---

The Acer Nitro V15 is part of Acer’s budget gaming lineup, aiming to provide solid gaming performance at an affordable price. With multiple configurations featuring Intel and AMD processors, NVIDIA RTX graphics, and a high-refresh-rate displays, the laptop is a strong contender for gamers who do not want to break the bank. However, like any budget gaming laptop, it comes with some trade-offs making it much more of an acquired taste than it ought to be. 

Acer have always managed to make their hardware look wonderfully sleek and the Acer Nitro V15 is no exception. The laptop features a simple yet streamlined design avoiding the overly aggressive gamer aesthetic other brands have adopted. It comes in a hard plastic chassis with subtle geometric accents keeping it from overstating its own capabilities. 

The full-size keyboard is comfortable for both typing and gaming, offering decent key travel and feedback. It also includes a dedicated number pad, which is a nice addition for productivity tasks. However, a very minor downside is that the keyboard backlighting is only orange-red, with no RGB customization options. While it shines brightly (depending on the setting) and looks and feels like Acer have used quality LEDs, this may be disappointing for gamers who prefer more lighting effects. The trackpad is responsive and well-sized as well, sitting neatly in the center of the shell. 

While the plastic shell is somewhat unapologetic, the material does come as a massive boon in terms of weight. Since it weighs around 2.1 kg and only measures about 4 cm on its thickest side, prospective users will find it not only comfortable to hold, but surprisingly portable for a gaming laptop. Moreover, Acer have ensured its hinge feels rock-solid regardless of how many times the lid is opened and closed, adding onto the extreme durability the manufacturer boasts about. With that said, however, it must be noted how the hinge is limited — it catches and locks much earlier in its roll than would seem natural. With that said, this is undoubtedly a nitpick; coming from a laptop that also advertises its versatility, one would like to have it open up just a few more degrees in order to cater for users who may be standing taller or sitting higher than the desk or platform the laptop is situated on. 

In terms of the lid and the display, Acer’s financially conscious approach remains unfettered, even as the laptop comes with no more than a 15.6-inch full high-definition (FHD) display. It may be an IPS panel, but it offers superior refresh rates of up to 180Hz, and a gaming friendly 3ms response time. It even looks crisp and clear, showcasing Acer’s ability to include high-quality panels. However, the screen does have its limitations. One such limitation being its lower peak brightness of only 275 nits. Using the laptop in direct sunlight really is a chore, but this may not be as problematic as it may seem considering gamers like doing their pwnage indoors anyway. 

The Acer Nitro V15 provides a solid selection of ports as well, making it easy to connect peripherals and external devices. The device comes with two USB-A ports, one USB-C port (which, surprisingly supports DisplayPort but lacks Thunderbolt), an HDMI 2.1 port, a GigaBit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack. The inclusion of HDMI 2.1 means you can connect an external monitor and take advantage of higher refresh rates, which is great for gamers who want a dual-screen setup. Wireless connectivity is also strong, thanks to Wi-Fi 6 support, ensuring fast and stable internet speeds for online gaming and streaming.

While the Acer Nitro V15 offers a budget-friendly approach to gaming, it still performs amicably on most titles. The unit received for review features an Intel Core i7, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 integrated graphics. This configuration, along with the 16 GB of RAM, ensures a smooth 1080p gaming experience. For context, playing Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Star Wars: Outlaws on Medium settings proved to be a good experience, with the laptop never becoming too hot or uncomfortable to play on. In fact, this was the coolest gaming laptop tested in recent memory, making it one of the better performing laptops – despite its simple and loud dual-fan cooling solution. 

As one can expect, plugging the device out while gaming tends to drop battery life exponentially. Light tasks such as web browsing, video streaming, and writing only last a decent five or six hours. Heavier tasks, however, such as gaming will abuse the battery ensuring the laptop does not last more than 3 hours before issuing a critical percentage warning. While it may not sound great on paper, this is the typical expectancy from other laptops in its price range as well. 

Very few budget-conscious laptops come with upgradeability in mind, but the Acer Nitro V15 does come with an additional SSD slot. This is a great addition for gamers who may be disappointed to learn that (at least according to our research) the laptop only comes with a 512 GB solid state drive by default. As expected, however, it also allows additional RAM upgrades from its two base configurations of either 8- or 16 GB of DDR5 memory. Thankfully, the cooling and thermals offer a lot of overhead for a heavy multitasking, allowing the base configuration of both storage and memory to tackle heavier workloads with ease.

The Acer Nitro V15 is honestly a solid choice for budget-conscious gamers looking for 1080p gaming performance at an affordable price. While it does come with a few minor drawbacks, such as its dimmer display and single-colour LED options, It offers a high-refresh-rate display, strong connectivity options, and upgradable storage! 

---

Verdict:

GOOD

PROS	CONS
Good performance for 1080p gaming	Low screen brightness
Upgradeable storage and RAM	Single-colour LED backlighting

Device temporarily provided for review by Acer.

Review Methodology | Ethics Policy

---