Knowledgeable’s Ranking
Execs
- Stable efficiency
- Aggressive value
- Devoted button for fast efficiency mode switching
- Quick 165Hz show with good colours
Cons
- Absolutely plastic construct
- Mushy keyboard
- Weak battery life
Our Verdict
The Acer Nitro V 16 delivers nice gaming with its RTX 4060 GPU and Ryzen 7 CPU, however the battery life could possibly be higher.
Prior to now, gaming laptops may by no means hope to maintain up with desktop gaming rigs, however the newest multi-core CPUs and pixel-pushing GPUs in laptops could make even probably the most demanding AAA video games playable on the go. Nonetheless, you’ll pay handsomely for the privilege, with high-end gaming laptops operating 1000’s of {dollars}. In case you don’t wish to spend that a lot, laptops just like the Ryzen-powered Acer Nitro V 16 could possibly be simply what you want. It’s received all the pieces you want and nothing you don’t.
This machine sports activities a succesful RTX 4060 GPU and an eight-core Ryzen 7 8845HS processor. Mix these with a quick IPS show, and you’ve got a stable gaming expertise for round $1,000. Nonetheless, you received’t discover a lot use for the Acer Nitro V 16 past gaming resulting from its poor battery life and apparent gamer aesthetic.
Additional studying: Finest gaming laptops 2024: What to search for and highest-rated fashions
Acer Nitro V 16: Specs and options
The Nitro V 16 runs on the eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, which was launched in late 2023. AMD has since launched a brand new era of laptop computer Ryzen chips with extra AI chops, however that’s not an issue for the V 16. This machine additionally has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, which might course of extra AI workloads than a CPU if the necessity arises.
The GPU is able to operating any trendy sport. Whereas the decision of 1920×1200 isn’t exceptionally excessive in 2024, it pairs nicely with the RTX 4060 to run video games with medium or excessive settings at native decision. The 16GB of included DDR5 RAM can also be ample for mid-range gaming, nevertheless it’s mild for inventive work. If these specs don’t be just right for you, the Nitro V 16 is probably not the fitting machine.
Whereas the Acer Nitro 14 has related specs, it’s a bit extra highly effective and costly. The 16-inch mannequin solely has a couple of minor spec variants, with a beginning MSRP of $999.99. That’s cheaper than most RTX 4060 gaming machines, however the base mannequin solely has 8GB of RAM. I examined the 16GB model (priced at $1,099.99), which is the minimal reminiscence allotment you must think about in 2024. The excellent news is that this model of the machine is commonly discounted under $1,000.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS
- Reminiscence: 16GB DDR5
- Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
- Show: 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS @ 165Hz
- Storage: 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD
- Webcam: 720p
- Connectivity: 1x USB-C (USB4, 40Gbps), 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
- Networking: Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3
- Battery capability: 57Whr, 135W charging
- Dimensions: 14.25 x 11.07 x 1.24 inches
- Weight: 5.5 kilos
- MSRP as examined: $1,099.99
The Acer Nitro V 16’s quick show is nice for twitchy video games and the RTX 4060 has sufficient horsepower to run nearly any trendy title at medium or excessive settings.
Acer Nitro V 16: Design and construct high quality
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
When it’s closed, the Acer Nitro V 16 doesn’t scream “gaming PC,” nevertheless it does lower an imposing silhouette with its 16-inch show and thick 1.24-inch profile. It’s an all-black affair, save for the silver Acer Nitro emblem in the midst of the lid. Opening the lid, there’s one other inlaid Nitro emblem on the wrist relaxation and one under the show.
The Nitro V16 is all plastic, and you’ll discover that instantly upon touching it. It doesn’t appear cheaply made, however you’ll be able to really feel the plastic physique flexing across the trackpad and cooling vents. Whereas plastic may not be as sturdy as steel, the Nitro V 16 feels typically sturdy. The hinge is clean, if a bit stiff. Nonetheless, it stays put, and there’s subsequent to no wobble, even once you pound away on the keyboard.
The chassis has tapered edges that make it a bit simpler to choose up, nevertheless it’s received extra heft than a enterprise laptop computer, even with the plastic physique. This laptop computer weighs in at 5.5 kilos, which is heavy in comparison with most laptops however aggressive for a 16-inch gaming PC. I just like the outsized rubber toes on the underside, which assist hold the machine from shifting round in your desk.
The Nitro V 16 has fewer ports than you’ll discover on a productiveness laptop computer or a higher-end gaming machine. It’s greater than adequate for the common gamer, although. You get two high-speed USB-A ports, one on all sides. There’s additionally a full Ethernet port on the left facet. Round again, you get the DC energy plug, HDMI out, and the laptop computer’s lone USB-C port. This isn’t a handy location for that port, however no less than it’s quick, with help for USB4 at 40Gbps.
The Acer Nitro V 16 has a strong cooling system that includes two inside followers that pull in air from the highest and backside of the machine. That’s useful if one of many vents is quickly obstructed, however you’ll be able to hear the followers droning by way of the big vents above the keyboard.
Heat air is accelerated out the perimeters of the PC by way of sizable exhaust ports, sustaining low thermals contained in the machine. You may need to look at the place you place your mouse—the exhaust blasts outward a long way from the pc and it’s sizzling.
Subsequent to the cooling vents, the V 16 has a small glowing button to modify efficiency modes. With every press, the colour modifications and the system overlay tells you which of them mode you’ve activated. It is a useful solution to change from battery-efficient modes to high-power for enjoying video games. Alternatively, you’ll be able to press the “Nitro” key to launch the efficiency tuning shopper for much more management.
Acer Nitro V 16: Show and Audio system
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
This 16-inch IPS LCD has a decision of 1920×1200 and a refresh price of 165Hz. There’s loads of display actual property, however there’s no choice for a touchscreen right here. That’s effective, contemplating it has an ordinary non-convertible hinge and it’s aimed principally at avid gamers. There’s a 720p webcam squeezed in simply in regards to the display. It’s effective in a pinch, however the image is grainy and flat. There’s no help for IR-based Home windows Good day, so that you’ll want to make use of a password or PIN to unlock this laptop computer.
The show brightness is on the weak facet at 300 nits, however the colours and viewing angles are good for the value. You may spend a couple of hundred extra to get a sharper LCD and even an OLED, however this panel is nice for gaming, notably should you’re into twitchy shooters like Fortnite or Counter-Strike. The RTX 4060 has no hassle rendering trendy video games at 1200p, and the 165Hz refresh price presents clean motion in fast-paced scenes.
The stereo audio system are tucked beneath the sting of the laptop computer, which is true of most notebooks. The audio system get fairly loud, however the audio is hole and garbled at excessive volumes. The sound is serviceable so long as you allow it at a modest degree. If you need extra immersive sound, you’ll want headphones or exterior audio system.
Acer Nitro V 16: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The keyboard on this machine could possibly be a bit divisive. This PC presents a quiet, gentle typing expertise. On the flip facet, the keys aren’t very tactile, and the bottom-out is just too mushy. These qualities received’t matter should you’re primarily taking part in video games on the Nitro V 16, nevertheless it’s not perfect for typing lengthy paperwork.
At simply over 14 inches extensive, the Nitro V 16 is simply massive sufficient to supply an expanded keyboard format—you’ll discover a full quantity pad to the keyboard’s proper, however the keys are solely about 60 % as massive as regular keys. That makes the pad a bit too cramped for my style, however some should still be joyful they’ve a quantity pad in any respect on a 16-inch laptop computer
I used to be very joyful to see that Acer additionally made room for full-sized arrow keys. Most trendy laptops shrink these keys down to avoid wasting area, however that makes them tougher to seek out by contact. And proper subsequent to the arrow, Acer has included the now-customary Microsoft Copilot key.
The keys themselves are backlit with orange LEDs—no coloration choices right here. The WASD cluster additionally has a bit extra shine-through floor to set it other than the remainder of the deck. Equally, there’s a small dimple on W to make it simpler to seek out by contact. It’s not probably the most elegant look, however the Nitro V 16 isn’t about subtlety.
The Acer Nitro V 16 has a big sufficient trackpad, nevertheless it looks like it could possibly be larger given the quantity of unused actual property under the keyboard. It’s simply your normal touchpad, no glass or extra unique supplies. I discovered it to be a really responsive pad, although. Tapping, dragging, and different gestures are detected reliably and precisely.
Acer Nitro V 16: Efficiency
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
PCMark 10 is designed to check a machine throughout a wide range of metrics like net looking, video chat, and photograph enhancing. The Acer Nitro V 16 scores 7,235, which is aggressive however a bit behind related laptops, together with the Acer Nitro 14. CPU efficiency is a main issue with PCMark, so shifting from the default Balanced efficiency mode to Efficiency bumps the PCMark rating by about 300 factors.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Cinebench is a CPU-focused check that exhibits how a PC handles heavy however transient multi-core workloads. Extra CPU cores grant greater scores in Cinebench and cooling doesn’t matter very a lot. The Nitro V 16 scored 6,258 on this check, which is greater than many Intel-powered laptops. Once more, the equally geared up Acer Nitro 14 runs just a bit forward with the default efficiency tuning.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The Handbrake check is much like Cinebench in that it exhibits how a pc handles multithreaded duties, however it is a longer-duration check the place thermals matter extra. This laptop computer manages 6,258 in Cinebench. The sturdy cooling resolution pays off, holding the Nitro V 16 aggressive with dearer laptops.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Our first gaming check is 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency. At 9,206, the Acer V 16 presents implausible sport efficiency, operating even or barely forward of different RTX 4060 machines. It takes an RTX 4070 or greater to persistently beat this laptop computer in 3DMark, however these machines are far more costly. For instance, the Alienware x16 R2 is about the identical dimension and weight and it leaves this machine within the mud, nevertheless it additionally prices twice as a lot.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Recreation benchmarks just like the one included with Shadow of the Tomb Raider might help us perceive a system’s actual world gaming expertise. With a median body price of 130, the Acer Nitro V 16 undoubtedly establishes its gaming chops on this benchmark. This body price is best than quite a few RTX 4060 machines we’ve examined and it nearly matches some RTX 4070 laptops.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The Metro Exodus benchmark is a little more demanding, giving higher-specced machines an opportunity to shine. Nonetheless, the V 16 nonetheless reaches a median of 38 fps, which is greater than aggressive with gaming laptops with related parts.
Total, I’ve been very pleased with the Acer Nitro V 16’s efficiency. Whereas the CPU falls a bit behind in some benchmarks, that’s not one thing you’ll discover in every day utilization. Throughout productiveness and gaming, this machine by no means left me ready. The GPU isn’t the very best round, nevertheless it’s greater than highly effective sufficient to run trendy video games on the 1200p LCD at excessive body charges. Nonetheless, the show doesn’t have G-Sync help to cut back tearing at excessive body charges.
It may not deal with probably the most demanding visible enhancements (e.g. ray tracing) in addition to dearer GPUs, nevertheless it nails the fundamentals.
Acer Nitro V 16: Battery life
Regardless of weighing about the identical as comparable gaming PCs, Acer solely managed to suit a 56Wh battery within the Nitro V 16. That’s nearer to what we’d anticipate for a mid-range productiveness PC and it’s a lot smaller than the 76Wh cell within the Acer Nitro 14. It comes with a 135W charging brick that connects to the DC barrel port. You too can cost the machine over USB-C nevertheless it fills extra slowly and received’t run in efficiency mode when powered by USB-C.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Our battery check consists of taking part in a 4K copy of Tears of Metal on repeat with the display at 250 nits till the laptop computer runs out of juice. The V 16 brings up the rear in our rundown check at 234 minutes (simply shy of 4 hours), which is about what I’d anticipate given the massive show and small battery.
Normally, you’ll be able to anticipate a bit extra time per cost in every day use by holding the show brightness decrease—we needed to flip it a lot of the manner as much as hold the benchmark constant. I’d estimate round 4 or 5 hours of productiveness utilization on battery, however video games will drain it a lot quicker. That makes the V 16 extra a poor selection for gaming on the go. In case you can’t discover a energy outlet, this laptop computer simply received’t final very lengthy.
Acer Nitro V 16: Conclusion
Even on the MSRP of $1,099 to $1,129, the Acer Nitro V 16 presents a implausible worth and it’s normally discounted to beneath $1,000. For that sum, you get an enormous, quick show that’s nice for twitchy video games and the RTX 4060 has sufficient horsepower to run nearly any trendy title at medium or excessive settings. You may spend a bit extra to get even higher gaming efficiency or an OLED show, however the V 16 is an effective worth for the mid-range.
Simply don’t anticipate to take the present on the street—with a meager 56Wh battery, I discovered the battery life to be substandard. No gaming laptop computer goes to frag endlessly on battery, however this one doesn’t even final so long as most.
The keyboard isn’t the prettiest, nor does it really feel notably good, nevertheless it’s effective for gaming. The machine additionally has a distinctively “gamer” vibe that received’t slot in on the workplace. These shortcomings aren’t deal breakers, however don’t purchase this machine for twin productiveness/gaming responsibility.
