Laptop Acer Nitro 16 Review

Acer Nitro 16 Review

Acer Nitro 16 Review: The Acer Nitro 16 shows happens when entry level gaming laptops start to grow up. This is still a chunky rig, but thoughtful design keeps things feeling streamlined and component value under the hood means it stays competitive within its price bracket.

Acer Nitro 16 Review: Built to occupy the desks and backpacks of budget conscious games, the Acer Nitro range of gaming laptops has always been a firm favorite for those looking to spend under $1,000. These rigs have traditionally prioritized component value in their price tags, substituting high end build materials and displays for the chance to scoop mid range or higher components at a fraction of the price of some of the best gaming laptops. However, the newer Acer Nitro 16 does things a little differently.

Acer Nitro 16 Design

Acer Nitro 16 Review: Straight out the box, the Acer Nitro 16 feels like a fresh step in a new direction. That much is obvious from

the 16:10 form factor and new colorful lid design. This new language has been spread across both the Nitro 16 and Acer Nitro 5

machines for the next generation, but those crisp blue and pink lines are more minimal here and allow for a far more refined

aesthetic overall. In the center, you’ll find Acer’s new Nitro logo, a chunky “N” in what would have been glossy glass on a more

premium model, but is simply light gray plastic here.

Acer Nitro 16

Yes, this is still a cheaper gaming laptop, but with a new lid redesign, a fantastic display, and a more considered form factor

the latest Nitro is starting to buck its own trend. I say starting to, because this is by no means a budget gaming laptop in the

chassis of premium device but it certainly feels like a step up from previous models.

Specs

If you have a mouse, you will never turn off your computer again.

Acer Nitro 16 Review: A wedge design means the Nitro 16 doesn’t feel as chunky as it initially looks in the hand. A larger grill

section protrudes from the rear of the machine, angling away from the desk from the bottom to keep things looking sharp.

This is a clear departure from the days of brick shaped gaming laptops, and while it’s not going to send the Asus ROG Zephyrus

M16 or HP Omen Transcend 16 back to the scales those used to affordable gaming laptops are going to feel a real benefit to this

new form factor.

The entire chassis is constructed of plastic, which is to be expected. There’s a little flex to the main lid and lot more in the keyboard

deck itself, though not as much as you’ll find on older machines. The main hinge feels sturdy and rotates smoothly, though there is

a little wobble when maneuvering.

Acer Nitro 16 Features

Acer Nitro 16 Review: The display is the Acer Nitro 16’s strongest asset. The move to a 16:10 ratio is inline with current market wide designs, and opens the Nitro line up to far more immersive gameplay. However, it’s the brightness and super vivid colors that truly work the hardest here. The screen itself is a 1600p IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh rate a step up from the 1200p / 1080p 144Hz panels you’ll typically find on budget gaming laptops.

That translates to a crisp QHD+ resolution and bright, punchy colors benefitting from excellent contrast. Of course, you’re not going to get the same experience here as you would with a Mini LED or OLED, but this is still impressive considering its position in the market.

Underneath that you’ll find a full sized keyboard with everything you need for everyday productivity and game play. The key press action here is nicely snappy with a crisp denounce and while that aforementioned flex is apparent it’s only felt when truly trying to hammer for it. The trackback below is little smaller than you’ll find in alternative models, but it provides smooth tracking with a responsive click.

Acer Nitro 16 Review: The Acer Nitro 16 also has a feature almost guaranteed to win me over personally and that’s rear ports. Not only that, though, but the full suite of I/O connections is also spread nicely across the sides as well. That meant I was able to easily dock and keep cables out of the way when working on a big screen while also being able to plug extra accessories in either the left or right hand side of the device.

My steep is looking a little frazzled at the moment so any help with cable management is most welcome. I did, however find the power cable’s connection at the rear was a little hit and miss. I couldn’t find anything physically wrong with the port or plug, but it was frequently loose during play sessions.

Acer Nitro 16 Performance

Acer Nitro 16 Review: Overall, the Acer Nitro 16 performs admirably. My RTX 4070 configuration was able to handle both 1080p and QHD+ gameplay in high settings at over 60fps easily. Those numbers did start to dip below the 60fps threshold when bumped up to Ultra settings in more demanding titles, but with some tweaks things should be running smoothly in the majority of gaming scenarios especially if your configuration runs a Ryzen 7 780HS CPU.

I primarily benched these numbers against the RTX 4060 / Intel i7 13700HX toting HP Omen Transcend 16 and Alien ware M16 laptops. These are both offering a weaker GPU spec overall, but come in only slightly more expensive than the Acer Nitro 16. Their performance across industry and in game benchmarks is good indicator of price / power ratio, especially pertinent considering the Nitro rags has traditionally offered excellent component value.

Conclusion

I used the Acer Nitro 16 as my dedicated laptop for all work and play over the course of one week, while also testing for an additional week alongside the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Acer Nitro 5. In that time, I played House Flipper and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey while stress testing across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War.