Acer Nitro V 15 gaming laptop review (ANV15-51-512A)

Like many other products, gaming laptops also have their own subcategories, which include flagships, relatively portable models, budget versions, and so on. Traditionally, the set of features and characteristics directly depends on the cost of the device. However, the price does not always correlate with the experience. In today’s review, we’ll take a closer look at the inexpensive Acer Nitro V 15 (ANV15-51-512A, NH.QNBEU.001) and see what kind of experience it can provide to potential buyers.

Acer Nitro V 15 specifications

Scope of delivery

Of course, with a very limited budget, inexpensive models don’t get the accompanying bonuses in the box. So with the Acer Nitro V 15, the user will only receive a power supply. (There is also an envelope with a manual and a couple of branded stickers.)

If something additional is still needed, the manufacturer has separate offers from the Nitro line (mice, headsets etc). However, they do not match the new styling of these laptops. However, again, this is a matter of tastes and preferences, and the laptop itself does not care what accessories the user chooses.

Design and usability

Acer Nitro V 15 is a fairly typical representative of basic gaming laptops. Based on the name, you can easily understand its size, which is almost standard for this price. However, the manufacturer has worked on the identity, preparing something fresher than usual.

So, Acer Nitro V 15 has a fresh logo, in which you can see both the letter N and half of the Predator line logo, which contains more expensive options. At the same time, the top cover has a stylized pattern that accurately indicates the gaming purpose of the new model. Subjectively, it looks good.

The rest of the case, especially in the open position, has a rather typical appearance. The entire case is made of matte plastic, which shimmers minimally depending on the angle of incidence. There are no critical comments on the assembly quality. The dimensions of the whole structure also practically do not differ from the average in this category: 362.3 × 239.9 × 26.9 mm, weight – 2.11 kg.

Depending on the opening angle of the screen, it can raise the topcase above the table. For this purpose, two small rubber legs are additionally provided. Usually, in gaming models, the hinges are arranged in a slightly different way, although this does not create any problems, but is simply an interesting feature of this particular model. Besides, this idea has been used before by other manufacturers.

The lower part of the case is made conservatively. Sometimes manufacturers add various decorative gimmicks to such lids, but here everything is quite laconic: four relatively small rubber feet and three rows of “mesh” for ventilation. Closer to the side edges, the case tapers a little bit, which helps it to look minimally thinner than it actually is. However, this also adds to the convenience, as it makes it easier to lift the laptop off the table.

In general, if it weren’t for the updated multi-colored logo and pattern on the outer surface, the laptop could be confused with an ordinary one. Again, this is absolutely understandable, because the simpler the case, the less resources are spent on it, and, accordingly, more budget is left for everything else. And despite this, it is still quite normal and comfortable to use.

Display

The standard for this kind of model is still 15.6 inches. The Nitro V 15 in question has just such a display diagonal. The matrix with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9 also meets the standard request. For obvious reasons, there are no more options in the lineup. And in any case, this should be enough for undemanding players.

In addition, the existing screen provides a response time of 3 ms and a refresh rate of 144 Hz (165 Hz can also be found in more expensive versions). For those who want to save some battery power while working on the road or in a cafe, 72 and 60 Hz options are also available. Interestingly, the laptop does not automatically reset this indicator when it remains on battery power.

What I would have liked a little more from the screen is color gamut. The manufacturer specifies 45% NTSC (more expensive matrices with 165 Hz also provide wider coverage). Our colorimeter more or less agrees with this. However, the display has a good gamut and color temperature. At the same time, proprietary utilities do not provide additional color profiles or other image settings. So for image-demanding tasks, this is probably not the best option, although for games and normal work, the colors are definitely enough.

For some situations, you also want to have a little extra brightness. Acer Nitro V 15 has a backlight range of 20 to 250 cd/m². This is enough for indoor work, but in the case of an open space during the day, it will not be enough. The matte finish of the matrix still provides minimal protection, but only brighter backlighting will help against sunlight. Although, again, working at home or in the office, you will hardly have to pay attention to this.

Ports

There was no creativity in the placement of the ports, but a rational approach was taken. On the left side, the user has access to USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and a charging jack. The right side has a combined 3.5 mm jack, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and a Kensington lock. There are also a couple of small activity indicators.

Photography enthusiasts might not find a memory card slot enough, but everything they need is right there and organized quite conveniently. Of course, there are exceptions, but, for example, by connecting a mouse and USB headset on the left, there will be no wires under the player’s right hand. And this is likely to be the case in most modern cases, so you get credit for the placement of ports and their total number.

Manipulators and multimedia

Personally, I don’t share the enthusiasm for placing keyboards with a NUM pad in laptops of this size, but I also understand the opposite opinion. Acer Nitro V 15 has a full-size island main keyboard and a narrowed additional compartment. There will be no problems with typing or playing games, all the necessary keys are in their usual places. But the narrowed numbers on the right edge will take some adjusting to. The same applies to the navigation keys, which in our case are not distinguished from everything else.

At the same time, the keys have sufficient travel, a quiet membrane, and will suit experienced users of such keyboards (we are not comparing them to the mechanics, of course). For greater comfort, there is a backlight with two intensity levels, but it is only white (yes, there are still gaming models without RGB-all-the-things).

The trackpad is centered to the main part of the keyboard, so it is shifted to the left on the topcase. Its size is 126×79 mm, which is quite enough for comfortable work. The touch surface works perfectly, so in cases when you don’t need a mouse, the trackpad will easily take over its functions (there were no problems with cursor positioning or gestures during testing).

A fingerprint sensor is also built into the top left corner of the trackpad, which is something that not all gaming (and ordinary) laptops can boast of. The scanner is quite fast and virtually faultless, which was a pleasant surprise given the overall cost of the model.

Two speakers are located in the lower part of the topcase and are closer to the user. Their overall power is quite good, and the quality is relatively ordinary, as for basic gaming laptops. They will provide accompaniment for watching a video on the Web or a movie/series, but with music, as always, external devices will do a much better job.

The HD webcam won’t impress with its image compared to smartphone cameras or more expensive laptops, but it won’t disappoint much either. Its quality is enough for virtual work meetings and communication with loved ones. In fact, we’re unlikely to see very bad cameras in laptops anymore, which is also good news.

And thanks to the proprietary Acer Purified Console application, the built-in microphones (with the help of AI) will be able to leave only the user’s voice in the conversation without any external noise. That is, the user will be able to speak and, say, type at the same time, and the latter will not be heard by other people in the voice chat. Of course, this is a software solution, but it will significantly increase the comfort of users in communication.

Performance and software

The Acer Nitro V 15 line can offer certain options in components. For example, the processor options include 13th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7, and the video accelerator can be NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050, 3050, or 4050. Most of these variants offer 16 GB of RAM, but in stores you can see an offer with 8 GB. Most models have 512 GB SSDs, but there are also 1 TB. Again, the user will be able to upgrade this on their own (there are two SO-DIMM slots and a couple of M.2 slots).

Image from the manufacturer’s website

The test configuration received an octa-core Intel Core i5-13420H processor (4 powerful and 4 energy-saving cores, 12 threads, 12 MB cache, up to 4.6/3.4 GHz, integrated Intel UHD Graphics), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 video accelerator (1,695 MHz, 6 GB GDDR6, 60 W), 16 GB DDR5-5600 RAM (two 8-bit slots), and a 512 GB NVMe drive. This is quite an optimal option for work and entertainment on this budget, but the additional storage is likely to be the first upgrade (which, given the size of modern games, will come in handy quite quickly).

All models of the line are equipped with gigabit RJ45, support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

There are a total of five operating modes. When the power supply is connected, the proprietary NitroSense application will offer Quiet, Balanced, and Performance options. When the laptop runs solely on battery power, the options change to Eco and Balanced. The system will independently decide which video card to use depending on the tasks, but the owner can also control the cooling system (although there is no particular need for this).

Taking into account the fact that this time we have a budget solution, there are no complaints about performance. The system may not be at the top of the benchmarks, but it’s almost as good as its competitors in its category. At the same time, we have a truly portable laptop weighing a couple of kilograms, which is able to provide everything you need for work and entertainment. So it really was worth saving a little on some of the details in the previous sections to redirect resources to performance. Personally, I agree with the manufacturer here. (The test results below were obtained in maximum performance mode.)

Traditionally, the full power is not available when operating on battery power. Additionally, the power saving mode “clips the wings”. However, this does not mean that it will be impossible to work. The laptop works quite well in such a scenario and its capabilities are absolutely enough for normal work, studying and watching media.

Having returned to work with the power supply and all the performance reserves, we move on to the first priority in a gaming laptop – leisure. And everything is fine with this as well. You can run even quite demanding games with high graphics settings and still get stable FPS. In my case, I pay more attention to competitive FPS, where reaction time plays a very important role, and Acer Nitro V 15 did not disappoint. With other genres, even more so. All game tests were performed in Full HD resolution and at high graphics settings. 

Another interesting point here is the stability of a system of this level. While flagships in small cases can heat up almost to the boiling point of water, here in the topcase it was just over 75°C, with the working surface slightly warm and the air outlets not trying to melt everything around. It’s nice.

But yes, a couple of fans are still loud when it comes to high load. As always, it is better to play with headphones. However, normal operation is not characterized by such noise. Depending on the selected mode, the coolers can be turned off altogether, and the temperature in the middle – 45°C – does not heat the topcase. Thus, regardless of the type of work, it was comfortable to work with the laptop.

In this case, Windows 11 is not overloaded with a lot of additional software. For the most part, the user will only need the NitroSense utility to control the current mode of operation. It has a separate key on the keyboard, so it will be easy to change something quickly. For those who have already gotten acquainted with the brand’s laptops, it will be familiar, as there are no fundamental changes. For everyone else, it will take no more than five minutes to learn the basic features and settings.

Acer Nitro V 15 battery life

The presence of cost-effective cores in the processor and the use of integrated video when performing simple tasks, combined with a 57 Wh battery, give quite a good result. Acer Nitro V 15 was able to work for 4 hours and 39 minutes in the “office” synthetic test, and an hour and a half in the gaming test. Also, for example, watching a two-hour movie with comfortable display brightness and speaker volume settings cost a third of the charge. That’s pretty good.

The bundled power supply is just as simple. It’s relatively small and weighs half a kilogram, so it doesn’t weigh much on your daily commute, for example. Its power is 135 W, and the battery takes 1 hour and 50 minutes to fully charge.