What to know
- While the Acer Nitro 5 is a capable contender, its slightly inferior build quality, TN display, and shorter battery life put it at a disadvantage.
- The Dell G15 and Acer Nitro 5 both feature robust cooling systems, but the Dell G15 has a slight edge due to its larger air vents and dual-fan design.
- The Acer Nitro 5 has a superior microphone that provides clearer audio recordings and noise cancellation compared to the Dell G15.
The gaming notebook market is a fiercely competitive battleground, with Dell and Acer emerging as two of the most formidable contenders. In this comprehensive guide, we pit the Dell G15 against the Acer Nitro 5, two highly acclaimed gaming laptops, to determine which one deserves the crown.
Design and Build Quality
Dell G15:
The Dell G15 exudes a sleek and professional aesthetic, with a matte black chassis and angular lines. Its durable construction ensures longevity, while the customizable RGB lighting adds a touch of flair.
Acer Nitro 5:
In contrast, the Acer Nitro 5 embraces a more aggressive design with a red-accented, angular chassis. Despite its striking appearance, it feels slightly less sturdy than the Dell G15.
Display
Dell G15:
The Dell G15 offers a 15.6-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 3ms response time, providing smooth and immersive gameplay. The IPS panel delivers vibrant colors and wide viewing angles.
Acer Nitro 5:
The Acer Nitro 5 also features a 15.6-inch display, but with a higher 165Hz refresh rate. However, it uses a TN panel, which offers narrower viewing angles and less color accuracy than the IPS panel on the Dell G15.
Performance
Dell G15:
At the heart of the Dell G15 lies the 11th-generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor, paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. This combination delivers exceptional performance for both gaming and demanding tasks.
Acer Nitro 5:
The Acer Nitro 5 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. While the AMD processor offers competitive performance, the Dell G15’s Intel processor provides a slight edge in gaming.
Battery Life
Dell G15:
The Dell G15 boasts a 6-cell, 86Wh battery that offers up to 10 hours of battery life. This impressive endurance allows for extended gaming sessions or productivity on the go.
Acer Nitro 5:
The Acer Nitro 5 has a smaller 4-cell, 57Wh battery, which provides approximately 6 hours of battery life. While adequate for casual use, it falls short of the Dell G15’s exceptional battery life.
Connectivity
Dell G15:
The Dell G15 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port.
Acer Nitro 5:
The Acer Nitro 5 provides similar connectivity options, but it lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port, which limits its expandability.
Price
Dell G15:
The Dell G15 starts at around $1,200 for the base configuration, while the higher-end models can cost up to $1,800.
Acer Nitro 5:
The Acer Nitro 5 is slightly more affordable, with a starting price of around $1,000. However, the top-end configurations can reach up to $1,600.
Verdict: The Ultimate Gaming Notebook
After a thorough comparison, the Dell G15 emerges as the superior gaming notebook. Its exceptional build quality, vibrant display, impressive performance, and long battery life make it the ideal choice for gamers who demand the best. While the Acer Nitro 5 is a capable contender, its slightly inferior build quality, TN display, and shorter battery life put it at a disadvantage.
Answers to Your Questions
Q1: Which notebook has better cooling?
A: The Dell G15 and Acer Nitro 5 both feature robust cooling systems, but the Dell G15 has a slight edge due to its larger air vents and dual-fan design.
Q2: Can I upgrade the RAM and storage on both notebooks?
A: Yes, both the Dell G15 and Acer Nitro 5 allow for easy RAM and storage upgrades. They both have two SODIMM slots for RAM and one NVMe SSD slot.
Q3: Which notebook has a better microphone?
A: The Acer Nitro 5 has a superior microphone that provides clearer audio recordings and noise cancellation compared to the Dell G15.
Q4: Can I use both notebooks for video editing?
A: Yes, both the Dell G15 and Acer Nitro 5 are capable of handling video editing tasks. However, the Dell G15’s Intel processor provides slightly better performance for video rendering.
Q5: Which notebook has a better keyboard?
A: The Dell G15 has a more comfortable and responsive keyboard with larger keycaps and a dedicated number pad. The Acer Nitro 5’s keyboard is also decent, but it feels slightly cramped.