Acer is refreshing its mid-range gaming laptop line with the Nitro 16 and Nitro 17, both of which the company has announced at CES this year. Both laptops feature updated components including Intel 13th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs. Unlike the company’s Predator Helios 16 and 18 laptops, the new Acer Nitro 16 and Nitro 17 are geared towards more casual gamers instead of those seeking something high-end.
More specifically casual gamers that “are ready for enhanced gameplay, extra features, and a more immersive experience.” Naturally, this toned down performance means the laptops will come with a smaller price tag. And that’s a good thing if you want something capable, but don’t want to break the bank. That being said, these can still be considered mid-range laptops. And the prices (as well as components) will reflect that.
Interestingly, both laptops have the same starting cost and will launch at the same time. Acer says the two laptops will launch in May starting at $1,199.99.
Acer doesn’t list exact specs for either the Nitro 16 or Nitro 17
Right off the bat, Acer’s new Nitro laptops sound intriguing and they come in at a price point that will probably be affordable for many gamers. The unfortunate thing is that right now Acer isn’t giving out specifics about some of the most important components. Namely the CPUs and GPUs. The company says both laptops will feature NVIDIA 40 series GPUs, but that’s it.
If I had to guess though, at this price it’s likely both will feature options from the 4050 and 4060 laptop range. Acer is also coy about the exact CPU models. Although it does mention that they will be 13th Gen Intel Core i5 and Core i7 variants. Both laptops are similar in a number of other areas. The RAM is up to 16GB but is upgradeable to 32GB using two soDIMM modules. And the storage will have two M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, but exact amounts aren’t given.
Where things vary a little is with the display. The 17-inch model will be a 17.3-inch IPS panel in two resolution options – FHD and QHD, with refresh rates at either 165Hz or 144Hz (FHD only). The 16-inch model on the other hand will feature a 16-inch IPS panel in WUXGA and WQXGA resolution options with a 165Hz refresh rate on both.
There also appears to be a decent amount of ports on both models with other similarities like RGB backlit keyboards, DTS X: Ultra audio support, and support for Windows Spatial Sound. All-in-all, not too shabby for a laptop that starts at $1,200.