Spec-wise, this 2021 Acer Nitro 5 variant is built on the latest Intel 11th gen Tiger Lake Core H platform, with an option for the 8Core i7-11800H that we have here, or a 6Core i5-11400H on lesser configurations. Both are fast processors with a design TDP of 45W, but the ability to run at higher power in this chassis in sustained loads. Here’s what we got on our review unit, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~70 brightness).

There’s still only a 58Wh battery inside the Acer Nitro 5 series, as the rest of the space is occupied by the 2.5″ storage drive. This is smaller than what the competition offers these days.Plastic is used for the entire construction. The interior and lid have a smooth soft feel and this sort of finishing that resembles dark sand, with some sparkly elements integrated into the plastic. They look fine, but show smudges easily. The underside is a rougher kind of plastic. Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-57)’s display (CMN1521) is PWM-free which is definitely good for your health no matter how long you plan to stay in front of the laptop.

All in all, this Intel-based variant of the 2021 Nitro 5 is quite a lot different than the AMD model we’ve tested before. However, we did test them several months apart and with different software, so in the meantime, the AMD variant might also be a lot closer to this Intel model. At that time, though, we found the AMD model a lesser performer than this Intel variant, but also a more efficient product that ran at lower temperatures and with quieter fans.However, don’t forget that most of the laptops in this class ship with single-rank memory, and that’s going to quite significantly impact the performance of those AMD configurations, especially in some combined workloads and games. We also ran some Workstation related loads on this Intel i7 + RTX 3070 configuration, on the High-Performance profile:

For what is worth, the Nitro 5 series is among the last laptops to still allow space inside for a 2.5″ storage drive (and the connector is included in the box). However, that does mean there’s only room for a smaller battery on this series. All in all, this i7+RTX 3070 configuration of the Nitro 5 AN515-57 is an excellent performer in games, even if it doesn’t offer a MUX and the display is connected via the iGPU. The impact of Optimus or the fact that Acer puts dual-channel SR memory on this series seems to be considerably more reduced here than on the AMD variants, something to keep in mind if gaming sits high at the top of your priorities’ list. I would advise straying away from this AU Optronics panel though and try to find a configuration with the superior BOE FHD 144hz panel instead. Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others It’s also slightly shifted to the left side of the laptop and centered under the Space key, which might take some time to get used to, especially if you’re coming from a centered layout without a NumPad. W (~3-4 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Power Saver Mode, screen at 70%, Wi-Fi ON; Finally, the camera is placed on top of the screen, flanked by microphones. It’s OK for occasional calls, and I might argue slightly better quality than what you’ll normally get on mid-range laptops these days. Battery life

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The Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-57) is a refreshed device that surprises us with its decent performance. The price tag of it isn’t too wallet-stretching but at the same time, it offers a lot of bang for its money. The build quality is just fine for this kind of notebook, sure, that’s an all-plastic build but the device feels sturdy and rigid despite its not-so-premium build materials. We tested the laptop with a cooling pad and with the fans ramped up to their max state. With the cooling pad, the GPU frequency is a bit higher while the temperatures are the same compared to the default fan settings. Now, there is an improvement if you set the fans to max speed but good god almighty – the CPU fan spins at 5000 rpm and the GPU one is rotating with 6000 rpm. Nope, in this mode the laptop isn’t just a vacuum cleaner – it’s a fighter jet that flies near you. Comfort during full load

All in all, there is still only an 80-85W 3070 in this Nitro 5, so proper higher-power implementations will outmatch it in performance. And the same can be said about the 3060 configurations, although those are more likely better value for your money in this chassis, with their more affordable pricing. We’ll update once we know more, and in the meantime, follow this link for the latest updated prices and configurations available in your region. Final thoughts – Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57The cooling solution looks almost the same as the one that we found in the Predator Triton 300 (PT315-52). This means that it has three heat pipes – one of them is shared between the CPU and the GPU and the other two are solely dedicated to these chips. The cooling solution is complimented by four heat sinks and two big cooling plates that cover the video memory and the voltage regulators.