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

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.
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).
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.
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Average of class Gaming (19 - 197.3, n=78, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Average of class Gaming (25.8 - 269, n=78, last 2 years) | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) |
Display - Great contrast ratio, poor color gamut
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.
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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 Ø4.89, calibrated: 3.08
ΔE Greyscale 3.74 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
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 ? | 36 ? 5% | 47.2 ? -24% | 43.6 ? -15% | 33 ? 13% |
Response Time Black / White * | 22 ? | 26 ? -18% | 32.4 ? -47% | 32.4 ? -47% | 24 ? -9% |
PWM Frequency | 200 ? | ||||
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.
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.
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
↔ 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. » 44 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.9 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.7 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 8619 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) 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).
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
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.
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.
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.
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 (5776 - 9852, n=151, last 2 years) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR | |
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng | |
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX |
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% |
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=176, last 2 years) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 | |
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng | |
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX |
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.
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 (18.4 - 216, n=142, last 2 years) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng | |
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) | |
Average of class Gaming (40.1 - 449, n=104, last 2 years) | |
Dell G5 15 5587 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52-74DR | |
HP Omen 15-dc0001ng |
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.
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) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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% | 8% | |
off / environment * | 30 | 30.4 -1% | 29 3% | 28 7% | 30.3 -1% | 24 ? 20% |
Idle Minimum * | 30 | 30.9 -3% | 29 3% | 28 7% | 31.1 -4% | 25.5 ? 15% |
Idle Average * | 32 | 30.9 3% | 33 -3% | 28 12% | 31.1 3% | 27.3 ? 15% |
Idle Maximum * | 33 | 30.9 6% | 41 -24% | 28.5 14% | 34.2 -4% | 30.3 ? 8% |
Load Average * | 42 | 42.6 -1% | 44 -5% | 34.9 17% | 34.9 17% | 42.2 ? -0% |
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 ? -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.
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).
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 52 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 40.5 °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 33.9 °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 33.9 °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% | 9% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 52 | 46 12% | 51 2% | 42.8 18% | 50.2 3% | 46 ? 12% |
Maximum Bottom * | 55 | 47 15% | 58 -5% | 52 5% | 57 -4% | 49.2 ? 11% |
Idle Upper Side * | 36 | 29.6 18% | 35 3% | 32 11% | 28.6 21% | 31.3 ? 13% |
Idle Bottom * | 32 | 24.6 23% | 35 -9% | 39.4 -23% | 28.9 10% | 32.5 ? -2% |
* ... smaller is better
Speaker
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
» 37% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 23% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, 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
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 41% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, 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.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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% | -115% | |
Idle Minimum * | 5 | 4.1 18% | 12 -140% | 4.5 10% | 4.9 2% | 13.4 ? -168% |
Idle Average * | 7 | 7.4 -6% | 14 -100% | 10 -43% | 8.5 -21% | 18.7 ? -167% |
Idle Maximum * | 11 | 8.6 22% | 18 -64% | 13.8 -25% | 9.1 17% | 26.6 ? -142% |
Load Average * | 91 | 66 27% | 92 -1% | 92.5 -2% | 90.7 -0% | 104.2 ? -15% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 97 | 100 -3% | 108.1 -11% | 110 -13% | ||
Load Maximum * | 137 | 87 36% | 142 -4% | 123.2 10% | 144 -5% | 248 ? -81% |
* ... 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%.
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% | -10% | |
Reader / Idle | 752 | 750 0% | 626 -17% | 705 -6% | 580 ? -23% | |
H.264 | 428 | 371 -13% | 506 18% | 325 -24% | 421 ? -2% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 418 | 397 -5% | 514 23% | 245 -41% | 391 -6% | 379 ? -9% |
Load | 90 | 113 26% | 106 18% | 133 48% | 84.3 ? -6% |
Verdict - All-round mix
Pros
Cons
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