I Tested Acer’s Nitro V Gaming Laptop, and It Serves Up a Big Display screen and Big Worth

7.7/ 10
SCORE

Acer Nitro V 16S AI (ANV16S-41-R2AJ)

Pros

• Thin, sturdy, principally aluminum design
• Big, vibrant 16-inch show
• Ample RAM and storage for the value
• Free M.2 slot so as to add second SSD

Cons

• Throttled RTX 5060 limits body charges
• Flex in plastic keyboard deck make keys really feel mushy
• Fuzzy 720p webcam
• No biometrics for simple, safe logins
• Lacks quick Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 ports

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 is predicated 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 includes a GPU working 115 watts. 

If you are prepared to present a bit on body charges, then players whose budgets stretch to $1,300 however not past will discover nice worth with the well-rounded Nitro V 16S AI that provides a giant, vibrant 16-inch show together with an ample 32GB of RAM and a roomy 1TB storage — plus a simple pathway to increase the storage for bigger recreation libraries.

There’s one mannequin of Acer Nitro V 16S AI (mannequin ANV16S-41-R2AJ), a set configuration out there at Amazon for $1,300. In addition to including aluminum to the design, Acer additionally outfitted it with a barely quicker show, transferring from final yr’s 165Hz panel to 180Hz. You won’t hit 180 frames per second with many video games with the 85-watt RTX 5060, however the added headroom is all the time 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 in the UK however out of inventory on the time of this writing. Similarly, I discovered a product web page for the Nitro V 16S AI in Australia however it’s not out there. 

Acer Nitro V 16S AI efficiency

The Nitro V 16S AI did advantageous in lab testing and supplies sufficient 3D graphics oomph for 1080p/1200p gaming, however its scores on our benchmarks constantly trailed these of the MSI Katana 15 HX and Lenovo Legion 5i. Unlike the Nitro V 16S AI, these two price range gaming laptops are primarily based on a 14th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU. As talked about above, every has a GPU working at its full 115 watts: an RTX 5050 within the Katana 15 HX and an RTX 5060 within the Legion 5i.

You can see all of its benchmark take a look at ends in the charts on the finish of this overview, however let’s discuss right here about what actually issues for this laptop computer: 3D gaming efficiency. The Nitro V 16S AI’s finest outcome occurred on our Assassin’s Creed: Shadows take a look at, which we run at 1,920×1,080-pixel decision with the High preset. It hit 62 frames per second to edge the Legion 5i and simply outpace the Katana 15 HX. But on each different gaming benchmark, it completed with a decrease FPS than these two rivals, and sometimes by wholesome margins. The greatest 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 charge 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. However, its grainy 720p webcam and underpowered stereo audio system are sadly nonetheless a part of the package deal. The show stays the identical, aside from the bump to a 180Hz refresh, however it’s nonetheless greater than acceptable for the value.

Instead of a pillowy, plastic chassis, the Nitro V 16S AI comes outfitted with aluminum high 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 stage of concern. The addition of aluminum ends in 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 every of restraint, particularly for a gaming laptop computer, with seems that usually fall between aggressive and garish. The Nitro V 16S AI’s design is all-black; the one non-black aspect is the stylized silver N brand within the heart of the lid. When you activate the keyboard’s four-zone RGB lighting, nevertheless, gaming-laptop seems 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 therapy. (The NitroSense app helps you to monitor CPU, GPU and system temperatures, choose an influence mode, alter 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 anticipate an all-aluminum design in a $1,300 gaming laptop computer, but when given the selection, I’d swap both the highest or backside panel for a extra inflexible aluminum keyboard deck.

Acer used an identical 16-inch, 1,920×1,200-pixel show to its predecessor, although this yr’s mannequin’s refresh charge is a hair quicker 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 finest a part of the show is its dimension. It’s large and makes gaming at 1080p or 1200p really feel extra charming than on a smaller display screen.

The Nitro V 16S AI features a 1TB SSD that can home a modest video games library and supply a simple path to rising its native storage. Remove 10 small screws, and you’ll 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, provide solely a single M.2 slot, which implies it’s worthwhile to substitute the laptop computer’s SSD as a substitute of merely including a second.

You can increase the storage, however you may’t use your face or finger for logins. Without an IR digital camera or fingerprint scanner, you may have to sort in passwords, which is a bummer. 

Another bummer is the choice of gradual USB ports. There’s just one USB Type-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. Other than 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 Type-A ports. At least that makes connecting a gaming mouse or keyboard easy. 

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

Yes, it is a good, however not nice, price range gaming laptop computer. The part lineup seems good for the value till you think about that the RTX 5060 is throttled and acts extra like an RTX 5050. It additionally has just a few demerits widespread to entry-level gaming laptops, similar 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. But 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 large 16-inch show. Maybe simply look ahead to an honest sale earlier than you chew, or go together with the Lenovo or MSI fashions I examined.