99.9 1% | 99.8 0% | 96.5 -3% | 96.7 -3% | 99.1 0% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 77.4 | 70.7 -9% | 86.3 11% | 71.7 -7% | 66.6 -14% | 66.5 -14% | 69.9 -10% |
Response Times | -66% | -81% | -3% | -236% | -66% | 3% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 11.2 ? | 15.6 ? -39% | 15.6 ? -39% | 5 ? 55% | 30.4 ? -171% | 14.8 ? -32% | 11 ? 2% |
Response Time Black / White * | 5.2 ? | 10 ? -92% | 11.6 ? -123% | 8.3 ? -60% | 20.8 ? -300% | 10.4 ? -100% | 5 ? 4% |
PWM Frequency | |||||||
Screen | 25% | -2% | 28% | 28% | 14% | 27% | |
Brightness middle | 415 | 301 -27% | 302 -27% | 307 -26% | 288 -31% | 312 -25% | 520 25% |
Brightness | 380 | 294 -23% | 278 -27% | 301 -21% | 271 -29% | 303 -20% | 494 30% |
Brightness Distribution | 84 | 94 12% | 85 1% | 93 11% | 91 8% | 91 8% | 91 8% |
Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.21 42% | 0.36 -0% | 0.2 44% | 0.17 53% | 0.25 31% | 0.39 -8% |
Contrast | 1153 | 1433 24% | 839 -27% | 1535 33% | 1694 47% | 1248 8% | 1333 16% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.71 | 1.79 62% | 2.24 52% | 1.32 72% | 1.9 60% | 2.65 44% | 1.94 59% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.98 | 3.48 50% | 5.52 21% | 4.6 34% | 3.3 53% | 6.44 8% | 5.62 19% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.68 | 1.2 55% | 1.03 62% | 0.9 66% | 0.96 64% | 0.74 72% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 2.5 31% | 3.87 -8% | 2.1 42% | 2.7 25% | 3.2 11% | 2.94 18% |
Gamma | 2.182 101% | 2.265 97% | 2.42 91% | 2.247 98% | 2.32 95% | 2.246 98% | 2.37 93% |
CCT | 7153 91% | 6157 106% | 6936 94% | 6815 95% | 6535 99% | 7258 90% | 6443 101% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -16% /
5% | -24% /
-11% | 6% /
16% | -73% /
-18% | -21% /
-3% | 7% /
16% |
* ... smaller is better
The screen shows a decent color reproduction ex-factory — with a deviation of about 4.7, the target (DeltaE < 3) is not exactly matched. A calibration reduces the deviation to 2.68 and ensures more balanced grayscale levels. The panel can completely reproduce the sRGB color gamut but not the Adobe RGB and Display P3 color spaces.
This is the case for the WQXGA panel in the other Nitro 16 variant, as well as the screens of most competitors. Only the display of the XMG Focus 15 offers good DCI-P3 coverage.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
5.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.9 ms rise | |
↘ 3.3 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.1 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
11.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.3 ms rise | |
↘ 5.9 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.2 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17348 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The IPS panel offers stable viewing angles that can be read from any position. The panel's brightness is good-enough for outdoor legibility if the sun does not shine too brightly.
Performance: Acer focuses on Rembrandt and Ada Lovelace
The Nitro 16 series combines Ada-Lovelace GPUs with CPUs from Intel or AMD. The present model relies on AMD and is available for about €1,250 (~US$1,500). Thus, it is currently the cheapest representative of the series.
Test conditions
Of the six manufacturer-specific performance modes (see table below), the modes "Balanced" (for benchmarks) and "Eco" (for battery tests) were used. "Turbo" and "Performance" are only available in mains operation (battery level > 30%). A button above the keyboard allows switching between the modes. Alternatively, this can be done via NitroSense software (control center of the laptop). An LED indicates the active mode.
Note: While the other Nitro 16 model was tested with Optimus mode active, the dGPU mode (= the iGPU is disabled) is used on the current test device. The battery tests are an exception, however. Thus, the benchmark results are not always directly comparable.
Turbo | Power | Balanced | Quiet | Balanced (battery) | Eco (battery) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PowerLimit 1 (HWInfo) | 95 Watt | 75 Watt | 65 Watt | 45 Watt | 25 Watt | 25 Watt |
Power Limit 2 (HWInfo) | 100 Watt | 100 Watt | 100 Watt | 100 Watt | 25 Watt | 25 Watt |
Performance (Witcher 3 ) | ~84 fps | ~83 fps | ~82 fps | ~74 fps | - | - |
Noise (Witcher 3 ) | 61 dB(A) | 56 dB(A) | 45 dB(A) | 35 dB(A) | - | - |
Processor
The Ryzen 5 7535HS APU (Zen 3+, Rembrandt-R) offers six CPU cores with a total of 12 threads at a maximum single-core boost of 4.55 GHz. The CPU acknowledges permanent multi-thread load (CB15 Loop) with a constantly high Turbo clock - regardless of the selected system mode. The differences between the modes are small.
Not surprisingly, the Ryzen 7 APU of the sister model offers greater multi-thread performance — after all, it has 8 CPU cores. In terms of the single-thread performance, which is more relevant in everyday use, the APUs are almost on par.
Cinebench R15 multi-core loop
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (4986 - 60169, n=198, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Average of class Gaming (25360 - 252486, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (1339 - 10389, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (50699 - 200651, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Average of class Gaming (4800 - 32988, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Average of class Gaming (12321 - 134044, n=198, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Average of class Gaming (19065 - 328679, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (373 - 2409, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (2540 - 31796, n=198, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (10805 - 60161, n=199, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 |
System performance
The smoothly running system provides enough computing power for demanding applications like rendering, video editing, and gaming. The transfer rates of the working memory (DDR5-4800) remain below potential, as a comparison with the values of the Asus TUF Gaming A16 shows.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (5776 - 9852, n=177, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (9057 - 12334, n=176, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (6662 - 14612, n=176, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Average of class Gaming (6703 - 18475, n=176, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
CrossMark / Overall | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Average of class Gaming (1247 - 2344, n=160, last 2 years) | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Average of class Gaming (1299 - 2204, n=160, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (1275 - 2660, n=160, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (1030 - 2330, n=160, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU () | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 5548 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5810 points | |
PCMark 10 Score | 6690 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (21842 - 94222, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Average of class Gaming (23681 - 99713, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average of class Gaming (22986 - 108954, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Average of class Gaming (59.5 - 259, n=198, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Average AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS () | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Asus TUF A15 FA507 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
The standardized latency monitor test (web surfing, 4k video playback, Prime95 in-place large FFTs) did not reveal any abnormalities. The system seems to be suitable for real-time video and audio editing. Future software updates could lead to improvements or even degradations.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
SCHENKER XMG Focus 15 (E23) | |
Medion Erazer Scout E20 | |
Gigabyte G7 KE | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
Acer equips the Nitro 16 with a 512 GB SSD (PCIe 4, M.2-2280) from SK Hynix. It delivers good data rates but is not among the top-performing SSD models. A negative aspect is that performance drops occur due to thermal throttling. The notebook has room for a second PCIe Gen 4 SSD.