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Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44 Laptop Review: AMD dating Nvidia

Long Life. Acer's Nitro 5 AN515-44 is a combination of the best of both worlds: A powerful AMD Ryzen CPU paired with a high-performance Nvidia Turing GPU. Find out in our review how well these two get along.
Acer Nitro 5

Acer’s Nitro 5 refresh is available in two basic configurations: The AN515-55 equipped with an Intel Comet Lake processor, and the AN515-44 featuring an AMD Renoir processor.

If you want to save some money you might want to opt for the Ryzen 5 4600H. AMD’s hexa-core can easily take it up against Intel’s Core i7-9750H that many more expensive laptops are equipped with. Alternatively, the AN515-44 can also be purchased with a very powerful Ryzen 7 4800H, the same CPU that flexed its muscles in the Bravo not too long ago.

Our review unit was furthermore equipped with a fairly new upper mid-range GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU, a 144 Hz display, a 512 GB SSD, and 8 GB of single-channel DDR4 RAM. For reasons of better performance, we would have wished for a dual-channel configuration. In order to purchase this particular configuration, you had to part with around $1,000 at the time of writing.

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT (Nitro 5 AN515 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H 6 x 3 - 4 GHz, Renoir-H (Zen 2)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1350 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 446.14, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, SO-DIMM DDR4-3200, single-channel, 1 of 2 slots occupied
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, Panda LM156LF-2F01 (NCP004D), IPS, Full HD, glossy: no, 144 Hz
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI, 512 GB 
, PCIe-SSD, slots: 2x M.2 Typ 2280 & 1x 2.5-inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC295 @ AMD K17.6 - Audio Processor - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 0 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm headphone jack
Networking
Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24 x 363 x 255 ( = 0.94 x 14.29 x 10.04 in)
Battery
57.48 Wh, 3733 mAh Lithium-Polymer, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 135 W power supply, Quick Start guide, 2.5-inch adapter, Nitro Sense, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.176 kg ( = 76.76 oz / 4.8 pounds), Power Supply: 343 g ( = 12.1 oz / 0.76 pounds)
Price
1000 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Its competitors are other 15-inch budget gaming laptops, such as the Dell G5 15 5590, the HP Omen 15, the Lenovo Legion Y540-15, and the Acer Predator Helios 300. Accordingly, our comparison group is comprised of those four devices.

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
79.8 %
06/2020
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
2.2 kg24 mm15.60"1920x1080
79.6 %
10/2019
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.7 kg23.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
81.5 %
07/2019
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.3 kg25 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.3 %
08/2019
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
2.2 kg26 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.1 %
11/2019
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
2.3 kg23.2 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

Despite the fact that the case is made almost entirely of plastic, the new Nitro 5 looks and feels fairly premium. The lid in particular looks strikingly similar to real aluminum. The combination of black surfaces with red highlights (keyboard, touchpad, etc…) reminds us of various MSI laptops, and it hits a good balance between boring and playful.

Rigidity was decent except for the not particularly sturdy cover. The base unit only warped after applying a significant amount of force. Build quality was also on a par with its competitors, and thus at a decent level. A maximum display opening angle of 150 degrees should suffice for most users.

Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5

As is expected of a modern laptop, Acer opted for narrow albeit slightly wider bezels than those found on some of its competitors. Nevertheless, the Nitro’s footprint of 36.3 x 25.5 cm (14.3 x 10 inches) turned out to be fairly compact for a 15-inch device, as did its maximum height of just 2.4 cm. Thanks to its moderate weight of no more than 2.2 kg it is even portable to a certain degree.

Size Comparison

365 mm / 14.4 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs364 mm / 14.3 inch 273 mm / 10.7 inch 23.7 mm / 0.933 inch 2.7 kg5.98 lbs363 mm / 14.3 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.2 kg4.8 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg5.11 lbs361.4 mm / 14.2 inch 254.2 mm / 10 inch 23.2 mm / 0.913 inch 2.3 kg5.09 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports

Connectivity, and external ports in particular, is one of the areas where Acer had to cut corners. Neither DisplayPort nor a card reader are available, and Thunderbolt 3 is nowhere to be seen either. On the left-hand side we find a Kensington lock, an RJ45 port, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. Those are accompanied by a single USB 3.0 Type-C port, a third USB 3.0 Type-A port, and an HDMI port for connecting external displays to at the right-hand side. Given that all ports sit pretty centered on both sides using a mouse can get quite challenging and arduous depending on the amount of cables plugged in.

Left: Kensington lock, RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB-A, 3.5-mm headphone jack
Left: Kensington lock, RJ45 Ethernet, 2x USB-A, 3.5-mm headphone jack
Right: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI
Right: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI
Rear: power
Rear: power

Communication

Despite its budget price, the Nitro does not require any compromises in regard to communication. While wired connections are handled by a Killer E2600 Ethernet controller, wireless protocol support is plentiful thanks to Intel’s AX200 Wi-Fi 6 modem offering fast Wi-Fi transfer rates of more than 1,300 Mb/s both when transmitting and receiving data. Due to our recently improved test setup those numbers are not comparable to older test results. In order to future-proof our setup we switched from an AC to an AX router (Netgear Nighthawk AX12).

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1340 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1412, n=14, last 2 years)
1006 MBit/s -25%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s -49%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
676 MBit/s -50%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
653 (615min - 670max) MBit/s -51%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
630 MBit/s -53%
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1390 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=14, last 2 years)
1203 MBit/s -13%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
691 MBit/s -50%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
672 (658min - 682max) MBit/s -52%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
646 MBit/s -54%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
619 MBit/s -55%

Webcam

Even though the webcam was not as bad in terms of focus as webcams on other gaming laptops, we advise you to lower your video quality expectations and not to expect too much of it.

ColorChecker
18.7 ∆E
16.7 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
21.3 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
28 ∆E
16 ∆E
17.9 ∆E
15.4 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
22.8 ∆E
16.9 ∆E
14.5 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
22.4 ∆E
2.5 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
18.2 ∆E
18.6 ∆E
14.3 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
ColorChecker Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT: 16.25 ∆E min: 2.53 - max: 27.99 ∆E

Accessories

Included in the box are a few leaflets with general information, a mounting frame for the vacant 2.5-inch slot, and a pleasantly lightweight (ca. 340 g / 0.75 lbs) and compact (ca. 13.5 x 7 x 2.5 cm / 5.3 x 2.75 x 1 inches) 135 W power supply.

Maintenance

Given the lack of a maintenance opening, the entire bottom case needs to be removed in order to access the internal hardware, which requires the removal of a total of 11 Philips screws. Once removed you get access to the battery, the wireless communication module, two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, as well as two M.2-2280 slots and one 2.5-inch storage bay. The cooling solution for the soldered CPU and GPU consists of two fans connected by various heat pipes, and it is not completely isolated from each other.

Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5

Warranty

Default warranty varies based on country of purchase. For example, our German review unit comes with two full years of pickup & return warranty by default.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Based on the marketing material on Acer’s website some of the more expensive Nitro 5 models feature an RGB-backlit keyboard. However, the AN515-44 has to make do with a red backlight underneath Acer’s well-established gaming keyboard. It offers a well-defined touch and feel as well as a solid overall layout safe for the combined Insert/Delete key. Furthermore, the German keyboard layout fused the left Shift key with <>| as well as the Return key with #, which while uncommon and confusing at first did not cause any issues after some getting used to.

A very useful feature was the availability of brightness and volume control on the cursor keys, particularly for touch typists. You will need both hands to trigger these functions, though. Some users will also benefit from the dedicated numpad.

Chiclet keyboard...
Chiclet keyboard...
...with red backlight
...with red backlight

Touchpad

The red-framed touchpad’s footprint of 10.5 x 7.5 cm (4.1 x 3 inches) is more than adequate for a 15-inch laptop. Its smooth surface ensures great gliding capabilities, and its precision was at an acceptable level. As expected, various gestures are supported, for example pinch by zoom or two-finger scrolling. The sound it makes when triggering the buttons is rather loud and clattery, and it could have used some additional fine-tuning, particularly considering that overall keyboard clatter is very low.

Display

In the past, displays with more than 100 Hz were mostly limited to expensive high-end laptops. Nowadays, more and more budget gamers are equipped with these high-frequency panels.

269
cd/m²
262
cd/m²
288
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
287
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
267
cd/m²
280
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Panda LM156LF-2F01 (NCP004D) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 288 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 270.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 287 cd/m²
Contrast: 1148:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.77 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.73
ΔE Greyscale 2.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
61% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.56% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.16% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.115
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
Panda LM156LF-2F01 (NCP004D), IPS, 1920x1080
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
AU Optronics B156HAN (AUO23ED), IPS, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
LGD05CE, IPS, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
BOE 084D, IPS, 1920x1080
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
AUO, B156HAN08.2, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
97%
-7%
52%
53%
Display P3 Coverage
41.16
83.1
102%
38.37
-7%
63.6
55%
64.1
56%
sRGB Coverage
61.8
99.9
62%
57.6
-7%
91.7
48%
93
50%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.56
96.8
127%
39.69
-7%
65.2
53%
65.7
54%
Response Times
-9%
2%
69%
67%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40.8 ?(19.2, 21.6)
48 ?(22.8, 25.2)
-18%
40 ?(21.2, 18.8)
2%
8.8 ?(4, 4.4)
78%
15 ?(8, 7)
63%
Response Time Black / White *
30 ?(16.8, 13.2)
30 ?(16.8, 13.2)
-0%
29.6 ?(17.2, 12.4)
1%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
60%
9 ?(5, 4)
70%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-13%
-11%
14%
14%
Brightness middle
287
234
-18%
251
-13%
299
4%
325
13%
Brightness
271
216
-20%
232
-14%
290
7%
310
14%
Brightness Distribution
88
87
-1%
76
-14%
89
1%
82
-7%
Black Level *
0.25
0.22
12%
0.17
32%
0.29
-16%
0.255
-2%
Contrast
1148
1064
-7%
1476
29%
1031
-10%
1275
11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.77
6.52
-37%
6.2
-30%
3.7
22%
4.28
10%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
17.15
10.58
38%
18.6
-8%
7
59%
8.42
51%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.73
3.56
5%
4.8
-29%
2
46%
1.45
61%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.7
5.33
-97%
4.2
-56%
4.1
-52%
5.01
-86%
Gamma
2.115 104%
2.86 77%
2.32 95%
2.19 100%
2.6 85%
CCT
7187 90%
5983 109%
7454 87%
7166 91%
7678 85%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
43
36
-16%
36.5
-15%
59.3
38%
60
40%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
61
57
-7%
57.4
-6%
91.5
50%
93
52%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
25% / 8%
-5% / -9%
45% / 28%
45% / 28%

* ... smaller is better

Acer equips its 15-inch Nitro 5 with a 144 Hz IPS panel running at a native resolution of 1920x1080.

CalMAN: grayscale
CalMAN: grayscale
CalMAN: saturation
CalMAN: saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)

Overall picture quality is rather poor. In addition to a dim backlight (270 nits on average) we also found its color-space coverage (61% sRGB) and its response times to be lacking. In return, its black level of 0.25 nits and resulting contrast ratio of 1,150:1 were adequate.

Acer Nitro 5 vs. sRGB (61%)
Acer Nitro 5 vs. sRGB (61%)
Acer Nitro 5 vs. AdobeRGB (43%)
Acer Nitro 5 vs. AdobeRGB (43%)

In order to improve battery life and lower the price Acer opted against Nvidia’s G-Sync and chose the switchable-graphics technology Optimus instead.

Backlight
Backlight
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16.8 ms rise
↘ 13.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 21.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Test Conditions

As can be seen on the screenshot below the preinstalled Nitro Sense tool did not offer too many settings or tabs. A well-organized user interface allows you to adjust fan speeds, select a power plan, and monitor CPU as well as GPU temperatures, load, and fan speeds. When running our tests, we left all settings on default resulting in automatic fan speed adjustment and Acer’s optimized Balanced power plan selected.

Nitro Sense
Nitro Sense
Care Center
Care Center

Performance

Our particular SKU can be found in the upper mid-range segment of gaming laptops, both in terms of price as well as performance. It is worth noting that the CPU offered much more performance headroom than the GPU, which topped out in some of the more-demanding games occasionally already. Unlike the GPU the RAM can be upgraded, and we strongly suggest doubling the RAM from 8 to 16 GB of dual-channel RAM.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
AS SSD Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark

Processor

First things first: AMD’s Ryzen 5 4600H offers a breathtaking price-performance ratio. The hexa-core CPU is manufactured in a 7 nm lithography process and supports up to 12 simultaneous threads thanks to SMT.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load

Its clock speeds were pretty impressive overall. While it only achieved its maximum boost of 4.0 GHz under ideal conditions, an average of 3.7 GHz with load on all cores is more than respectable. The fact that performance dropped after a few runs is no exception but rather typical for a laptop.

07014021028035042049056063070077084091098010501120119012601330Tooltip
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, AMD Ryzen 5 4600H: Ø1341 (1313.46-1397.77)
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1157 (1151.34-1211.72)
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1113 (1102.29-1169.32)

When running our benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 4600H practically wipes the floor with its Intel competitors. In CineBench R15 multi-thread it scored around 20% faster than a Core i7-9750H. Compared with the Core i5-9300H, a processor very popular with notebooks in the Nitro’s $1,000 range, it was between 70 and 80% faster thanks to its higher core count. Intel definitely has to take note of this.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=247, last 2 years)
265 Points +49%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
190 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
187 Points +5%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
178 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points -4%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
169 Points -5%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=248, last 2 years)
2986 Points +114%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1398 (1313.46min - 1397.77max) Points
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
1170 Points -16%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
1155 (899.54min - 1211.72max) Points -17%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
818 Points -41%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
769 Points -45%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
643 Seconds * -86%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
476.1 Seconds * -38%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
410 Seconds * -19%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
345 Seconds *
Average of class Gaming
  (87 - 1259, n=241, last 2 years)
208 Seconds * +40%
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Gaming
  (2685 - 7581, n=242, last 2 years)
6034 MIPS +35%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
4962 MIPS +11%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
4719 MIPS +6%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
4626 MIPS +3%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
4471 MIPS
7z b 4
Average of class Gaming
  (11386 - 140932, n=241, last 2 years)
74398 MIPS +103%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
36693 MIPS
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
34458 MIPS -6%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
28512 MIPS -22%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
20736 MIPS -43%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=243, last 2 years)
690 Points +61%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
459 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
458 Points +7%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
428 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
419 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
404 Points -6%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=243, last 2 years)
7152 Points +122%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
3224 Points
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
2599 Points -19%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
2595 Points -20%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
1821 Points -44%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
1723 Points -47%
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (158 - 2193, n=246, last 2 years)
1786 Points +61%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1108 Points
Multi-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (1946 - 22200, n=246, last 2 years)
13156 Points +150%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
5260 Points
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Gaming
  (3 - 37.6, n=245, last 2 years)
20.5 fps +121%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
9.27 fps
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Core i7-9750H
9.2 fps -1%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Intel Core i7-9750H
7.63 fps -18%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
5.7 fps -39%
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
64.1 s *
Average of class Gaming
  (32.8 - 332, n=239, last 2 years)
49.6 s * +23%
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
0.626 sec *
Average of class Gaming
  (0.3609 - 4.47, n=242, last 2 years)
0.4753 sec * +24%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
32756
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5365
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
16.25 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.04 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1398 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
95.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
178 Points
Help

System Performance

According to PCMark 10, our review unit scored somewhere between other devices equipped with a GTX 1650 Ti or GTX 1660 Ti, and an i5-9300H or i7-9750H. Subjectively, the 15-inch device felt very fast and snappy at all times, be it application launches, load times, boot times, or file transfers.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=208, last 2 years)
7531 Points +54%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5716 Points +17%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5279 Points +8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
4892 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
4873 Points 0%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, KBG30ZMS128G
4615 Points -6%

DPC Latencies

Unfortunately, the latencies observed were anything but good. According to LatencyMon you should expect potential difficulties with applications such as real-time audio. Fortunately, most users won’t notice any issues.

Latencies
Latencies
Latencies
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
1000 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

In order to present the powerful CPU with a worthy storage device Acer opted for a PCIe SSD. Sequential transfer rates north of 1,000 MB/s in both read and write may not be the cream of the crop but still more than enough for everyday use. Our review unit was equipped with a 512 GB large SK Hynix BC511 SSD. If you need more storage space, you can either add a second M.2 SSD or use the included mounting bracket to add a traditional 2.5-inch hard disk drive.

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
KBG30ZMS128G
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-55%
43%
42%
48%
Write 4K
94.7
65.3
-31%
112.1
18%
158.8
68%
108.7
15%
Read 4K
38.91
29.71
-24%
42.01
8%
29.11
-25%
44.91
15%
Write Seq
1056
128.8
-88%
1964
86%
1584
50%
2424
130%
Read Seq
1183
859
-27%
2065
75%
1694
43%
1617
37%
Write 4K Q32T1
445.3
95.8
-78%
318.2
-29%
536
20%
356.9
-20%
Read 4K Q32T1
477.7
197.6
-59%
406.7
-15%
363.9
-24%
557
17%
Write Seq Q32T1
1063
132.5
-88%
2534
138%
2536
139%
2542
139%
Read Seq Q32T1
2154
1208
-44%
3438
60%
3458
61%
3218
49%
SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2154 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1063 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 477.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 445.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1183 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1056 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 38.91 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 94.7 MB/s

GPU Performance

Truth be told we are somewhat disappointed by the GTX 1650 Ti despite its overall decent performance. Looking at the benchmark results reveals that the DirectX 12 GPU can only perform slightly better than a “regular” GTX 1650.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=250, last 2 years)
28955 Points +184%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
14358 Points +41%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
14288 Points +40%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
10209 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
9536 Points -7%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
9239 Points -10%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=248, last 2 years)
11781 Points +212%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
5616 Points +49%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
3773 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
3565 Points -6%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
3488 Points -8%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=246, last 2 years)
39499 Points +184%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
19553 Points +40%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
19435 Points +40%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
13927 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
13447 Points -3%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
13233 Points -5%

Given the overall very similar specs this does not come as a huge surprise. After all, both Turing GPUs feature 1,024 shaders with access to 4 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit interface. The only difference is that the Ti model features GDDR6 instead of GDDR5 VRAM.

3DMark 11 Performance
12865 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
28177 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9374 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
4011 points
Help

In order to determine sustained load capabilities, we ran The Witcher 3 on FHD/Ultra for at least 60 minutes. The resulting frame rate was consistent throughout the entire test, which hints at a properly sized cooler capable of keeping the GTX 1650 Ti in check. GPU clock speeds settled at more than 1,700 MHz, which is impressive considering the GPU’s base clock speed of no more than 1,350 MHz.

0510152025303540Tooltip
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI: Ø38.9 (36-41)

Gaming Performance

The Nitro 5 AN515-44 was developed with price-sensitive gamers in mind that might not necessarily insist on running every single game on the display’s native resolution of 1920x1080 on maximum details. Accordingly, recorded frame rates in less-demanding games such as FIFA 20 get very close to the display’s refresh rate while more-demanding, graphically intense, or poorly optimized games (we are looking at you, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Borderlands 3) tend to skip frames. Things quickly turn ugly when running at even higher resolutions, for example 2560x1440. Generally speaking, a GTX 1650 Ti is not suited for display resolutions higher than QHD.

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=177, last 2 years)
213 fps +215%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
93 (84min - 103max) fps +37%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H
67.7 (56min) fps
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
62.2 fps -8%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
59.8 (50min) fps -12%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=245, last 2 years)
114 fps +198%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
54.6 (48min - 62max) fps +43%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
53.1 (50min, 51P1 - 58max) fps +39%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, R5 4600H
38.3 (29min) fps
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
37 fps -3%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
34.4 (26min) fps -10%
low med. high ultraQHD4K
GTA V (2015) 144 93.1 51.5
The Witcher 3 (2015) 126 67.7 38.3 24.8
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 107 104 91 87.1
Fortnite (2018) 121 89.9 68.6 41.1 13.1
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 56.5 42 14.6
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 69.3 57.7 38.7 25.9 11.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 80.2 67.6 59.1
Monster Hunter World (2018) 63.7 55.5 45.3
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 69 58 51 32 18
Hitman 2 (2018) 59.2 53.7 51.5 40.5 21.6
Battlefield V (2018) 84.3 73.2 67.3 51.2 27.6
Darksiders III (2018) 85.9 68.6 60.8 37.9 12.7
Just Cause 4 (2018) 84.4 60.9 56.2 37.5 19.6
Rage 2 (2019) 66.9 55.5 54.7 33.7 14.9
Control (2019) 48.6 35.5 21.9 10.5
Borderlands 3 (2019) 65.9 43.2 32.3 20.1 7.1
FIFA 20 (2019) 155 153 148 144
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019) 71.1 63.5 51.7 36.6 18.9
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019) 53.8 35.4 21.8 17.1
Gears Tactics (2020) 100 67.3 49.8 29.3 16.9

Emissions

System Noise

Noise-sensitive users might have to look elsewhere. While the fans are either completely off or running at low speeds resulting in a fan noise of 32-34 dB(A) when the device is idle, they quickly rev up to 46-49 dB(A) under load and necessitate the use of a headset. Only the Dell G5 5590 was even louder.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.131.230.431.833.72539.333.631.633.434.33128.929.228.427.531.14041.136.237.333.939.8503634.732.334.537.76332.628.229.231.431.8802826.32625.728.410025.624.925.423.727.612527.823.624.322.428.616029.725.62822.730.320028.824.222.921.930.22502824.121.721.429.931529.622.421.519.731.440032.42822.819.43450031.625.624.318.733.963032.825.326.11835.680034.12322.517.936.2100034.522.72018.43712503723.220.618.239.9160038.323.121.217.940.9200036.921.519.217.439.9250036.41918.317.738.9315036.118.618.217.839.8400029.818.217.817.733.5500028.31817.917.630.9630026.517.817.617.630.4800023.317.817.617.625.71000021.417.717.717.622.51250021.817.717.617.419.71600021.317.517.517.318.2SPL46.433.732.430.149.3N5.221.81.46.3median 29.7median 22.7median 20.6median 17.9median 31.4Delta4.43.23.21.44.4hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 34 dB(A)
Load
46 / 49 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
-3%
13%
9%
3%
9%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
28.8
4%
29.3
2%
30.2
-1%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=194, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
30
31
-3%
28.8
4%
29.3
2%
31
-3%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=195, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Average *
32
32
-0%
29.5
8%
29.3
8%
31
3%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=195, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
34
35
-3%
31.1
9%
29.3
14%
31
9%
30.7 ?(21.9 - 47, n=195, last 2 years)
10%
Load Average *
46
49
-7%
35.2
23%
35.7
22%
41.5
10%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=195, last 2 years)
6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47
47
-0%
35.2
25%
44.2
6%
46.7
1%
Load Maximum *
49
53
-8%
41
16%
45.6
7%
46.9
4%
53.2 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=195, last 2 years)
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Temperatures recorded during our The Witcher 3 test indicate that the fans could easily be running slower than they are. CPU and GPU temperatures of around 60 °C each hint at quite a lot of thermal headroom. In our unrealistic stress test performed by running FurMark and Prime95 simultaneously we recorded temperatures of up to 71 °C for the GeForce GTX 1650 Ti and 85 °C for the Ryzen 5 4600H, both of which are also more than adequate for this load scenario.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Full load top
Full load top
Full load bottom
Full load bottom

The case peaked at 49 °C at the top and 50 °C at the bottom, which is fairly typical for a gaming laptop. Idle temperatures were very low, and the case did not exceed 30 °C.

Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
49 °C
120 F
47 °C
117 F
 
 41 °C
106 F
47 °C
117 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
34 °C
93 F
33 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F
Average: 40.9 °C = 106 F
50 °C
122 F
50 °C
122 F
48 °C
118 F
48 °C
118 F
48 °C
118 F
37 °C
99 F
30 °C
86 F
27 °C
81 F
28 °C
82 F
Maximum: 50 °C = 122 F
Average: 40.7 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  45 °C = 113 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.9 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 50 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.9 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.4 °C / 99 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35 °C / 95 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-6.1 °C / -11 F).
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
2%
12%
-14%
5%
-6%
Maximum Upper Side *
49
49
-0%
40.3
18%
42.7
13%
52
-6%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=194, last 2 years)
6%
Maximum Bottom *
50
55
-10%
48.5
3%
52.7
-5%
46.3
7%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=194, last 2 years)
1%
Idle Upper Side *
28
25
11%
23.9
15%
33.1
-18%
24.8
11%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=194, last 2 years)
-13%
Idle Bottom *
28
26
7%
24.6
12%
41
-46%
25.4
9%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=194, last 2 years)
-17%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

Sound was mediocre at best, and sound quality was pretty comparable overall to the Predator Helios 300, both of which showed a distinct lack of base. At least the Nitro 5 gets significantly louder (79 dB(A) vs. 69 dB(A)).

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.832.12533.433.33127.530.34033.9345034.530.26331.430.88025.727.210023.726.512522.42616022.733.420021.940.525021.454.131519.753.840019.463.250018.762.46301871.480017.969.8100018.469.2125018.270.4160017.969200017.468.1250017.767.3315017.866.2400017.760.4500017.661.3630017.661.5800017.664.41000017.664.51250017.463.11600017.356.1SPL30.179.1N1.444.3median 17.9median 63.1Delta1.48.332.93432.934.832.934.834.932.234.932.431.932.429.830.129.832.829.532.826.627.826.626.125.826.131.926.331.939.62439.636.823.836.841.922.341.951.621.751.658.620.358.655.419.555.459.118.559.166.318.466.369.218.269.263.817.663.861.617.461.663.317.463.357.217.557.261.217.661.262.817.762.860.417.960.463.417.963.464186461.417.961.461.717.861.75417.95475.230.375.235.41.435.4median 60.4median 18median 60.48.31.48.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FTAcer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 55% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Acer’s 15-inch Nitro 5 is living proof that modern gaming laptops can be powerful yet very energy efficient at the same time. Despite its hexa-core CPU, the Nitro 5 only consumed between 5 and 13 W when idle. Both of its 9750H-equipped competitors consumed two to three times as much energy. Under load, it required between 69 and 124 W of energy, which was also excellent.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5 / 8 / 13 Watt
Load midlight 69 / 124 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-3%
-2%
-88%
-119%
-115%
Idle Minimum *
5
4
20%
4.04
19%
14.5
-190%
17.2
-244%
13.7 ?(2 - 64, n=191, last 2 years)
-174%
Idle Average *
8
7
12%
7.2
10%
18.5
-131%
22.6
-183%
18.9 ?(6.5 - 67, n=191, last 2 years)
-136%
Idle Maximum *
13
12
8%
11.4
12%
20
-54%
25.5
-96%
26.5 ?(9 - 101.1, n=191, last 2 years)
-104%
Load Average *
69
95
-38%
80.8
-17%
81.6
-18%
88
-28%
111.7 ?(32.1 - 202, n=191, last 2 years)
-62%
Witcher 3 ultra *
78
86
-10%
93.6
-20%
132
-69%
Load Maximum *
124
135
-9%
144.5
-17%
208.1
-68%
177
-43%
249 ?(64.5 - 418, n=190, last 2 years)
-101%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Thanks to its combination of switchable graphics and low power consumption the Nitro 5 offers excellent battery life. Despite its comparatively small 57 Wh battery it managed more than 13 hours of runtime in our idle test at minimum display brightness, and close to 9 hours in our Wi-Fi test at medium brightness. The only device capable of keeping up in our comparison group was the Dell G5 5590.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
13h 48min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 40min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 22min
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
R5 4600H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, 57.48 Wh
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 60 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 57 Wh
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-79TY
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 58.75 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
19%
-8%
-50%
-45%
-20%
Reader / Idle
828
867
5%
951
15%
240
-71%
298
-64%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
-34%
WiFi v1.3
520
482
-7%
385
-26%
145
-72%
210
-60%
366 ?(57 - 745, n=191, last 2 years)
-30%
Load
82
131
60%
71
-13%
76
-7%
73
-11%
86 ?(36 - 173, n=155, last 2 years)
5%
H.264
482
202
392 ?(56 - 747, n=99, last 2 years)
Witcher 3 ultra
59
81.7 ?(47 - 155, n=23, last 2 years)

Pros

+ very high CPU performance
+ long battery life
+ excellent WiFi Performance (Wi-Fi 6)
+ USB Typ-C-Port
+ good serviceability
+ backlit keyboard

Cons

- no fingerprintreader
- no TB3
- no SD Cardreader
- small colorspace

Verdict

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44. Review unit provided by Acer Germany.
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44. Review unit provided by Acer Germany.

Price-conscious users take note: The Acer Nitro 5 AMD edition with Ryzen 5 4600H and GeForce GTX 1650 Ti is a true price-performance recommendation.

While the first RX 5500M and GTX 1660 Ti laptops start making their way into the $1,000 gaming laptop segment, which could potentially offer even better gaming performance, a comparable CPU performance would cost much more in an Intel-equipped device.

Disregarding some of the corners Acer had to cut, such as the dim display with poor color-space coverage or the device’s poor connectivity, the Nitro 5 AN515-44 is a very attractive and versatile budget device. Thanks to long battery life and a comparatively lightweight and compact case it can even be considered somewhat portable.

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT - 06/27/2020 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
77%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
52 / 80 → 65%
Weight
62 / 10-66 → 93%
Battery
83 / 95 → 88%
Display
81%
Games Performance
87%
Application Performance
89%
Temperature
86 / 95 → 90%
Noise
76 / 90 → 84%
Audio
67%
Camera
41 / 85 → 48%
Average
74%
80%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44 Laptop Review: AMD dating Nvidia
Florian Glaser, 2020-06-30 (Update: 2021-03-12)