Acer Nitro 5 Review: Intel i5 12 Gen RTX 3050

Acer Nitro 5 2022 is a budget gaming laptop designed for exceptional performance and value. It features an Intel i5 12500H processor and RTX 3050 graphics card, promising top-tier gaming experiences. The 15.6-inch FHD IPS antiglare display supports a 144Hz refresh rate, delivering stunning visuals and smooth gameplay immersion. With a GEN 4 SSD and upgradeable RAM up to 32 GB, it ensures blazing-fast storage and multitasking capabilities.

Specifications

The Acer Nitro 5, featuring the i7 12500H processor, boasts 12 cores and 16 threads, including 4 performance (P) cores and 8 efficiency (E) cores. It also includes an RTX 3050 GPU with a 95W TGP. The laptop comes equipped with 8 GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM, expandable up to 32 GB, and a 512 GB GEN 4 PCIe SSD offering fast read/write speeds. There’s potential support for up to a 1 TB HDD, likely at either 5400 or 7200 RPM. Upgrading to a 1 TB SSD is feasible, but there may be only one available slot.

In terms of connectivity, the Acer Nitro 5 supports WiFi 6 and Bluetooth version 5.2. Currently, Acer’s website lists only the i7 variant with a 3050 Ti GPU. Models with the 3060 and 3070 Ti GPUs are expected to be released later. I plan to review these models upon their release, so consider subscribing for updates.

The RAM operates at 3200 MHz, although some anticipated 4800 MHz. Despite this, the i7 variant priced at $899 seems reasonable given its features. Alternatively, the i7 variant with 16 GB RAM is priced at $1000, promising enhanced performance.

Design and Build

The Acer Nitro 5 comes in a black box with safety measures to protect it during shipping. Inside, you’ll find the laptop along with paperwork, a power cord, a 180W power adapter, and a hard drive enclosure for future HDD installation.

The Acer Nitro 5 has come with an amazing upgrade. The top lid of the Nitro used to look weird before, but now they have added a gaming-inspired design. Upon first glance, the blue and red color patterns are impressive.

The Acer Nitro 5’s build and design haven’t changed much. The top lid is still plastic with similar flex as previous models. While there’s no notable improvement in build quality, it looks different. It’s neither exceptionally poor nor outstanding, just average for its price. Inside, it’s also plastic with minimal keyboard flex and there are vents on top and the rear design is different. It has various ports and vents for airflow. The bottom has vents too, giving it a gaming look, and It wobbles a bit, showing it’s not super stable but not too loose either.

Ports

As far the connectivity on the left side, you’ll find an RJ45 LAN port, 1 USB 3.2 GEN 1 Type-A port, and a headphone/mic jack combo. On the right side, there are 2 USB 3.2 GEN 2 Type-A ports, with one supporting power-off charging. This means you can charge your phone even when the laptop is off. At the back, there’s a power input port and 1 USB Type-C port, which is a 3.2 GEN 2 port. This port also acts as a Thunderbolt 4 port, allowing display output. It supports Thunderbolt 4 because of its Intel 12th generation processor. Plus, there’s an HDMI 2.1 port for additional connectivity.

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Display Quality

The Acer Nitro 5 laptop costs $899 and comes with display improvements. It has a 15.6-inch FHD IPS antiglare screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. The color gamut isn’t specified, but it seems better than the standard 45% NTSC. The brightness is over 250 Nits. When compared to the Asus TUF laptop, Nitro’s display looks brighter and has better contrast. This makes Nitro’s display better than a basic laptop. Plus, it has good viewing angles because of the IPS display.

Keyboard, Speaker and Webcam

The Acer Nitro 5 features a 4-zone RGB keyboard that you can customize with Nitro Sense software. The trackpad is a bit smaller but works fine without any problems.

Acer hasn’t upgraded the speakers in the Nitro 5. It still has the same basic downward-firing 2W speakers, offering mediocre sound quality with limited bass and treble performance.

Regarding the mic and webcam, it has a 720P webcam, which seems slightly better than before. Colors look more natural but with a pastel effect. Overall, it’s okay for regular use.

Performance and Benchmarks

Now let’s discuss the benchmarks of the Acer Nitro 5. I had the opportunity to test the i5 12th generation 12500H processor. Allow me to provide you with the testing conditions. The room temperature was around 25-26 degrees Celsius, and the it was set to performance mode, which can be adjusted in Nitro Sense.

In the Cinebench R23 test, the multicore score achieved was 14017, while the single core score reached 1734 points. Moving on to the Geekbench 5 CPU test, the laptop obtained a multicore score of 6421 and a single core score of 1588. These scores are impressive and even surpass those of the Ryzen 7 5800H processor. Hence, if you intend to purchase a laptop for productivity tasks and editing, the i5 12500H can be an excellent choice.

In the PCMark 10 benchmark, the laptop achieved a total score of 5971. PCMark 10 assesses the it’s performance for day-to-day usage, and a score above 5000 is considered good. With a score close to 6000, this laptop performs exceptionally well in this benchmark.

Moving on to the 3DMark Time Spy test, the laptop achieved a total score of 5544. The graphics score was 5375, which is comparable to other laptops equipped with the RTX 3050 graphics card. Additionally, the CPU score reached 6755, demonstrating the superior performance of the i5 processor. This marks a significant improvement, as i5 processors were previously considered less capable. Share your thoughts in the comments section regarding these changes.

Following that, we have the overall score of Crossmark, which is 1541. In score table, you can view the other scores. Crossmark’s new test allows for comparisons with different laptops. Remember, the higher the score, the better the laptop’s performance.

That covers all the details about the laptop’s performance. It is well-suited for multitasking and editing tasks. However, if you are inclined towards graphics designing, I would recommend opting for the 3060 graphics card and a minimum of 16 GB of RAM. Consider upgrading the RAM to 16 GB in this laptop for improved performance.

Gaming Performance

I tested 5-6 games consistently to compare performance across different machines easily. Running these games helps us evaluate performance differences based on specifications, rather than just focusing on FPS in one game.

In CS:GO, with high settings and room temp at 26-27°C, I got around 100 FPS, sometimes dropping below 100 due to 8 GB RAM. With 16 GB RAM, FPS could reach 150-160. CPU temperature stayed acceptable considering the room temp.

And then we tested COD Warzone with FOV at 100 and DLSS balanced. Unfortunately, FPS was very low, averaging around 40-50 and sometimes hitting 60. This is similar to previous experiences where upgrading RAM to 16 GB greatly improved performance, as seen in reviews and YouTube videos. It seems the CPU is bottlenecked, so getting the 16 GB variant would be wise.

Valorant on high settings, expecting performance similar to CS:GO. Due to RAM limitations, I’m getting around 100 FPS, which is decent. Overall, the laptop’s performance is satisfactory, with well-managed thermals like other Nitro models.

We tested Forza Horizon 5 on the high preset using the laptop’s RTX 3050. We got 60+ FPS, as Forza Horizon 5 isn’t very demanding on RAM. However, adding dual-channel RAM could boost FPS by 10-15. It’s recommended to have 16 GB RAM for all esports titles.

We tested GTA V with high and very high settings, but only got around 60 FPS, which is disappointing for the RTX 3050. We expected at least 100 FPS. To improve performance, I plan to try the 16 GB RAM variant and redo the test.

Note that CPU temps were higher due to room temp around 28°C. If your area is 28-30°C, you might also see higher temps, but a cooling pad can help.

We also tested Red Dead Redemption 2 on 50% preset with DLSS auto, aiming for around 50 FPS. With 16 GB RAM, FPS would exceed 60. So, for best gaming, go for the i5 variant with 16 GB RAM. If budget allows, the i7 with 3050 Ti offers even better performance.

Overall, opting for the 16 GB RAM variant is wise for gaming, If budget permits, i7 with 3050 Ti is even better. And also remember, 16 GB RAM is highly recommended for top gaming performance.

Battery life

The Acer Nitro 5 has a 57.5 Whr battery. In my test with basic usage, keyboard backlight off, 50% brightness, and battery saver on, I only got 1.5 hours of backup. This is below expectations for a battery of this size. That’s all about the laptop, nothing more to add.

Conclusion

Verdict: The Acer Nitro 5 offers impressive performance and value for its price. Packed with a GEN 4 SSD and an i5 12th gen processor, it delivers excellent multicore and single-core performance. While the RAM limitation may be a concern, considering the 16 GB RAM variant or upgrading later can enhance overall performance. Additionally, if budget permits, opting for the i7 variant with 16 GB RAM provides even greater capabilities. Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 is a solid choice for those seeking a reliable and powerful 12th generation gaming laptop.