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Acer Nitro 5 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, FHD) Laptop Review

Budget gaming laptop. With the Nitro 5, Acer offers a 15-inch notebook for price-conscious gamers. It features a 6-core CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512-GB SSD for less than 1,500 Euros (~ $1,760). The matte Full HD display is driven by a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.
Acer Nitro 5

Several months ago, we tested the Nitro 5 Convertible, which achieved a score of 85%. Today, we are reviewing the standard version without the flippable screen.

Acer releases the Nitro 5 with different specifications for every budget requirement. The entry-level devices cost around 900 Euros (~ $1,055), according to the Acer shop. For Intel and Nvidia enthusiasts, Acer builds in a Core i5-8300H CPU accompanied by a GeForce GTX 1050, whereas AMD supporters get a Ryzen 5 2500U with a Radeon RX 560X.  

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR (Nitro 5 AN515 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1493 MHz, Memory: 7000 MHz, GDDR5, ForceWare 388.73, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, dual channel, each slot it occupied, 32 GB max.
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6 (LGD0590), IPS, Full HD, 60 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, 512 GB 
, PCIe slots: 1x M.2
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cannon Lake PCH
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27 x 390 x 266 ( = 1.06 x 15.35 x 10.47 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 3320 mAh Lithium-Ion, 4 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD (720p)
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 135-W power supply, short instruction manual, warranty card, various software tools, Dolby Audio, Norton Security, XSplit Gamecaster Trial, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.322 kg ( = 81.91 oz / 5.12 pounds), Power Supply: 482 g ( = 17 oz / 1.06 pounds)
Price
1350 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

However, we would consider only the more expensive versions of the Nitro 5 with Core i7-8750H and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti as gaming laptops. Our review unit (provided by cyberport.de) is one of these. In addition to these specifications, it is equipped with 16 GB of DDR4-RAM (2x 8 GB @2,666 MHz) and a 512-GB PCIe-SSD. It currently costs around 1,350 Euros (~ $1,580).

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

The competitors of the Nitro 5 are other 15-inch laptops from our top 10 list of the best budget gaming laptops, such as the HP Omen 15, the Lenovo Legion Y530, and the Dell G5 15. They feature Coffee Lake CPUs as well.

Since Acer has not made any changes to the case, apart from the new surface texture, we will not discuss the case, the connectivity, and the input devices in this review. Please refer to the review of the predecessor for information about them.

Size Comparison

390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 27 mm / 1.063 inch 2.3 kg5.12 lbs389 mm / 15.3 inch 274.7 mm / 10.8 inch 24.95 mm / 0.982 inch 2.9 kg6.29 lbs381 mm / 15 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 28 mm / 1.102 inch 2.3 kg5.16 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.34 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +23%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78 MB/s -2%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.4 MB/s -69%
Dell G5 15 5587
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
20 MB/s -75%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +42%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86 MB/s
Dell G5 15 5587
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35 MB/s -59%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.1 MB/s -68%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +63%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
665 MBit/s +1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
660 MBit/s
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
643 MBit/s -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
632 MBit/s -4%
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
582 MBit/s -12%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +94%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
690 MBit/s +2%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
674 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s -2%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
519 MBit/s -23%
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
485 MBit/s -28%

Display - Great contrast ratio, poor color gamut

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

There are no surprises in terms of the display. Acer uses the same IPS panel (LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6) as for the old Nitro 5 with a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels. Unfortunately, it is a mediocre panel.

Even though the display can show off with a low black level (~ 0.21 cd/m²) and a high contrast ratio of 1,200:1, the brightness falls short of expectations. 237 cd/m² on average are borderline, even for indoor use, depending on your position. Due to this low brightness level, the outdoor usability of the display is not satisfactory at all.

247
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
238
cd/m²
245
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
238
cd/m²
227
cd/m²
228
cd/m²
217
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6 (LGD0590) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 252 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 237.3 cd/m² Minimum: 16 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 252 cd/m²
Contrast: 1200:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.42 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.08
ΔE Greyscale 3.74 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.92% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.59% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.34
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6 (LGD0590), IPS, 1920x1080
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Chi Mei CMN15D7, IPS, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
BOE07A1, IPS, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
B156HAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1080
Dell G5 15 5587
LGD053F, 156WF6, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
61%
-0%
-3%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
39.59
64.9
64%
39.64
0%
38.31
-3%
38.13
-4%
sRGB Coverage
59.5
92.6
56%
59
-1%
57.3
-4%
56.8
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
40.92
66.3
62%
40.95
0%
39.58
-3%
39.47
-4%
Response Times
-7%
-36%
-31%
2%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38 ?(19.2, 18.8)
36 ?(18, 18)
5%
47.2 ?(23.6, 23.6)
-24%
43.6 ?(19.2, 24.4)
-15%
33 ?(16, 17)
13%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(12, 10)
26 ?(15, 11)
-18%
32.4 ?(18, 14.4)
-47%
32.4 ?(18, 14.4)
-47%
24 ?(14, 10)
-9%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(99)
Screen
-4%
-7%
-29%
-31%
Brightness middle
252
345
37%
275
9%
282.8
12%
229
-9%
Brightness
237
332
40%
254
7%
264
11%
224
-5%
Brightness Distribution
86
92
7%
90
5%
88
2%
87
1%
Black Level *
0.21
0.28
-33%
0.27
-29%
0.42
-100%
0.28
-33%
Contrast
1200
1232
3%
1019
-15%
673
-44%
818
-32%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.42
5.85
-32%
4.62
-5%
4.93
-12%
6.1
-38%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.21
11.87
-65%
8.05
-12%
17.65
-145%
12.2
-69%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.08
3.59
-17%
4.07
-32%
6.12
-99%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.74
8.11
-117%
4.31
-15%
3.8
-2%
5.68
-52%
Gamma
2.34 94%
2.48 89%
2.49 88%
2.449 90%
2.4 92%
CCT
7291 89%
6741 96%
7000 93%
6112 106%
6989 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
38
60
58%
38
0%
36
-5%
36
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
93
58%
59
0%
57
-3%
57
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
17% / 8%
-14% / -9%
-21% / -24%
-11% / -22%

* ... smaller is better

The display also fails at delivering a decent color gamut. 59% sRGB and 38% AdobeRGB are disappointing for a laptop in this price range and unworthy of a multimedia or gaming device.

CalMAN: Grayscale analysis
CalMAN: Grayscale analysis
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
CalMAN: Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (post-calibration)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (post-calibration)

The competitors do not look good either: The HP Omen 15, the Lenovo Legion Y350, and the Dell G5 all have a quite faint display. Good quality IPS panels such as the Chi Mei CMN15D7, as installed in the Nitro 5 Convertible, are reaching more than 90% sRGB, which ensures significantly bolder colors.

Acer Nitro 5 vs. sRGB (59%)
Acer Nitro 5 vs. sRGB (59%)
Subpixel geometry
Subpixel geometry
Acer Nitro 5 vs. AdobeRGB (38%)
Acer Nitro 5 vs. AdobeRGB (38%)

The response time of the screen, however, is quite normal. 22 ms for black-to-white and 38 ms gray-to-gray are typical for IPS panels and should be sufficient for casual gamers. 

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
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 ms rise
↘ 10 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 18.8 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. » 49 % 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.

Performance - Good midfield

Let us talk about the preinstalled software first, before we discuss the performance. Apart from the Care Center shown in the screenshot, there is the software tool Nitro Sense, which displays the RPM of both fans as well as the CPU and GPU load and temperature. Furthermore, it features several energy-saving and fan-setting modes. We conducted all our tests using the automatic fan control (without CoolBoost). 

Nitro Sense
Nitro Sense
Care Center
Care Center

Nvidia Optimus allows the Nitro 5 to switch between the dedicated GeForce GPU and the integrated GPU of the processor (UHD Graphics 630). This saves energy during modest tasks and increases the battery life. The Nitro 5 does not provide Nvidia G-Sync technology for elimination of screen tearing. 

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

CPU

The more expensive versions of the Nitro 5 are equipped with a 6-core CPU. It takes a high workload for the processor to reach its limits. Intel’s Core i7-8750H features a 9-MB L3 cache and Hyper-Threading for up to 12 parallel threads. The CPU allows dynamical overclocking via Turbo Boost, which can increase the standard clock frequency of 2.2 GHz to up to 4.1 GHz.

Singlecore rendering
Singlecore rendering
Multicore rendering
Multicore rendering
GPU load
GPU load

The Nitro 5 performs very well, compared to its competitors. It outperforms other notebooks equipped with the less expensive 4-core CPU i5-8300H by up to 49% in Cinebench R15 and 66% in Cinebench R11.5. The different gaps between the 8300H devices in the graph are related to the varying utilization of Turbo Boost.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +50%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
177 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
173 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Core i5-8300H
172 Points -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
171 Points -3%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Intel Core i7-8550U
161 Points -9%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +174%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
1090 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
830 Points -24%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
805 Points -26%
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Core i5-8300H
735 Points -33%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Intel Core i7-8550U
529 (481.46min - 529.01max) Points -51%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +61%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.99 Points
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.94 Points -3%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.94 Points -3%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.85 Points -7%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +175%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.98 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Intel Core i5-8300H
8.68 Points -33%
Dell G5 15 5587
Intel Core i5-8300H
7.84 Points -40%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Intel Core i7-8550U
5.72 Points -56%

In this respect, the Nitro 5 has to take some criticism. The performance decreased by only 5% in our Cinebench loop (other laptops performed worse), but the CPU was already running at just 2.4 to 3.9 GHz (average: 3.2 GHz) during the first round, instead of constantly using the multi-core Turbo Boost of 3.9 GHz.

01020304050607080901001101201301401501601701801902002102202302402502602702802903003103203303403503603703803904004104204304404504604704804905005105205305405505605705805906006106206306406506606706806907007107207307407507607707807908008108208308408508608708808909009109209309409509609709809901000101010201030104010501060107010801090Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.99 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
12.98 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
177 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1090 Points
Help

System Performance

The system performance does not raise any complaint. The Nitro 5 takes the first place among the competitors in the PCMark 8. In the PCMark 10, it still reaches the second place. The fact that Windows sometimes lags during day-to-day use is probably related to a known bug, which occurs in conjunction with Nvidia Optimus and has existed for several years now.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7542 Points +51%
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H, SK hynix SC311 M.2
5483 Points +10%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5001 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4812 Points -4%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
4707 Points -6%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3835 Points -23%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +19%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4371 Points
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4331 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4129 Points -6%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
4109 Points -6%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3975 Points -9%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +13%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5370 Points
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
5369 Points 0%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
5362 Points 0%
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H, SK hynix SC311 M.2
5339 Points -1%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5202 Points -3%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4371 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5370 points
PCMark 10 Score
5001 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our review unit is equipped with a 512-GB M2-SSD from Intel. It achieved very good results in our benchmark course. Although the sequential write speed of 554 MB/s is low for a PCIe-SSD (this value corresponds rather to an SATA-III SSD), the Nitro 5 is ahead of the competition, which often has write speeds on the level of a hard drive. Best examples for low write speeds are the HP Omen 15 and the Lenovo Legion Y530, but their test configurations are significantly less expensive than our review unit of the Nitro 5. 

Customers can extend the storage space of the laptop later, thanks to an easily accessible 2.5-inch slot. Most of the Nitro 5 devices are equipped with a hard drive anyway. 

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
Toshiba KBG30ZMV128G
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
Dell G5 15 5587
SK hynix SC311 M.2
AS SSD
-41%
-40%
-40%
-54%
Seq Read
1321
490.1
-63%
1238
-6%
1231
-7%
511
-61%
Seq Write
554
335.2
-39%
123.5
-78%
131.6
-76%
243.7
-56%
4K Read
32.38
25.86
-20%
31.48
-3%
38.71
20%
24.44
-25%
4K Write
94.5
78.1
-17%
79.3
-16%
35.74
-62%
62.2
-34%
Score Read
670
309
-54%
343
-49%
497
-26%
240
-64%
Score Write
661
367
-44%
195
-70%
128
-81%
199
-70%
Score Total
1643
835
-49%
670
-59%
838
-49%
557
-66%
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1389 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 571 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 335.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 280.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 934 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 581 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 29.51 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 78.8 MB/s

Graphics Card

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti handles the graphics rendering. It supports DirectX 12 and is a middle-class graphics chip from Nvidia’s Pascal generation, featuring 768 shaders and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory.

3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +278%
Dell G5 15 5587
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
10970 Points +43%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7740 Points +1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7682 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7576 Points -1%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
5373 Points -30%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +331%
Dell G5 15 5587
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
13871 Points +51%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9909 Points +8%
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9266 Points +1%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9203 Points
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
6744 Points -27%

In the Fire Strike test of the 3DMark 13, the performance of the Nitro 5 was similar to other laptops with a GTX 1050 Ti. With 7,682 points (GPU score), the gaming laptop joins the ranks between the marginally faster Legion Y530 and the slightly weaker Omen 15.

3DMark 11 Performance
9468 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
98693 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
27750 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6890 points
Help

As with the CPU, the GPU is able to increase its base frequency of 1,493 MHz for 3D applications. 1,747 MHz is possible under optimum conditions. During the endurance test with the role-playing game “The Witcher 3” (60 minutes @Full HD/Ultra), the frequency of the GTX 1050 Ti levels off at 1,696 MHz. Meanwhile, the performance remains very stable, as you can see in the graph.

012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

Gaming Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is able to smoothly render almost every current game with high or even maximum details - as long as you are using the internal screen and not an external WQHD or 4K display. Medium settings are only required for extremely demanding games such as “Final Fantasy 15”.

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +340%
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H
34.9 (29min - 39max) fps +34%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
26 fps
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
24.2 fps -7%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=175, last 2 years)
214 fps +361%
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H
58.3 fps +26%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
46.4 fps
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
44.2 fps -5%

Passionate gamers, however, should buy a real high-end device if they are unwilling to compromise and want to be set for years. The Max-Q Version of the GTX 1060 already has much more reserves for “The Witcher 3”. The Dell G5 shows that such devices are not necessarily expensive.

low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 46.4 26
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 99.2 82.2
Destiny 2 (2017) 65.1 54.7
Fortnite (2018) 75.8 52.9
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 40.1 25.6
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 39.4 29.7
Far Cry 5 (2018) 45 42
The Crew 2 (2018) 53.4 48.9

Emissions - Typical for a gaming laptop

System Noise

While many gaming notebooks require a headset for gaming because of the high noise level, the Nitro 5 does not exceed 50 dB(A) even in the stress test with FurMark and Prime95. However, 42-46 dB(A) is not silent at all. Both, the Lenovo Y530 and the Dell G5 are quieter. Only the HP Omen 15 reaches similar values.

Noise level (idle)
Noise level (idle)
Noise level (load)
Noise level (load)
Noise level speaker
Noise level speaker

Acer earns respect for the low noise level of the laptop in idle mode. When idle and during simple activities such as office, video playback or web browsing, the fans remain either completely off, or they are running at a very subtle level of 32-33 dB(A). The Nitro 5 does not have these annoying phases with the fan running at high RPM, as countless other laptops do.

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 33 dB(A)
Load
42 / 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 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
2%
-4%
10%
4%
7%
off / environment *
30
30.4
-1%
29
3%
28
7%
30.3
-1%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=192, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
30
30.9
-3%
29
3%
28
7%
31.1
-4%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=193, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Average *
32
30.9
3%
33
-3%
28
12%
31.1
3%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=193, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
33
30.9
6%
41
-24%
28.5
14%
34.2
-4%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=193, last 2 years)
7%
Load Average *
42
42.6
-1%
44
-5%
34.9
17%
34.9
17%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=193, last 2 years)
-3%
Witcher 3 ultra *
46
47
-2%
40
13%
42.7
7%
Load Maximum *
49
45
8%
49
-0%
49.6
-1%
44
10%
53.3 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=193, last 2 years)
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

As with the HP Omen 15 and Dell G5, the surface temperatures are quite normal and range between 52 °C (126 °F) on the top and 55 °C (131 °F) on the bottom of the device. During the stress test, the palm rest heated up to a temperature of 37 °C (99 °F), which was not cool but still acceptable.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Top (load)
Top (load)
Bottom (load)
Bottom (load)

Under the hood, of course, the temperatures are hotter. After 60 minutes under full load (FurMark + Prime95), the slightly throttled GeForce GTX 1050 Ti reached a temperature of around 76 °C (169 °F). The Core i7-8750H, which deactivates its turbo under extreme circumstances, reached an average temperature of 80-85 °C (176-185 °F). Classic 3D applications are less challenging for the hardware. CPU and GPU finished our “The Witcher 3” test with moderate 70 °C (158 °F).

Max. Load
 52 °C
126 F
52 °C
126 F
46 °C
115 F
 
 52 °C
126 F
52 °C
126 F
37 °C
99 F
 
 37 °C
99 F
36 °C
97 F
32 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 52 °C = 126 F
Average: 44 °C = 111 F
49 °C
120 F
55 °C
131 F
51 °C
124 F
40 °C
104 F
51 °C
124 F
52 °C
126 F
30 °C
86 F
32 °C
90 F
33 °C
91 F
Maximum: 55 °C = 131 F
Average: 43.7 °C = 111 F
Power Supply (max.)  56 °C = 133 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 44 °C / 111 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 52 °C / 126 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 55 °C / 131 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 42.1 °C / 108 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 37 °C / 98.6 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-8.1 °C / -14.6 F).
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
17%
-2%
3%
8%
8%
Maximum Upper Side *
52
46
12%
51
2%
42.8
18%
50.2
3%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=192, last 2 years)
11%
Maximum Bottom *
55
47
15%
58
-5%
52
5%
57
-4%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=192, last 2 years)
10%
Idle Upper Side *
36
29.6
18%
35
3%
32
11%
28.6
21%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=192, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Bottom *
32
24.6
23%
35
-9%
39.4
-23%
28.9
10%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=192, last 2 years)
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Speaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.643.9253338.53130.231.94032.236.85028.2316328.331.28026.138.910029.244.612523.540.816022.844.620022.953.825023.163.931521.967.740019.866.850018.867.463018.368.980018.173.1100017.970.5125017.766.9160017.665.9200017.867.4250018.264.7315018.257400018.560.2500018.664.6630018.859.7800019.162.51000019.460.41250019.560.41600019.552.6SPL30.778.5N1.544.6median 18.8median 63.9Delta1.96.432.630.932.631.632.131.631.533.731.529.829.329.830.330.630.329.227.229.227.227.227.232.325.132.344.724.644.752.92352.951.122.751.142.822.442.856.621.656.669.620.369.670.218.870.267.518.567.56617.86671.617.771.67717.77771.617.771.671.217.371.271.617.771.673.417.873.471.218.171.270.818.270.873.518.573.567.418.567.459.618.659.657.918.557.953.318.753.383.730.483.759.11.459.1median 67.5median 18.5median 67.58.61.38.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DRAcer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.8% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 53% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Optimal thanks to Optimus

Energy Consumption

Thanks to the ability to switch between the dedicated GPU and the iGPU, the notebook does not require much energy when idle. 5-11 W is a very low value for gaming laptops, but the Lenovo Y530 and the Dell G5 are very economical as well. With a power consumption of 12-18 W, the HP Omen 15 is an exception. Under load, the competing devices show a very similar power consumption.

The 137-W power supply of the Nitro 5 seems to be just sufficient. The Lenovo Legion Y530 is equipped with a 135-W, the HP Omen 15 with a 150-W, and the Dell G5 even with a 180-W power supply.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5 / 7 / 11 Watt
Load midlight 91 / 137 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 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
19%
-52%
-10%
-3%
-119%
Idle Minimum *
5
4.1
18%
12
-140%
4.5
10%
4.9
2%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=189, last 2 years)
-176%
Idle Average *
7
7.4
-6%
14
-100%
10
-43%
8.5
-21%
19 ?(6.5 - 67, n=189, last 2 years)
-171%
Idle Maximum *
11
8.6
22%
18
-64%
13.8
-25%
9.1
17%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=189, last 2 years)
-142%
Load Average *
91
66
27%
92
-1%
92.5
-2%
90.7
-0%
112 ?(32.1 - 202, n=189, last 2 years)
-23%
Witcher 3 ultra *
97
100
-3%
108.1
-11%
110
-13%
Load Maximum *
137
87
36%
142
-4%
123.2
10%
144
-5%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=188, last 2 years)
-82%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Nitro 5 features a top notch battery life, even though its battery capacity of 48 Wh is quite low. Up to 12.5 hours of battery life when idle (minimum brightness, maximum energy saving level) and 7 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi (medium brightness) are excellent. Even during video playback, the Nitro 5 endures longer than most of the other gaming notebooks. Only when the Nvidia GPU is activated, the battery life decreases noticeably.

The 3D performance does not suffer a lot during battery operation. In our “The Witcher 3” test, for instance, the frame rate dropped by “only” 20%.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 32min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 58min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
7h 08min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 30min
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, 48 Wh
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, 48 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, 70 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, 52.5 Wh
Dell G5 15 5587
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-8300H, 56 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
2%
11%
-41%
3%
-13%
Reader / Idle
752
750
0%
626
-17%
705
-6%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
-27%
H.264
428
371
-13%
506
18%
325
-24%
392 ?(56 - 747, n=97, last 2 years)
-8%
WiFi v1.3
418
397
-5%
514
23%
245
-41%
391
-6%
365 ?(57 - 745, n=190, last 2 years)
-13%
Load
90
113
26%
106
18%
133
48%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=153, last 2 years)
-5%

Verdict - All-round mix

Pros

+ Great contrast ratio and viewing angles of the display
+ Relatively good price-performance ratio
+ Switching between dedicated GPU and iGPU
+ Great battery life
+ Fast Wi-Fi

Cons

- Mediocre connectivity (no Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen2 or DisplayPort)
- Poor color gamut
Acer Nitro 5, review unit provided by:
Acer Nitro 5, review unit provided by:

The Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best budget gaming notebooks currently available on the market, even though it has some minor flaws. Acer offers you an attractively priced device, which is successful in almost every aspect - if you can live with the poor color gamut of the Full HD display.

The plastic case, the input devices, and the poor connectivity (no Thunderbolt 3, no USB 3.1 Gen2, no DisplayPort) are not great, but it is hard to find any better alternatives in this price range. Overall, the Nitro 5 is on the same level as the HP Omen 15, the Lenovo Legion Y530, and the Dell G5 15, which are also priced below 1,500 Euros (~ $1,760).

The biggest highlight of the Acer Nitro 5 is the outstanding battery life of 12.5 hours maximum.

The Nitro 5 offers a good price-performance ratio for casual gamers.

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR - 08/08/2018 v6(old)
Florian Glaser

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
77%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
55 / 81 → 68%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 91%
Battery
89%
Display
85%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
96%
Temperature
80 / 95 → 84%
Noise
79 / 90 → 88%
Audio
70%
Average
78%
83%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Nitro 5 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, FHD) Laptop Review
Florian Glaser, 2018-08- 7 (Update: 2018-08- 9)