Acer's latest Nitro 5 gaming laptop continues the tradition of great value

Acer's Nitro 5 gaming laptop lineup has become more sophisticated and feature-packed over time, and the new versions announced at CES 2022 make it even more attractive. As before, the Nitro 5 for 2022 comes in two sizes, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch, and you can choose between a 1080p or QHD display. What's new for this year is that its chassis design removed those angular corners and added some extra pizazz to its lid. It's also worth noting that you can either get the latest 12th-gen Intel processors (starting with the Core i5 12700H and going up to the Core i7 12700H) or one of AMD's Ryzen 6000-series processors (Starting with the Ryzen 5 6600H, moving up to the Ryzen 7 6800H). Both versions can also stock up to Nvidia's new RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip.

The Intel and AMD models sound similar in most ways, though the AMD-based Nitro 5 might be the one to buy if you want all the latest (and fastest) internal components. The AMD Nitro 5 supports DDR5 RAM (up to 32GB using two SODIMM slots) clocked at 4,800MHz, while the Intel model is still using DDR4 RAM clocked at 3,200MHz. In terms of storage, both models have two m.2 SSD slots, although the Intel version supports two PCIe 4.0 SSDs, as well as a SATA HDD, while the AMD model, oddly enough, has a PCIe 4.0 m.2 SSD, One supports PCIe 3.0. M.2 SSD, and a SATA HDD.

As is usually the case, the processor you choose will affect the port selection on the laptop. Intel-based laptops include Thunderbolt 4, as well as an HDMI 2.1 port, three USB-A ports, a power plug, an Ethernet jack, and a headphone jack. The AMD-based model keeps all that but a USB 4 Type-C port and exchanges a Thunderbolt 4 port for Thunderbolt 3.

The 15.6-inch Nitro 5 with Intel processor will start shipping in the US in March with a starting price of $1,049.99, while the 17.3-inch version will start in April at $1,099.99. If you want the AMD version, that model will be shipped in the US in April, starting at $1,099.99, going up to $1,149.99 for the 17.3-inch version that starts shipping in May 2022. These are really great prices, and I'm excited to see what these laptops are capable of.