Review - Acer Nitro 5 Laptop

JimmyLmao on 04/01/2022 - 19:49

Hi all, thought I'd leave a quick review of the Acer Nitro 5 laptop from this deal. Hopefully this helps someone :)

Overview

I got the AN515-57-54ZA model for $1,297, instead of the AN515-57-55R8 model for $1,287. I think the difference is that the 54ZA model has Thunderbolt 4 via USB-C, but has a worse stick of RAM (Kingston 8GB 1Rx16 instead of Samsung 8GB 1Rx8). Buying a few discounted eGift cards helped get the price down a little further too.

I purchased two new matching 8GB sticks of RAM in the 1Rx8 configuration to replace the stock RAM - some performance results on this below.

Tech Specs

15.6-inch 1080p IPS Chi Mei CMN1521 N156HRA-EA1 panel
CPU: i5-11400H (6 cores)
GPU: RTX3060 6GB 95W
RAM: 8GB DDR4 3200Mhz 1Rx16 (changed to 16GB DDR4 3200Mhz 1Rx8)
SSD: WD SN530 NVMe 512GB

Screen

I was expecting it to be bad, but I was pleasantly surprised. At least coming from my ~4-year-old laptop, the screen was an improvement. I can tell that the purple colours aren't quite right, other than that though, it looks great.
It is bright enough for indoors - haven't ever needed to use a laptop outdoors so can't comment here.
Screen bezels are relatively slim, so it's nice to look at.

Connectivity

I am able to plug a Xiaomi 34" ultrawide monitor into the laptop via the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port and get a full 3440x1440 at 144hz, which is great.
Unfortunately there is no internal MUX Switch so USB-C still goes via the integrated graphics with a small performance hit - only the HDMI port is linked straight to the GPU.
I haven't checked if the laptop supports HDMI 2.1, but another user suggests it does
Getting 50Mbps on NBN50 so Wi-Fi seems to be working well.

Battery life

It is fine for a few hours of watching movies/shows/YouTube.
I would always bring the charger along with you though.
I like the way the charger plugs into the back of the laptop, rather than the left or right side of the laptop.
The charger clicks twice when plugging it in, so you can easily be fooled after the first click thinking it is plugged in but it won't actually be charging (thought the laptop was dead on arrival when I tried to turn it on for the very first time). The upside is that it sits securely in place.

Speakers

This is probably the biggest negative point of the laptop; the speakers suck. The max volume isn't very loud, so it can be a little annoying to try and listen to something over the top of a bit of noise from a fan, aircon, washing machine, shower, vacuum, etc.
Easily overcome by using headphones/airpods or plugging in some form of external speakers though.

Keyboard

It's decent enough, tactile feeling at the beginning of a press, typical key-travel distance for a laptop, slight noise but not enough to hear with headphones on.
Using a separate, quality mechanical keyboard is still way nicer.
Lack of fingerprint sensor, which is slightly inconvenient but not a deal-breaker.
I don't like the inclusion of the Acer NitroSense button on the num-pad, because it shifts all the buttons that you're familiar with 1 to the right.
It's nice being able to change the key backlight colours - I set them to dim and white :)

Build Quality

It's plastic but looks and feels nice. Doesn't scream 'gamer.'
Weight approx. 2.29kg (not including power brick) so it's not too heavy. Noticeably lighter coming from my previous gaming laptop.
This laptop has really good upgradeability/serviceability. Swapping out the RAM took like two minutes and I was able to get a cat hair out of one of the fans!?

Performance Data

I tried to create some reliable performance data with variables controlled as best as I could.
Results are averages of 3 runs.
Ambient room temp = approx. 23°c (with aircon + fan).
Laptop sitting on table for a solid base.
Power cable plugged in.
Nvidia control panel tells me 'Maximum Graphics Power: 95W'
Bios version 1.10
1080p + max settings.

Configuration/Benchmark	3DMark-Timespy	Civilization VI	Age of Empires IV
Stock 8GB RAM	6751 score	59.69 fps	65.98 fps
New 16GB RAM	7238 score	76.59 fps	113.33 fps
New 16GB RAM + External Screen	7474 score	81.58 fps	122.66 fps

Civ VI = built-in 'Gathering Storm Graphics' benchmark ("A heavy benchmark to measure graphics performance on your computer") - DX12
AOE IV = 'The Battle of Hastings' campaign mission (~5mins)

Performance Outcomes

I have made the full collated data available in Google Sheets
The CPU score in 3D Mark Timespy drastically improved with the new RAM, dragging the overall score up. The graphics score didn't change too much.
The stock 8GB of RAM was definitely bottlenecking AOE IV — GPU was only ~60% utilised. Steam would give a warning about not having enough RAM available when launching AOE IV.
Interestingly, the 1% low fps had nearly a 200% boost in AOE IV compared to original.
I was able to improve the Timespy scores to 7643 overall (7581 GPU / 8019 CPU) by switching power options to high performance and enabling the Nitro CoolBoost (to make fans spin faster), but did not bother to document and run multiple tests to average out as I don't intend on leaving it like this.
I didn't test how much of the performance improvements were coming from 'single channel vs dual channel RAM' or '1Rx16 vs 1Rx8 RAM'. But in theory, it should make a difference.

Score

8 Jimmy's out of 10

Final Thoughts

The Acer Nitro 5 performs well in the most important areas. There are obviously a few compromises to help make it as cheap as it is. These compromises are in areas that can be fixed via external solutions though, which you'd probably be wanting to use regardless of how good the laptop is. So they're not much of a bother, to me at least.
Overall it's a great laptop, especially for the price. Usually, the next cheapest 3060 laptops start at about $1.6k, so ~$350 extra. But these are the cheaper variants too that come with their own compromises.
If you want the best of the best, obviously look elsewhere. It is a 95W RTX 3060, so higher powered variants should perform better, but would also cost more.
I think the Acer Nitro 5 strikes a great balance between price vs performance. Savings can be used to upgrade to a newer and better laptop sooner :)

Best Alternative

Probably the Kraken M15 Q Gaming Laptop for $1,599 @ BPC Tech.

Computing Acer Computer Gaming Laptop Laptop

Comments

nedski on 04/01/2022 - 20:13

+1

Thanks for this and putting the effort in sharing this information with us. Most appreciated.
- JimmyLmao on 04/01/2022 - 20:20
  
  +3
  
  No worries :) I must admit it was kinda fun feeding my curiosity with all the performance testing. Didn't realise how much difference a stick of RAM could make!
JimmyF on 04/01/2022 - 20:14

+2

8 Jimmy's out of 10

I concur!
- JimmyLmao on 04/01/2022 - 20:18
  
  +2
  
  Haha! JimmyApproved™
Lukas on 05/01/2022 - 00:49

+1

Good review, I'm pretty happy with this laptop, but it's been a bit of a fight to get the system stable so far (currently running it with a fresh windows install and 0 acer software for best results on my system). Seen any weird issues like whats described in this thread (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/675238#comment-11578924)? FPS/CPU throttling and battery drain on power are the key ones.

Did you run passmark on it by any chance (3DG Mark Score)? My 95w RTX3060 managed to score >14k which was phenomenal since thats getting into low power mobile 3070 scores.

The 50Mbps on NBN50 comment made me laugh a bit - is a very low standard becuase Australian wifi is so slow, seeing what it gets on gigabit or 250Mbps would be more interesting.
- JimmyLmao on 05/01/2022 - 03:05
  
  +1
  
  Thanks Lukas :) I'm very happy with mine too thus far!
  
  Temps seem to be pretty reasonable to me, or at least for my expectations of this laptop (being a budget-concious gaming laptop). Obviously they're not icy cool, but that doesn't seem to impact the performance much. And laptops are never going to be as cool as desktop PC's anyway. Another plus is that it's not too noisy either, so I suppose you could set the fans to max or a custom number that is higher via the NitroSense app to brute force some cooler temps.
  
  I have all of the average temps listed in the Google Sheets link. Under load in AOE IV, the CPU & GPU both averaged around 80°c, which seems fine to me. This info was taken via HWinfo64. There are times where 'Core Thermal Throttling' says 'Yes' in red text. I took a screenshot at the end of each test I did, so here is one example illustrating this.
  
  Haven't noticed any stuttering whatsoever. Out of curiosity, I checked precisely 4,289 lines of data in excel (using the MIN function) across 6 runs of AOE IV (New RAM; 3 on laptop screen, 3 on external screen via HDMI). My lowest FPS drop was to 79fps. Although it is probably important to point out that the CPU was only ~30% utilised in AOE IV, whilst the GPU was ~100% utilised. The person in the thread you linked is trying to get hundreds of frames per second in CS-GO at 1080p — my understanding is that the performance would start encountering CPU bottlenecks at that point, rather than being GPU limited with an under-utilised CPU. That could be the source of the problem, as the CPU seems to warm up relatively easily on this laptop, and could start thermal throttling really bad?
  
  I have not run passmark on it - I don't really know much about it or where to get it; I had a quick google, and it seems there's a general consensus that passmark is not that useful/reliable for benchmarking? All I could say is, if you want to check your performance relative to other laptops, perhaps try running a game and compare the FPS - it'll probably give more of a real world comparison. Or you could compare yours to my exact tests?
  
  Haha, you're absolutely right about Aussie Wi-Fi. I didn't even realise how silly it would sound lol. I mainly added that point in because my friend had been getting 25mbps and complaining about their internet, then when I investigated, they actually had NBN50 too and I was able to get 50mbps on their Wi-Fi. Turns out they just had a crappy Wi-Fi card in their PC (even though it was rated at '300Mbps').
Lukas on 05/01/2022 - 11:14

+1

Agreed on the temps and fan noise, this laptop does it extremely well - the best I've personally observed in a laptop and much better than the $1.6k Lenovo RTX 3050, and a $3k RTX3080 Razer Blade I had to return.

Passmark can be downloaded here (https://www.passmark.com/products/performancetest/download.p…) and will run benchmarks for all components - it has a free 30 days so I usually only use it on a fresh PC to check everything and then delete. All benchmark software suffer from the similar issues, they will be bias towards certain hardware and they can't control the system part of the test. The data spread gets worse with purchased benchmarks since only enthusiast overclockers will pay and benchmark their systems. Passmark is quick and easy to use though and has a large data pool online you can check against. FPS in game comparison is a system comparison as it has GPU, CPU, HDD, RAM, power management and their integration as factors. I would do it but I don't have either of those games or own 3DMark.

What is the best of the best? The Lenovo referenced above shipped with a faulty (lots of disconnects) wifi card as have many of their Legion series in 2021, and the Razer had an unbelieably loud fan/coil whine along with terrible thermals. More money does not seem to get you a better laptop right now and manufacturers are struggling to get their systems together with the same high quality components. Assuming my Nitro continues to run stable I'm planning to purchase a MBA with the $'s saved for on the go use since that is one thing the Nitro can't do well.
- JimmyLmao on 05/01/2022 - 15:32
  
  What is the best of the best?
  
  Good question. No idea. I assumed Lenovo and Razer would've had better performance (with thermals & noise in check), considering the asking prices, but I guess that isn't always true! I think one would need to spend a few hours searching the internet for benchmarks/comparisons to find the answer. Personally, ~$1,200 was such a hard price to ignore for the Acer Nitro 5 so, once I discovered it was apparently half-decent, I didn't bother investigating the more expensive options much further.
  
  Thanks for the link! I ran a quick test on Passmark 3D Graphics - here's a screenshot - Score of 16,312 which apparently sits relatively high compared to other 3060 laptops. The room was relatively warm with no aircon or fan on for this, so it might even go up a little higher!
  - Used external screen via HDMI (1080p)
  - Laptop sitting on table for a solid base.
  - Power cable plugged in.
  - Used the stock Acer power mode and default fan speed (no SpeedBoost)
  - And of course I still have the new RAM installed :)
  
  You can get 3D Mark Timespy for free via Steam - just click the 'Download Demo' button on the right. Give it a go :)
  
  And I totally agree with you about synthetic benchmarking software, which is why I do like the idea of testing the system as a whole with in-game FPS, because that is what really matters, as opposed to an isolated synthetic score. For example, that Passmark score of mine would probably lead one to believe this laptop to be one of the best performers in-game, but it's more middle of the pack as a system overall, especially with the stock RAM. However, with the upgrade RAM & External screen connected via HDMI, the Acer Nitro 5 shoots up to be in line with the Lenovo Legion 5 (as seen in Jarrod's Tech video).
  
  Lastly, I'm not advocating piracy, but that's one way to get AOE IV or Civ VI if you're just curious to cross-check your fps/performance. 'Fit girl' has them. I do own both games via Steam personally :)
Michael8 on 05/01/2022 - 22:20

+1

thanks for sharing. It's great. Can you share which specific 8g RAM did you buy to expand it to 16g Ram ? I bought the AN515-57-55R8 model and I want to extend it to 16g ram.
thanks
- JimmyLmao on 06/01/2022 - 00:18
  
  Glad to help :)
  
  It was a very difficult mission to find the right RAM because, unfortunately, not many manufacturers provide the information about their RAM being 1Rx8 or 1Rx16. Thankfully, Kingston provide this information.
  
  I got two of the Kingston KVR32S22S8/8 via Amazon.
  
  Before this, I had to return two sets of Crucial RAM because it was falsely advertised with 8 chips (4 bank groups) in the photos, whilst the RAM they sent actually only had 4 chips (2 bank groups) on them. Honestly it's super confusing and I'm still not sure I've got it right, I just know that 8 black chips on the RAM should be better than 4. The best simple explanation I found was via Linus Tech Tips — basically, the analogy is that half of the chips is like having half the amount of librarians taking care of the same amount of books, so in some cases it takes longer to retrieve data. I checked this via HWinfo64 - my stock RAM said 2 bank groups, whilst my new RAM says 4 bank groups. This press release by Asus was also helpful in gaining understanding.
  
  Importantly, I think your -55R8 model laptop may already have a good stick of Samsung 1Rx8 RAM (M471A1K43EB1-CWE) as pointed out by this user. You should check this via HWinfo64. Reason being you probably won't need to replace it with two new sticks of RAM. Although it is generally best to match sticks of RAM with the exact same model, because in some cases they aren't stable at their maximum rated speeds, which means you could end up with your 16GB of RAM running at 2933Mhz instead of 3200Mhz. Unfortunately the Samsung RAM doesn't seem easy to find - closest match I could see is this via Ubuy. You could perhaps try contacting Samsung. Or you could just try your luck with the Kingston stick via Amazon, and if you're not happy, you might be able to return it. With any luck, it will run just fine at 3200Mhz, otherwise, 2933Mhz isn't really that bad :)
  
  Note: I replaced my original stick of RAM with two new ones because it wasn't the good Samsung 1Rx8 type, it was the slow 1Rx16 type. I sold the original stick of RAM on Gumtree.
  - Michael8 on 06/01/2022 - 19:56
    
    +1
    
    Great! thanks for the excellent detailed explanation. I'm planning to upgrade my laptop based on your suggestions.
    - JimmyLmao on 07/01/2022 - 00:10
      
      Awesome! Let me know how it goes :) Hopefully I've saved you the hours of research I had to do lol
tyronee on 06/01/2022 - 21:16

Hey Jimmy,

Nitro turned up today, this is what CPUZ is saying

https://imgur.com/a/kotAUuK

I am a novice when it comes to reading these, any insights before I end up taking the bottom off for a squizz?
- JimmyLmao on 07/01/2022 - 00:27
  
  Hey tyronne, how are you liking it so far?
  
  I'm not too familiar with CPU-Z. Perhaps try downloading HWinfo64? I think it's a lot clearer with information.
  
  As an example, check out this screenshot from this Reddit comment/post. You can see it says 'Number of Bank Groups: 4'
  
  HWinfo64:
  https://www.hwinfo.com/download/ (Installer or Portable - doesn't matter!)
  
  Also not 100% sure why your DRAM frequency is saying ~800Mhz. My understanding is that it should say 1600Mhz, and the Double Data Rate (i.e., DDR from DDR4) means that 1600Mhz is actually 3200Mhz. Perhaps open Task Manager and click on the Performance tab to check what your Memory speed says.
  - tyronee on 07/01/2022 - 08:19
    
    Try this one
    
    https://imgur.com/a/0mULPAI
    
    So I can tell it's 3200 here But as far as timings and matching a stick of ram I am not sure
JimmyLmao on 07/01/2022 - 17:06

It looks like you have the same stock RAM that I had too, being a less-good stick of Kingston 8GB 1Rx16 RAM (ACR32D4S2S1ME-8). Although I can't see the full digits in your screenshot, so just double check this.

If you open HWinfo64 and click run (without ticking 'sensors-only' or 'summary-only'), another window opens at the back with more detailed info. You can click the drop down arrow next to Memory to see your RAM, and clicking it will bring up more info on the side (where it will probably say "Number of Bank Groups: 2").

Ultimately it's up to you, but I'd suggest replacing it with two new sticks of the Kingston KVR32S22S8/8 via Amazon and selling that original stick on Gumtree, etc. It only takes 1 screwdriver and 2 minutes of effort to do :) This video helps

Interestingly, it looks like your BIOS version is a little older. I wonder if your GPU is only operating at 80W instead of 95W? If you go to your system tray by clicking the little up arrow at the bottom right of your screen, then right click the Nvidia logo, you can open 'Nvidia Control Panel'. Once open, click the 'Help' tab at the top, then click 'System Information' — mine looks like this "Maximum Graphics Power: 95W" — you may be able to update your BIOS to get your GPU up to 95W for better performance.
- tyronee on 07/01/2022 - 18:25
  
  See below
  
  https://imgur.com/a/aDPgNxY
  
  i did a bios update yesterday after i took that screenshot and checked nvidia and its showing 95w
  
  I was thinking about getting one of these first, then eventually replacing the 8gb with another 16
  
  https://www.centrecom.com.au/kingston-kvr32s22d816-16gb-1x16…
  - JimmyLmao on 14/01/2022 - 02:51
    
    Ah yep, can see that it says "Number of Bank Groups: 2"
    
    Glad to hear the BIOS update went well and you've got 95w now!
    
    Don't quote me on this, but I've hear that all 16GB RAM is 4 bank groups, so that should be fine! Makes sense if you need the extra RAM. If not, may as well save your money and get two 8GB sticks.
CVonC on 09/01/2022 - 00:48

I have exactly the same model as you.

I had severe FPS drops and CPU throttling when "High Performance" was selected in Nitro Sense's Power Plan. But all this was solved with setting it back to "Balance [Acer Optimized]". I set it to "High Performance" when I was doing initial benchmarking (Cinebench, Far Cry 6, Shadow of the Tomb Raider). PS I now hate benchmarking.

Also, I had (known) issues with installing a Crucial MX500. The laptop is very picky with it.

I'm running a pair of Crucial Vengeance 32gb 2xr8. They're only 2666MHz but the timings are good at 18-18-18-43.

Also, check this post. Apparently can update the vbios to make it run at 130W!
- JimmyLmao on 14/01/2022 - 02:56
  
  Interesting, the power profile must've been messing with it somehow.
  
  I understand your pain with the benchmarking. I wish there was a quicker and easier way.
  
  Glad you discovered those storage upgrade problems, I'll keep it in mind if I ever need to upgrade!
  
  I'm super curious about the 130w - did you manage to try it out and/or get it working/stable? If so, did it improve your FPS/benchmark scores by much?
SpainKing on 24/05/2022 - 00:30

+1

Excellent review Jimmy, I had an older Acer Nitro 5 I just returned due to hinge/screen issues and got some store credit at JB Hi-Fi. Was thinking of getting another one but I'm worried about the same issue popping up again. (Just checked and JB Hi-Fi doesn't even sell Acer any more?)

Glad to hear that you're liking it and that they moved the charging port to the back rather than the side 'cos that was one thing I always hated
- JimmyLmao on 24/05/2022 - 21:20
  
  +1
  
  Thanks! Glad it was helpful :)
  
  Sucks that your old laptop started having problems. But I suppose that's the thing with laptops - they will never last as long, because you can't replace the key components. You have to be prepared to upgrade it every few years or endure with the wear & tear / outdated components for as long as you can.
  
  I am still loving my version of the Acer Nitro 5. I could've spent ~$500+ extra and gotten a laptop with a nicer screen and speakers (but ultimately the same level of performance). However, I am much happier with ~$500+ in my pocket for use towards upgrading to a new laptop in 1-2 years (with an Nvidia 4000 series GPU - rumoured to be nearly double the performance of current counterparts). Plus, I use an external monitor, keyboard and mouse anyway, as well as headphones/airpods, so it's been totally fine!
  
  The only bad thing I've noticed so far is that my USB ports seem to make a funny buzzing noise sometimes. It is a very faint noise and seems to be related to the charging brick. I will have to investigate further later…
  
  I suppose you need to buy something pretty soon considering you've already returned yours? It's a shame the laptop didn't hang on for another few months for the Nvidia 4000 series!
  
  I am having a look at the JB Hi Fi website now and the deals are crap - the cheapest 3060 laptop is $2,200 :(
  How much is the credit? If you can use it on something else, you may be better off buying a laptop elsewhere.
  
  Do you use your laptop for gaming? What kind of games?
  Do you have an external monitor? What are it's specs?
  I am trying to figure out whether you actually need a 3060 GPU. For gaming, it is so much better than a 3050.
  
  This Gigabyte G5 laptop for $1,569 seems to be the cheapest 3060 laptop I can find at the moment.
  
  The value proposition is certainly worse at the moment, as desktop GPU prices have come down a lot. At the time I wrote the review, a desktop 3060 cost the same as the entire Acer Nitro laptop itself, so it was incredible value for money. Now you can get a full pre-built desktop with a 3060ti for the same price. Not sure why laptop pricing sucks at the moment.
  - SpainKing on 25/05/2022 - 14:14
    
    +1
    
    You're right with your first paragraph but I do feel the body of the Acer Nitro being mainly plastic invites these problems. Next time I might have to get some peripherals to keep it plugged in to instead
    
    It's always tempting to think "What if I anchored how much I'm willing to pay at $500 more than the laptops I'm currently looking at because they have X" but that's a slippery slope to buying a $4000 laptop
    
    That NVIDIA 4000 series sounds real nice but I don't know if I'll be able to afford a new, top-of-the-line graphics card when they release it </3 Luckily it should bring down the prices of what they sell at the moment
    
    Good luck figuring out the source of the buzzing, that sounds a bit spooky and hopefully there's no wayward electricity trying to fly out the sockets
    
    I wouldn't say I need the laptop urgently, I've been in the process of returning it for about a year because they keep asking for different parts/information and closing the case so I have to reopen it
    
    I was planning on waiting for the EOFY sales to snag a bargain but JB Hi-Fi certainly isn't impressing me with their current offerings. The credit's for about $1100 dollars and I believe it can be used on anything I want in store
    
    I do use it for gaming and I also have literally hundreds of tabs open sometimes. The games I play are: rogue-likes like Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac; CCGs like Magic (which is horribly coded/optimised); driving games like TrackMania or Rocket League and whatever else I've downloaded to try out. I know most of these games aren't very resource intensive but that's because the desktop I've got available isn't powerful enough to run much
    
    The external monitor is my dad's, not sure on the make/model but it has a curved screen and the brand is LG or Dell I think. If the 3060's that much better it'll have to go on my "Must have" list
    
    Thanks for the recommendation, my only reservation is when I had my friend over the other day Gigabyte came up. He said they weren't the best in terms of part quality and if it fails I don't know if there customer service would be much better than Acer's
    
    Laptop pricing is terrible at JB and it's rarer I see them here on OzBargain than a pre-built. I thought it was just down to low popularity but laptops may be more popular with people working between home and the office much more now. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and trying to help
    - JimmyLmao on 26/05/2022 - 00:36
      
      Hmm, yeah, I have often read about metal-bodied laptops being more premium. My previous laptop was a higher end Acer laptop with a metal body and really nice speakers. The speakers on this new laptop were a shock to me - I guess I didn't realise how good and loud my previous ones were, but I've adjusted and use airpods more often so it's okay. However, I definitely don't miss the metal body - it got very hot to touch, and uncomfortably hot while gaming. It also probably made it heavier - this new laptop is lighter and it feels so nice having a few hundred grams shaved off. In the end, my charging port started to play up on the higher end Acer laptop, so even with a premium model there are still problems that can happen and you can't easily fix them. I haven't gone down the path of having a desktop PC yet because laptops are just so convenient and I'm always moving around. I am okay with having more frequent upgrades as a result. Once I'm settled down I might get a desktop PC. If you're not fussed about laptops you could consider a desktop PC for better value and longevity.
      
      With the 4000 series, theoretically, they shouldn't be more expensive than what is on offer now. They should just slot in at the same price, but with extra performance due to innovation. But you're right, it should lead to clearance on some current models that will become outdated. I suppose we'll only know just how much better they are when reviewers get their hands on them. But the rumours have them tipped to be quite good.
      
      Having hundreds of tabs open is one of my favourite hobbies too lol. I suppose RAM is the consideration there. If you want to have them all open while playing games too, and numerous other apps open simultaneously, then 32GB of RAM would be the goal. I don't mind closing my browser while playing a heavy game and just restoring the tabs afterwards, so 16GB of RAM is plenty still - luckily that's an easy upgrade you can make yourself with most laptops these days :)
      
      Like you noted, the games you listed are relatively light to run so I suppose a 3060 is not necessary. But I suppose that doesn't mean you aren't interested in checking out heavier games if you had the abilities to run them. This video shows that the 3060 is about 54% better on average than the 3050ti, which is about 9% better than a standard 3050. It notes that the 4GB of VRAM is a major limitation for newer titles, especially if wanting to play at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K. It's honestly just been really nice to turn the settings up to max and have games run well.
      
      Gigabyte has a bad name at the moment (and rightfully so) due to their bad handling of a particular model of power supplies. You can see Gigabyte being exposed with clear faults, and their unwillingess to admit any responsibility, in these videos on the Gamers Nexus YouTube channel. They're quite funny actually. But yes, I too would avoid buying their stuff simply for their anti-consumer behaviour of late. But aside from that particular model of power supply, they should be fine. If it means saving hundreds on a laptop I'd still buy it. But if you're not in a rush, just keep your eyes peeled for a good deal! (The Statice website can really help)
      
      Always happy to listen to the ramblings :)
      - SpainKing on 25/06/2022 - 13:39
        
        @JimmyLmao: G'day Jimmy, I'm back after my hiatus. Unfortunately I can no longer + your comment or I would
        
        I think most of my laptops in the past have been pretty sturdy but other issues would always arise (charging port not working, screen just turns black one day). The problem with heavier laptops is they feel much more likely to break internally in a small drop or other mishap. My Acer Nitro would have heat issues where it would get too hot but that's just what happens when you game in bed I s'pose
        
        The 4000 series has me excited but I still haven't seen anything with it and the prices are dipping pretty low on laptops as it's EOFY. I saw this HP Victus pop up in a thread and people are saying it's good for the price https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/hp-victus-16-d0224tx-16-1…
        
        I'm about to look in to potential issues with it now. Main one I can see is that it's a 3050Ti and the 54% increase in performance is a big number for a 3060. Honestly I just like the idea of putting it to max settings and having it run well too
        
        I looked in to the 4000 series a bit more as well, it says it's going to have around double the power draw for its performance. Do you think modern laptops at this price range are going to be able to offer that? I suspect they'll need beefier PSUs if they want to put a 40xx in there
        
        After dealing with Acer's customer service I don't really want to go through anything more difficult like Gigabyte but thanks for sharing the corporate drama, you gave great context
        
        I'm somewhat considering the Nitro again too https://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-nitro-5-15-6-inch-fhd-i…
        
        Seems like it'd be easier upgrading the RAM than it would replacing the graphics card
        
        SpainKing on 25/06/2022 - 13:41
        
        +1
        
        @SpainKing: That StaticIce site seems sick for bargain hunting too, thank you
        
        JimmyLmao on 26/06/2022 - 12:27
        
        @SpainKing: Hey, welcome back :)
        
        Haha oh yes the old gaming in bed on a laptop - I used to do it religiously. I much prefer sitting at a desk and using a keyboard and mouse now. Depending on what type of game you're playing, you could also try using a controller and have the laptop sitting on a stand to keep it cool (or plugged into a TV like a gaming console setup). I've got a cheap aluminum stand off ebay to keep the laptop sitting up high with plenty of airflow under it.
        
        Regarding the 4000 series in laptops, it does seem like they're going to be power-hungry so laptops may fall behind the desktop equivalents by a higher margin than usual. For reference, my Acer Nitro 5 laptop (with 3060) gets a Timespy score of ~7,700 on average (with the added RAM and external monitor via HDMI), compared to a desktop 3060 equivalent Timespy score of about ~8,900. So that's ~85% of the performance, which is great!
        
        Regardless, I suspect the 4000 series will bring a significant bump in performance in laptops despite the higher power draw. Even if that drops to 70% of desktop equivalent, 70% of double the performance is still a lot! Also AMD 7000 series might be worthy to keep an eye on, particularly for laptops, as they are focusing on keeping power draw low/efficient and still coming very close to Nvidia in performance - good news for laptops.
        
        Between the two links you shared, the HP 3050ti @ $1k -vs- the Acer 3060 @ $1.1k, I'd still go the Acer with the 3060 if it were me choosing. The 54% better gaming performance is too hard to ignore. But if a highly colour-accurate screen or loud speakers are something that is important to you, then the Acer might not be the best pick. If you can live with slightly off purple colours (or simply use external monitor instead) and use earbuds/headphones for when you need louder audio, then the Acer is a great pick! (I often use wireless airpods with mine in bed for watching YouTube and it works great)
        
        And yep, like you said, a RAM upgrade is a million times easier, because replacing a graphics card in a laptop is probably impossible. They're built-in as part of the chassis - not something designed with the intention to ever be replaced. It might technically be possible with a lot of knowledge, tools and experience - but way more trouble than it'd ever be worth. Adding a stick of RAM was a 5-minute job.
LaTerrible on 15/06/2022 - 16:21

+1

Awesome review. I just grabbed one from the most recent HN deal (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/704961) and am massively impressed by the bang for buck. Highly recommended.
- JimmyLmao on 16/06/2022 - 13:14
  
  Thanks! Enjoy :)
  
  It's miles ahead in performance compared to anything you can get at the same price; $1,095 after the bonus gift card is highway robbery!
bazingaa on 29/07/2022 - 19:57

Have you flashed the 130 W VBIOS ?
- JimmyLmao on 30/07/2022 - 01:28
  
  I haven't tried that but I did hear about someone doing it with another manufacturer's BIOS (maybe MSI?) - does Acer have an official one now? Let me know if you try it out!
  - bazingaa on 30/07/2022 - 22:30
    
    +2
    
    I just got the laptop (AN515-57-54QC) and updated VBIOS as mentioned in this thread. Tested with GPU-Z render test and it now goes upto 130 W. NVIDIA System Information also shows 130 W now and it was showing 95 W previously. I am wondering whether we need 230 W power supply with max CPU + GPU (quick search told me Predator Helios 230 W power supplies might compatible)
    
    Looks like my 512 GB SSD is SAMSUNG MZVLQ512HBLU-00BTW, so I think it is a OEM Samsung PM991a ? I also added my spare WD SN550 1 TB (original version) making total storage as 1.5 TB.
    
    8 GB RAM is also a Samsung M471A1K43EB1-CWE. I added another 16 GB Crucial CT16G4SFRA32A.C16FP for $89 from this deal and total RAM is now 24 GB.
    
    Also updated the GH51G BIOS to 2022/06/22 V 1.18 from Acer. It originally came with V1.15 (01/06/2022)
    
    I will check this in coming days and now installing Win10 :D So far I am pretty happy with the price and performance, specially with the 130 W RTX3060 and options on upgradability (RAM, NVMe, SATA etc).
    - JimmyLmao on 30/07/2022 - 23:58
      
      +1
      
      Nice work! I'd be interested to hear how your 3DMark Timespy scores compare to mine with the boost to 130W.
      It is a free download available via Steam - let me know if you try it out :)
      - bazingaa on 31/07/2022 - 00:05
        
        @JimmyLmao: I was planning to do the testing (from : https://store.steampowered.com/app/496100/3DMark_Time_Spy_be… ) but it said This content requires the base application 3DMark on Steam in order to run. which is $ 43.
        
        I usually do Uengine benchmarks like https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition and I will share the results. I also got a desktop RTX3060 170W for comparison.
        
        JimmyLmao on 31/07/2022 - 00:11
        
        +1
        
        @bazingaa: Hmmm. There was something weird about downloading it. I think you have to go to that main 3DMark page on Steam (the one that costs $43) and click 'Download Demo' rather than going to the 'Time Spy Free DLC' page.
        
        bazingaa on 31/07/2022 - 00:14
        
        +2
        
        @JimmyLmao: Thanks a lot, found it! will share the results in the morning.
        
        bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 12:08
        
        @JimmyLmao: I did Timespy few times but my CPU score is much lower, sometimes this causes total score is around 6600 or so. I am not sure whether there is a limitation on power (battery is not discharging when connected to AC) or due to using original RAM with my new RAM.
        
        I have added Superposition benchmark results as a new comment as well.
        
        Best Screenshot
        
        3DMark Score 7453
        Graphics Score 7597
        CPU Score 6732
        Graphics Test 1 50.21 fps
        Graphics Test 2 43.04 fps
        CPU Test 22.62 fps
    - CVonC on 31/07/2022 - 00:12
      
      +1
      
      Tested with GPU-Z render test and it now goes upto 130 W. NVIDIA System Information also shows 130 W now and it was showing 95 W previously.
      
      Nice nice! I'll try it out too now that you said it works :)
      
      Also, you keen on unlocking the CPU for UVing?
      - bazingaa on 31/07/2022 - 00:16
        
        @CVonC:
        
        Nice nice! I'll try it out too now that you said it works :)
        
        Mine is AN515-57-54QC, little different vesion number from JimmyLmao's one. Do you have the same.
        I am not trying at the moment to unlock CPU, thinking about power supply won't be enough at full load. :D
    - JimmyLmao on 31/07/2022 - 00:24
      
      For reference, I added an extra SSD to the spare m.2 slot on my Acer laptop. I went with this 1TB Crucial P5 Plus.
      
      Had no troubles adding it, from both a hardware and software perspective. Also managed to clean out some dust that had caked up on the fans. Given how easy it was to do this, I will probably look to give it a quick clean every 3-6 months.
      
      I was curious to know if the new SSD made any difference in a real-world scenario. So I tested launching Age of Empires from desktop and loading into a quick skirmish match. This took 51 seconds on the stock SSD that shipped with the laptop (WD SN530). This improved to 45 seconds with the new Crucial P5 Plus SSD. So 6 seconds quicker, nothing huge but still nice to see a small boost (and that it didn't go backwards in load time!)
      
      However, I am not sure if the 2nd m.2 slot actually supports PCIe gen 4, and couldn't really figure out how to determine this. I just went with this particular SSD because it was a good deal @ $116 and I don't really need more space for this laptop. Plus I liked the idea of being swap it into my PS5 later if I want to. (Also I really can't be bothered swapping around the boot drive at this stage - the main m.2 slot supposedly does support PCIe gen 4 though!)
      - bazingaa on 31/07/2022 - 00:28
        
        @JimmyLmao:
        
        However, I am not sure if the 2nd m.2 slot actually supports PCIe gen 4, and couldn't really figure out how to determine this.
        
        You can check current transfer rate with CrystalDiskInfo from https://crystalmark.info/en/download/
        
        Check Transfer mode :
        
        ex : My desktop's 2nd slot only supports PCIe 3.0 2x -> WD SN550 on that slot shows as "PCIe 3.0 x2 | PCIe 3.0 x4"
        PCIe 3.0 x2 = drive current rate
        PCIe 3.0 x4 = drive supported rate
        
        I think it would be better to swap drives (i.e. faster drive on the slot which came with original SSD)
        
        JimmyLmao on 31/07/2022 - 01:39
        
        @bazingaa: Hmm, I did download CrystalDiskInfo as well as CrystalDiskMark to run a synthetic benchmark on the new SSD, but I couldn't find anywhere that told me about the PCIe version.
        
        Weirdly, next to transfer mode it simply says "—— | ——" and doesn't show any info. This happens for both the WD (C:) and Crucial (D:) drives. I've tried running both the 32bit and 64bit versions, including running as administrator.
        
        I'm not finding any simple/straight-forward answers on Google as to why this is….
        
        But yes, I understand it would be better to swap drives, but I don't think I can do that without mucking around with windows installation.
bazingaa on 30/07/2022 - 23:19

+2
Just adding some tips for Win10 installation on AN515-57-54QC:

Issue 1 : Touch pad is not working

Used USB mouse during installtion. Installed "Serial IO Driver" from Acer after installation and touch pad worked.

Issue 2 :The storage controller drivers needs be loaded during the setup as mentioned below. Otherwise setup won't show any disks.

Download "IRST (Intel® Rapid Storage Technology) Driver" from Acer and extract it to a USB drive. I used Date:2022/05/12 Version:18.6.1.1016.2

At drive selection screen of Win10 installation, connect USB driver and click "Load Driver" and browse the folder with above Intel RST folder.

Select "Intel RST VMD Managed Controller 09AB" and click next.

All of your drives will be now available at disk selection screen. Continue as a normal Win10 installation.

bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 12:27

Can anyone please do these benchmarks on a 95 W GPU ?

Unigine Superposition Benchmark

Preset : 1080P Extreme - DirectX

System	Score	FPS Min	FPS Avg	FPS Max	Screenshot
Intel i5-11400H / 24 GB / RTX 3060 Mobile 130 W	4689	26.86	38.07	46.38	Screenshot
AMD 5600x / 32 GB / RTX 3060 170 W	5037	28.72	37.68	47.62	Screenshot

Unigine Valley Benchmark

Preset : Extreme HD

System	Score	FPS Min	FPS Avg	FPS Max	Screenshot
Intel i5-11400H / 24 GB / RTX 3060 Mobile 130 W	4081	34.6	97.5	184.3	Screenshot
AMD 5600x / 32 GB / RTX 3060 170 W	4616	38.1	110.3	202.5	Screenshot

JimmyLmao on 18/08/2022 - 15:19

+1

Hey Bazinga!

I've run both of these Unigine benchmarks for you - using the default 95W 3060 in the Acer Nitro 5.

My results seem to be similar to your 130W results: Screenshots

P.S. It looks like you made a small typo with your average FPS written in the table (38.07 in the table, but 35.07 in your screenshot)

Notes:
- I am connected to an external monitor via HDMI (small performance boost)
- I changed out the stock 8GB 1Rx16 RAM for 16GB 1Rx8 RAM (2 sticks of 8GB each)
- I have a little laptop stand to keep the laptop elevated for airflow (seems to affect temps more than performance)
- I have the Unigine benchmark software installed on my Crucial P5 Plus SSD in the secondary m.2 slot

Hopefully this helps :)
- bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 15:28
  
  +1
  
  (38.07 in the table, but 35.07 in your screenshot)
  
  oops my bad! certainly a typo :D
  
  I am connected to an external monitor via HDMI (small performance boost)
  
  I am using the internal display.
  
  I changed out the stock 8GB 1Rx16 RAM for 16GB 1Rx8 RAM (2 sticks of 8GB each)
  
  I have added another 16 GB (rank 2 I think) RAM to 2nd slot making it 24 GB. I think this might reduce CPU score as original RAM is rank 1.
  
  I have a little laptop stand to keep the laptop elevated for airflow (seems to affect temps more than performance)
  
  Me too, it is getting hot and thermally throttles if I keep on the bed. I got this one and now it keeps cool.
  I think that Coolboost might help a bit.
  - JimmyLmao on 18/08/2022 - 18:10
    
    +1
    
    I reckon your numbers would probably increase by about 5% when connected via HDMI :)
    
    Laptop stands like that are so cheap but make a notable difference, I'd recommend them to everyone! Mine is very similar
    - bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 19:16
      
      @JimmyLmao: Yeah! those are great
      
      I did Timespy few times but my CPU score is much lower, sometimes this causes total score is around 6600 or so. I am not sure whether there is a limitation on power (battery is not discharging when connected to AC) or due to using original RAM with my new RAM. I saw in somewhere that 3DMark likes fast RAM though, mine are running at 2933 MHz according to task manager.
      
      Best Screenshot
      
      3DMark Score 7453
      Graphics Score 7597
      CPU Score 6732
      Graphics Test 1 50.21 fps
      Graphics Test 2 43.04 fps
      CPU Test 22.62 fps
      - JimmyLmao on 18/08/2022 - 20:14
        
        +1
        
        @bazingaa: Perhaps the power supply setup of the laptop (either the external power brick, or the internals, or both) can't really support the higher GPU wattage without the CPU suffering? They've obviously designed the entire system with a certain spec in mind. Not too sure…
        
        And yeah, running at 2933 Mhz seems to indicate a slight mismatch in compatibility, so it is dropping speed slightly to the lowest common denominator, which would in turn bring that CPU score down and overall score down. I personally bought 2 new matching sticks and sold the original stock RAM to hopefully avoid that, which luckily I was able to do! Laptop RAM seems to be a bit of a mission to get right because laptops rarely seem to support the ability to change/set speeds or overclock RAM like most PC RAM does.
        
        Overall pretty close scores, and absolutely fantastic for the price compared to what else is available. So just roll with it and enjoy :)
        
        bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 20:30
        
        +1
        
        @JimmyLmao:
        
        running at 2933 Mhz seems to indicate a slight mismatch in compatibility,
        
        Yeah mate! I narrowed it down now. The stock RAM is the culprit. Looks like it runs at 1466 MHz (* 2 as DDR) and newer one matches that, although the stock one supports higher speeds (could be due to slightly different timings). I think the best solution would be using two matching sticks as you did. Anyway, I am more than happy with this specially it closly matches my desktop at this price point. I was just curious what is the exact issue :D
Yuri Lowell on 18/08/2022 - 20:14

I can do 85W 3060 (supposed to be 90W but hwinfo reports 85W) with a 5800H. I'll report back when I get access to my laptop tomorrow.

In the meantime this is what it gets in Timespy: https://www.3dmark.com/spy/29209369
- bazingaa on 18/08/2022 - 20:23
  
  +1
  
  Thanks mate, looks like there is a significant difference from CPU and RAM. Check the Nvidia control pannel -> Help -> System Info, the correct power rating would be there. Anyway as newer units ships with 95 W VBIOS, I think you can get it from ACER official site and flash it.
  
  Graphics Score
  7 911
  
  CPU Score
  10 069
  - Yuri Lowell on 19/08/2022 - 14:30
    
    Thanks for the tip. I checked and it says 90W but never seems to go above 85W according to hwinfo. Maybe 5W is reserved for something else…
    
    Mines actually the Lenovo Ideapad 3. So I'm out of luck with any VBIOS flashing. It doesn't even have a MUX switch or a direct connection to the GPU via HDMI. I guess that's just the way it is with budget laptops with these specs. It still easily beats high-end 3050Ti laptops so I'm happy.
    
    I ran Unigine Superposition and Valley on it with the power plugged in:
    
    Superposition: 4810, 27.54 min, 35.98 avg, 43.79 max.
    
    Valley: 4045, 36.0 min, 96.7 avg, 164.1 max.
    
    I put in a kit of dual ranked 2x16GB 3200 CL22 with fairly decent sub timings. That may be helping a bit.
    
    The 5600H model I had previously was about 5% better in GPU score under Timespy. I'm thinking it was either better GPU silicon or had more thermal headroom without the hotter 5800H heating things up. The GPU stays pretty cool though, on average 65-75C.

TDVS134 on 07/09/2022 - 10:50

Great review, convinced me to buy the laptop.

I do have one dumb newbie question though.

I am going to upgrade the RAM to 16gb with another 8gb stick. It came with which I hear is good, a Samsung 1Rx8 RAM (M471A1K43EB1-CWE). I have found a matching one online except for 4 digits in the top right hand corner. https://ibb.co/PFSDnTL

Are those numbers important? do they have to be identical? Or as long as the speed and main serial numbers match it will be ok?

Or would getting 2 of these be just as good as the Samsung one needs to come from China and will take up to 4-6 weeks and these below are shipped from Australia
https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/memory/sodimm/94364-ct8g…
- JimmyLmao on 07/09/2022 - 14:33
  
  +1
  
  Glad it helped :)
  
  I'm not too sure what those 4 digits are at the top right, but I'm going to guess that so long as the main serial number matches, and it looks like a stick of SODIMM laptop RAM, then you'll be okay.
  
  Technically you don't need to match the sticks perfectly, it's just easier to do so rather than risk slight incompatibilities with mismatching sticks (the risk being that they don't run at the full 3,200MHz - only 2,933MHz instead, for example).
  
  Personally I think I'd opt for ordering a stick through Amazon so you can easily return it if you have any problems - I originally ordered 2 sticks of Crucial RAM but they came as the slower 1Rx16 bank grouped RAM. Unfortunately Crucial don't give out much information about the specs of their RAM. I ended up going with 2 sticks of Kingston KVR32S22S8/8 RAM and sold my original 1Rx16 stick. But if I already had a 1Rx8 stick I might have tried just getting 1 new stick to start.
  
  Good luck!
- CVonC on 07/09/2022 - 18:18
  
  Could then 4 digits be the manufacturing year and month?
datscheap on 09/01/2023 - 21:41

I didn't get a sata/ HDD cable with my nitro 5.
Should I have? Is there any local suppliers? I found some in China but didn't want to wait that long
- JimmyLmao on 10/01/2023 - 10:34
  
  +1
  
  I believe yes you should have. I lost mine! Tried looking to buy a replacement but there wasn’t an easy/obvious answer. I decided to give up because I’d probably never use it anyway. Just buy a m.2 ssd :)