Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58 (2022) Review: Affordable Gaming Features

Price under consideration

From $899

Best Prices Today: Acer Nitro 5 (2022)

The Acer Nitro 5 has been a perennial favorite of budget gaming laptops, and the 2022 version includes one of Nvidia’s latest graphics cores and a 12th Gen Intel processor. So, on paper, it could easily maintain its status as one of the most popular gaming options available on the market.

The model I reviewed uses an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU and an Intel Core i5-12500H processor, and that modest hardware means an enticing price: This particular Nitro is just $899 in the US and £984 in the UK.

It’s certainly not the only low-priced gaming laptop, so rigorous testing is needed to see if the latest Acer Nitro 5 can keep its spot on our best cheap gaming laptops table.

Design and assembly

• Updated design with more ports and features
• Strong connection, but no biometrics or card reader
• Some rivals are more slender

Last year’s Acer Nitro 5 looked dated, so I’m happy to report that this year’s model has a more mature design. Corner sections and red accents have given way to cleaner lines, thinner screen bezels and no odd corners.

Creating a sleeker, cleaner laptop is certainly not something unique in the gaming market, but it does mean the Nitro does a better job when it competes against the likes of the Asus TUF Gaming A15 and Dell G15.

Acer’s panels are a bit underpowered, which is to be expected at this price, but this laptop is solid enough to carry around in a bag without a problem.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

On the right side of the setup are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, while on the left edge are a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, an audio jack, and a Gigabit Ethernet output. On the back is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port that supports DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, and 5V/3A device charging, and can also be used to charge a laptop. There is also a promising HDMI 2.1 connector.

Inside, the Nitro supports dual-band 802.11ax wireless and Bluetooth 5.2, and the feature set is rounded out by a webcam, but sadly, there’s no Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader, or card reader.

However, this is enough to solve most situations, and none of the competitors offers significant improvements. Asus has an additional USB-C port, but it has one less full-sized USB port and only uses HDMI 2.0b. Meanwhile, Dell is copying Acer in terms of connectivity.

The Nitro does fall short when measured, with its 2.5kg weight and 27mm case matching the Dell, but the Asus is lighter and thinner.

Keyboard and trackpad

• Clear, comfortable gaming keyboard with number pad
• No RGB LEDs but better than most alternatives
• Basic trackpad

It would be unrealistic to expect mechanical hardware from an affordable laptop, but Acer does a good job with this chiclet block. The keys are tall and rest against a solid base, and their typing action is fast, consistent and crisp, so you get a responsive and reliable gaming experience. It is equal to Asus and easily beats small Dell buttons.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

The Nitro 5 for 2022 includes a number pad, a double-height back button, and full-sized cursor keys, so its placement is a bit more comfortable than elsewhere. The negative, however, is that the power button is on the keyboard and it’s too easy to press, and there’s no RGB LED backlighting – only red backlighting.

However, images in some retail stores have four controllable lighting zones on the keyboard.

The trackpad is underwhelming, with moderate dimensions and soft buttons, so I would recommend anyone who wants to enjoy gaming to plug in a USB mouse instead.

Screen and speakers

• Robust spec for 1080p gaming and esports.
• Excellent contrast, but narrow gamut and poor accuracy
• Amazing Sound

The 15.6-inch Nitro 5 screen uses IPS technology and combines 1080p resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate. You don’t get Nvidia G-Sync or low response times, but that spec is fine for general single-player games and esports games.

The contrast ratio of 1494:1 is excellent and is supported by the black point which is 0.19 nits. Those are great numbers, and they mean the games look bold and deep. The 6586K color temperature is also excellent and ensures the screen doesn’t look oversaturated or cold.

In other areas, however, the display is disappointing. A delta E of 5.49 means colors aren’t very accurate, and the Nitro panel only reproduces 57.6% of the sRGB color gamut, so it won’t display many of the hues needed for games or movies. The result is a bit unimpressive and means the content looks a bit flat.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

The peak brightness level of 284 nits is also not very good: it is acceptable for indoor use, but falls far short of the levels required for outdoor gaming, if you plan to do so.

Don’t expect much from speakers. The pair of downward-firing 2W speakers lack bass, volume, and clarity, so they’re only suitable for basic multimedia tasks. The headset is a smart investment.

The display’s contrast means you can still play regular games on this screen, but Asus and Dell panels make gaming better with improved fidelity and sRGB coverage. And if you want a higher resolution or refresh rate, you’ll have to spend more money.

Characteristics and performance

• RTX 3050 Ti is a great option for everyday gaming
• Intel processor is good, but competing AMD chips are faster
• Poor battery life compared to other laptops

The GeForce RTX 3050 Ti is one of Nvidia’s entry-level laptop GPUs, which means a modest spec: it has 2,560 CUDA cores and just 4GB of memory. However, it’s useful to note that its peak output power of 95W is at the highest level of core capability.

The Intel Core i5-12500H is a similar mid-range processor, but it still has four high-performance Hyper-Threading cores with a peak frequency of 4.5 GHz. Luckily, there’s 16GB of memory in a dual-channel configuration, and the 512GB SSD rumbles along with decent read and write speeds of 6454MB/s and 3900MB/s.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

In Far Cry New Dawn at Ultra settings, Acer averaged 77fps, and in Cyberpunk 2077 at the same Nitro graphics level of 67fps, both mean smooth gameplay. The 144Hz screen also has enough grunt for esports thanks to Rainbow Six Siege’s average 189fps. And I didn’t have any problems with the temperature: no matter what the task, the Acer stayed reasonably cool and quiet.

However, there are still limitations. I tried playing Cyberpunk with ray tracing and DLSS enabled and only got 27fps on average – don’t expect great next-gen features. You won’t get very far if you want to display at higher resolutions or refresh rates.

And, unsurprisingly, you get a decent performance boost if you’re willing to pay for an RTX 3060 laptop too. This GPU was used in Asus, it was ten frames faster in New Dawn, and well ahead in 3D Mark Night Raid.

Acer also can’t keep up with the competition in the processing department. The Intel Core i5-12500H is a fine everyday chip, but its Geekbench 8746 multi-core score is about 1,000 points behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processors you’ll find in similarly priced Asus and Dell laptops.

The Core i5 part is no slouch, of course, but that means Acer has limitations. It’s fine for regular gaming, tabbed browsing, office work, and light photo editing, but AMD chips are better suited for more complex content creation and multitasking.

Don’t expect great battery life either. During a gaming test, the Acer lasted an hour, and its battery life increased to three hours in operation and just over four in video playback. This isn’t surprising for a budget gaming laptop, but Asus and Dell laptops offer a longer lifespan, so they’re more versatile than gaming.

Price and availability

The reviewed Acer Nitro 5 costs $899 in the US and £984 in the UK. In the US, it is available in various configurations from Acer, AmazonBest Buy and Newegg, and in the UK it is sold at Acer, Laptops Direct, Amazon, ebayer as well as curry. It’s a reasonable price, but in some cases the Nitro runs into a serious problem when it comes to cost.

In the US, for example, the Dell G15 with RTX 3050 Ti and Core i5-12500H is also $899 – and this laptop has a better screen. In the UK, cheaper Dell machines come with weaker graphics cores and processors, but you can pay £1,199 for a Dell with RTX 3060 and Ryzen 7 6800H.

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 is also competitive. Asus with RTX 3050 Ti and Ryzen 7 6800H will set you back $899 or £899. It’s not that the Acer is a bad price, but in most cases it doesn’t offer a better price than the competition either.

If you want an Acer Nitro 5 with a Core i7-12700H and an RTX 3060 then it will cost $1,302 or £999, with the UK model offering a much better price. That’s a huge performance boost for the extra £100.

Mike Jennings / Foundry

And if you prefer the even faster RTX 3070 Ti, you’ll have to pay £1,574 or £1,499. That’s a decent price – Asus and Dell laptops with equivalent hardware are usually more expensive.

One last word of warning, many retailers are still selling older Nitro 5 models with weaker legacy components, so be careful before you buy. This 2022 edition has model number AN515-58.

Check out our table of the best cheap gaming laptops to see all the best options.

Verdict

The Acer Nitro 5 offers solid gaming power, a decent keyboard, and a decent array of ports and features in an updated chassis – and it’s no more expensive than its competitors in that spec.

Unfortunately, the poor display, poor battery life, and the emergence of AMD processors elsewhere work against the Nitro. Acer remains a solid choice for budget gaming and maintains its spot on our budget gaming table, but it’s not enough to reconsider the best options.

Specifications

• Model tested
• OS: Windows 11 Home
• Display: 15.6n IPS, 1920 x 1080, 144Hz
• Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H
• Memory: 16 GB on board
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4 GB
• Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: 1 x USB Type-C/DisplayPort/Thunderbolt 4, 3 x USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1, combo audio jack
• Network: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit Ethernet
• Battery capacity: 58 Wh
• Dimensions: 14.17 x 10.66 x 1.06 inches
• Measured weight: 2.5kg