CES 2022 | Acer Nitro 5 upgraded with a 165Hz QHD screen, Intel/AMD processors and a new graphics card

Last year's (2021) Acer Nitro 5 struck the perfect balance between affordability and performance, as detailed in our in-depth review of the gaming laptop. The laptop is now available with Intel and AMD's newly unveiled processors, on top of a new Nvidia graphics card. Its screen gets a minor upgrade along with the case, which now has an additional fan to keep the internals toasty. The NitroSense software lets gamers control the fan speed and set custom fan curves.

The Acer Nitro 5 is available in two sizes; one has a screen size of 15 inches and the other 17 inches. Each variant is offered in two resolutions: FHD (1,920 x 1,080) and QHD (2,650 x 1,440). The former refreshes at 165Hz and the latter at 144Hz. However, only the AMD-flavoured Acer Nitro 5 models get both screen configurations. The Intel SKUs are restricted to the 165Hz QHD panel, although Acer could unveil lower-specced variants later.

One can configure the Acer Nitro 5 with 12th-generation Intel Alder Lake and AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors. No specific models have been mentioned, but we can expect the Core i7-12800H and Ryzen 9 6900HX to be the maxed-out offerings. The laptop is configurable with Nvidia's newest GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (up to 150W TGP) and others. Unfortunately, there are no AMD graphics cards on the table to go with the processors.

The Alder Lake/Ryzen 6000 refresh allows Acer to ship the Nitro 5 with 4,800MT/s DDR5 RAM. Storage options max out at a 1TB NVMe SSD, and additional capacity can be added via two extra slots. The ones on the Intel variants are PCIe Gen4, while the AMD variant downgrades one to PCIe Gen3. Similarly, the Intel SKUs get a Thunderbolt 4.0 port and the AMD models USB 4.0. Other connectivity options include USB Type-C ports, HDMI 2.1 port, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

The entry-level 15.6-inch Acer Nitro 5 variant will cost EUR 1,599 (US$1,812) and EUR 1,499 (US$1,700) for the AMD and Intel versions, respectively. Similarly, the 17.3-inch model will retail at EUR 1,499 (US$1,700) and EUR 1,599 (US$1,812) for the AMD and Intel flavours. Availability will start in March 2022.