2021 Acer Nitro 5: Full Review of Ryzen 5600H and RTX 3060

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Build Quality and Design
3. Port Selection and Connectivity
4. Power and Performance
5. Nitro Sense Software
6. Display Quality and Brightness
7. Battery Life
8. Fan Noise and Thermals
9. Benchmark Scores
10. Gaming Performance
11. Conclusion

Introduction

The 2021 Acer Nitro 5, powered by the Ryzen 5600H and RTX 3060, has been creating quite a buzz in the gaming laptop market. Having used this laptop for the past two weeks, I will share my in-depth review of its build quality, performance, display, battery life, and more. So, let's dive in and see if the Acer Nitro 5 lives up to the hype.

Build Quality and Design

The first thing that caught my attention about the Acer Nitro 5 is its solid build quality. Compared to the previous year's models, the 2021 version feels much sturdier and more reliable. I was pleasantly surprised by the improved build as I encountered flimsiness with the older models. The laptop's design exudes a sleek and professional look, with only subtle red accents on the lid, indicating its gaming nature. Despite its robust construction, it remains lightweight and portable, making it convenient for daily commute or carrying it around campus.

Port Selection and Connectivity

One aspect where the Acer Nitro 5 shines is its versatile port selection. The laptop offers three USB ports, including a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, an Ethernet port for wired internet connectivity, and a headphone jack. The power adapter port is located at the back of the laptop, ensuring neat cable management. However, I did face a minor inconvenience while inserting the charger, as it required an extra push to snap securely into place. This issue might be specific to the charger design rather than a flaw in the laptop itself.

Power and Performance

Equipped with the Ryzen 5600H and an RTX 3060, the Acer Nitro 5 delivers commendable power and performance. The Ryzen processor ensures smooth multitasking and efficient execution of demanding tasks. The RTX 3060 graphics card enhances the gaming experience by delivering stunning visuals and excellent frame rates. The combination of these powerful components makes the Acer Nitro 5 capable of running modern games on high settings without any hiccups.

Nitro Sense Software

The included Nitro Sense software provides additional control and customization options for the Acer Nitro 5. With Nitro Sense, you can adjust power plans to optimize performance or enhance battery life. Additionally, the software allows for fan control, enabling you to choose between auto, max, or custom fan speeds. The custom control option ensures that the fan speed increases when gaming to prevent thermal throttling. Furthermore, Nitro Sense provides control over the laptop's RGB keyboard, allowing you to personalize your gaming setup.

Display Quality and Brightness

While the Acer Nitro 5's display is suitable for gaming, it falls slightly short in terms of color accuracy and brightness. With an sRGB coverage of only 54% and Adobe RGB coverage of 47%, the colors may appear washed out compared to laptops with higher color accuracy. However, during everyday usage, the impact of this limitation is not very noticeable. The 144Hz screen refresh rate provides smooth gameplay, and the brightness is adequate for most lighting conditions, including moderate sunlight.

Battery Life

When it comes to battery life, the Acer Nitro 5 offers decent performance considering its gaming capabilities. The laptop houses a 58-watt hour battery, which lasted for approximately 71 minutes while playing a demanding Game like City Skylines on the balanced power profile. Switching to battery power caused a 50% drop in performance. However, switching to power saver mode and reducing the screen refresh rate to 60Hz extended the battery life to three hours and two minutes. While not exceptional, these battery life figures are acceptable for occasional gaming on the go.

Fan Noise and Thermals

The fans on the Acer Nitro 5 remain impressively quiet during normal usage, even with multiple browser tabs open or while streaming videos. Setting the fans to 50% speed results in a noise level of around 47-48 decibels. When pushed to the maximum speed, the fans reach approximately 58 decibels. However, during gaming, the fans tend to operate within the 50% speed range, keeping the noise levels at a reasonable level. It is worth noting that some users may observe a slight coil whine noise, but it is not overly noticeable or disruptive.

In terms of thermals, the Acer Nitro 5 maintains excellent temperature management. During gaming Sessions, the GPU and CPU reach temperatures of around 80 and 91 degrees Celsius, respectively. This is the point at which the fans kick in to prevent thermal throttling. The fans operate at around 70% speed, ensuring efficient cooling without excessive noise. Even during more demanding games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the laptop maintains optimal temperatures, striking a balance between performance and cooling.

Benchmark Scores

To gauge the Acer Nitro 5's performance capability, several benchmark tests were conducted. In Time Spy, the laptop scored 7197 in the overall score, showcasing its gaming prowess. The PCMark score was 78.43, indicating good performance in productivity tasks. Geekbench revealed a single-core score of 1378 and a multi-core score of 66.87. In Cinebench R23, the laptop achieved a single-core score of 1093 and a multi-core score of 84.76. These benchmark scores highlight the Acer Nitro 5's ability to handle a range of computing tasks efficiently.

Gaming Performance

When it comes to gaming performance, the Acer Nitro 5 brings impressive results across various popular titles. In Call of Duty Warzone, the laptop achieved an average of 110 frames per Second (FPS) on low graphics settings. Bumping up the graphics to high settings, excluding ray tracing, resulted in an average of 100 FPS. Enabling ray tracing lowered the framerate to 85 FPS, showcasing the RTX 3060's capabilities. Microsoft Flight Simulator, a demanding game known for pushing hardware limits, yielded an average of 37 FPS on high settings and 27 FPS on ultra settings. Far Cry 5 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider performed admirably, delivering framerates of 91 FPS and 88 FPS, respectively, on the highest settings. Cyberpunk 2077 achieved a solid average of 90 FPS on high settings, while turning on ray tracing brought the framerate down to 52 FPS. These gaming benchmarks demonstrate the Acer Nitro 5's ability to handle modern titles with ease.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Acer Nitro 5 (2021) offers an impressive Package for gamers on a budget. With its solid build quality, reliable performance, and commendable gaming capabilities, it provides excellent value for money. The laptop's lightweight and portable design make it suitable for students and gamers who need a device they can carry around effortlessly. While the display lacks color accuracy, and the battery life is not exceptional, these drawbacks are overshadowed by the Nitro 5's affordability and overall performance. Therefore, if you are in the market for a gaming laptop that delivers on gaming performance without breaking the bank, the Acer Nitro 5 is a worthy contender.

Highlights:

• Solid build quality and sleek design
• Versatile port selection, including USB-C for charging and data transfer
• Powerful performance with Ryzen 5600H and RTX 3060
• Nitro Sense software for customization and control
• Smooth gameplay experience with a 144Hz refresh rate
• Decent battery life for occasional gaming on the go
• Quiet fan operation and efficient thermal management
• Impressive benchmark scores across various tests
• Consistent gaming performance in popular titles
• Affordable option for budget-conscious gamers

FAQ

Q: Is the Acer Nitro 5 suitable for gaming on the go? A: Yes, the Acer Nitro 5's lightweight design makes it a convenient option for gamers who need portability.

Q: Can the Acer Nitro 5 handle modern games on high settings? A: Absolutely, the combination of the Ryzen 5600H and RTX 3060 allows the laptop to run modern games on high settings without any issues.

Q: Does the Acer Nitro 5 have good thermal management? A: Yes, the laptop maintains optimal temperatures during gaming sessions, thanks to efficient fan control and thermal design.

Q: Is the color accuracy of the Acer Nitro 5's display satisfactory? A: While the display is acceptable for gaming, it may lack color accuracy compared to laptops with higher sRGB and Adobe RGB coverage.

Q: Is the battery life of the Acer Nitro 5 adequate for gaming on the go? A: The battery life of the Acer Nitro 5 is decent for occasional gaming on the go, but it is not exceptional.