I Examined Acer’s Nitro V Gaming Laptop computer, and It Serves Up a Massive Display and Massive Worth

It wasn’t too way back that Acer’s Nitro price range gaming laptops have been cumbersome, all-plastic affairs. This yr’s version brings with it an replace to Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics and an addition of aluminum for a trimmer and lighter design than the Nitro mannequin I reviewed final yr. Like final yr, the 2025 mannequin relies on a 16-inch, 1200p IPS show powered by an AMD CPU with an Nvidia GPU. 

The Acer Nitro V 16S AI options an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor and RTX 5060 graphics. This CPU/GPU pair turns in acceptable efficiency for the value, however Acer set the RTX 5060 GPU to run at 85 watts and never its full TDP of 115 watts. With its GPU’s energy throttled, the Nitro V 16S AI’s 3D gaming efficiency typically trailed that of two rivals: the MSI Katana 15 HX and Lenovo Legion 5i, every of which encompasses a GPU operating 115 watts. 

If you happen to’re prepared to provide a bit on body charges, then avid gamers whose budgets stretch to $1,300 however not past will discover nice worth with the well-rounded Nitro V 16S AI that provides an enormous, shiny 16-inch show together with an ample 32GB of RAM and a roomy 1TB storage — plus a straightforward pathway to broaden the storage for bigger sport libraries.

There’s one mannequin of Acer Nitro V 16S AI (mannequin ANV16S-41-R2AJ), a hard and fast configuration out there at Amazon for $1,300. Along with including aluminum to the design, Acer additionally outfitted it with a barely sooner show, transferring from final yr’s 165Hz panel to 180Hz. You may not hit 180 frames per second with many video games with the 85-watt RTX 5060, however the added headroom is at all times appreciated.

A better-end Nitro V 16S AI with a 16-inch, 1600p show powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 and RTX 5070 is listed within the UK however out of inventory on the time of this writing. Equally, I discovered a product web page for the Nitro V 16S AI in Australia nevertheless it’s not out there. 

Acer Nitro V 16S AI efficiency

The Nitro V 16S AI did effective in lab testing and gives sufficient 3D graphics oomph for 1080p/1200p gaming, however its scores on our benchmarks persistently trailed these of the MSI Katana 15 HX and Lenovo Legion 5i. Not like the Nitro V 16S AI, these two price range gaming laptops are based mostly on a 14th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU. As talked about above, every has a GPU operating at its full 115 watts: an RTX 5050 within the Katana 15 HX and an RTX 5060 within the Legion 5i.

You’ll be able to see all of its benchmark take a look at leads to the charts on the finish of this overview, however let’s speak right here about what actually issues for this laptop computer: 3D gaming efficiency. The Nitro V 16S AI’s greatest consequence occurred on our Murderer’s Creed: Shadows take a look at, which we run at 1,920×1,080-pixel decision with the Excessive preset. It hit 62 frames per second to edge the Legion 5i and simply outpace the Katana 15 HX. However on each different gaming benchmark, it completed with a decrease FPS than these two rivals, and infrequently by wholesome margins. The most important hole occurred on Guardians of the Galaxy, the place the Legion averaged 195fps, and the Katana 15 HX averaged 159, however the Nitro V 16S AI managed solely 133fps. 

One profit of getting a lower-wattage GPU is that it permits the Nitro V 16S AI to be the quietest and longest-running of this trio of RTX 50-series gaming laptops. (The Nitro V 16S AI additionally has the benefit of getting the roomiest chassis because of its 16-inch, 16:10 show; the Legion 5i has a 15.1-inch, 16:10 panel, and the Katana 15 HX has an old-school 15.6-inch, 16:9 show.) The Nitro V 16S AI’s two cooling followers get going solely below heavy load, and even then, they do not attain jet-engine ranges of noise. They spin at an affordable price and keep pretty quiet. And the Nitro V 16S AI lasted 8.5 hours on our YouTube streaming battery drain take a look at, which was hours longer than both the Lenovo or MSI machines.

Now with some aluminum

With the Nitro V 16S AI, Acer addressed one of many three points I had with final yr’s mannequin: It did away with the cumbersome and heavy all-plastic chassis. Nevertheless, its grainy 720p webcam and underpowered stereo audio system are sadly nonetheless a part of the bundle. The show stays the identical, apart from the bump to a 180Hz refresh, nevertheless it’s nonetheless greater than acceptable for the value.

As a substitute of a pillowy, plastic chassis, the Nitro V 16S AI comes outfitted with aluminum prime and backside panels, leaving solely the keyboard deck (and show bezels) because the plastic a part of the design. There’s some flex to each the aluminum and plastic surfaces, however nothing that raises to a degree of concern. The addition of aluminum leads to a thinner and considerably lighter laptop computer than final yr’s mannequin. The Nitro V 16S AI weighs 4.6 kilos, which is greater than a pound lighter than final yr’s 5.7-pound Nitro 16. 

The general look is one in all restraint, particularly for a gaming laptop computer, with appears to be like that usually fall between aggressive and garish. The Nitro V 16S AI’s design is all-black; the one non-black component is the stylized silver N emblem within the middle of the lid. If you activate the keyboard’s four-zone RGB lighting, nonetheless, gaming-laptop appears to be like emerge. Plus, the keys used most in video games are highlighted. 

The WASD keys get particular icons and translucent edges to assist them stand out. The 4 arrow keys and the NitroSense button on the quantity pad additionally get translucent-edge remedy. (The NitroSense app helps you to monitor CPU, GPU and system temperatures, choose an influence mode, modify the fan speeds and customise RGB lighting results.)

The keyboard itself is roomy, with solely the right-Shift key shortened to accommodate the slender numpad. The keys really feel the identical as final yr’s mannequin’s, providing deep journey however with out the snappy suggestions I search for in a gaming laptop computer. The mushy really feel is elevated by the flex of the plastic keyboard deck. I do not count on an all-aluminum design in a $1,300 gaming laptop computer, but when given the selection, I might swap both the highest or backside panel for a extra inflexible aluminum keyboard deck.

Acer used the same 16-inch, 1,920×1,200-pixel show to its predecessor, although this yr’s mannequin’s refresh price is a hair sooner at 180Hz. My testing with a Spyder X Elite colorimeter confirmed it is also slightly brighter. It hit a peak brightness of 443 nits, topping the 424 nits that the Nitro 16 achieved final yr. The most effective a part of the show is its measurement. It is large and makes gaming at 1080p or 1200p really feel extra charming than on a smaller display.

The Nitro V 16S AI features a 1TB SSD that can home a modest video games library and supply a straightforward path to rising its native storage. Take away 10 small screws, and you may take off the underside panel to discover a free M.2 slot so as to add a second SSD. Most price range gaming laptops, just like the MSI Katana 15 HX, supply solely a single M.2 slot, which implies you should exchange the laptop computer’s SSD as an alternative of merely including a second.

You’ll be able to broaden the storage, however you possibly can’t use your face or finger for logins. With out an IR digicam or fingerprint scanner, you may must sort in passwords, which is a bummer. 

One other bummer is the choice of sluggish USB ports. There’s just one USB Sort-C port, and it is solely of the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 selection with a throughput of solely 10Gbps, a far cry from the 40Gbps that you just get from Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. Aside from the dearth of a speedy USB port, the port choice is not unhealthy, with an HDMI out and Ethernet jack along with a trio of USB Sort-A ports. A minimum of that makes connecting a gaming mouse or keyboard easy. 

Is the Acer Nitro V 16S AI a very good gaming laptop computer?

Sure, it is a good, however not nice, price range gaming laptop computer. The element lineup appears to be like good for the value till you consider that the RTX 5060 is throttled and acts extra like an RTX 5050. It additionally has a couple of demerits widespread to entry-level gaming laptops, equivalent to a plastic keyboard deck that flexes a bit an excessive amount of, a grainy 720p webcam and a scarcity of biometrics and quick USB connectivity. However you may nonetheless get strong body charges at 1080p with AAA titles with the Nitro V 16S AI, and video games look nice on the massive 16-inch show. Possibly simply anticipate a good sale earlier than you chunk, or go along with the Lenovo or MSI fashions I examined.