I bought the Acer Nitro 5 Core i5 9th Gen expecting a budget-friendly gaming laptop, but after months of use, I regret my decision. This laptop has serious issues that make it a bad investment for gamers and professionals.
Despite having a 9th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and GTX 1650 GPU, this laptop struggles with modern games. Even older titles like GTA V and CS: GO experience frame drops and stuttering, even at medium settings. Multitasking is slow, and the laptop freezes during video editing or heavy browsing.
The biggest problem with this laptop is excessive heating. After just 30 minutes of gaming, the CPU temperature easily crosses 90°C, making the keyboard uncomfortably hot. The built-in cooling system is ineffective, and the fans are extremely loud, yet they fail to keep temperatures down.
The laptop comes with a 256GB SSD ( or 1TB HDD in some variants) , which isn’t enough for modern games. Many AAA titles require over 100GB, meaning you’ll run out of space quickly. Upgrading storage is an option, but it’s an additional cost.
The battery drains shockingly fast. Even with basic browsing and video streaming, it lasts only 2-3 hours. If you’re gaming, expect it to die within an hour, forcing you to stay plugged in at all times.
The 144Hz refresh rate is advertised as a gaming feature, but the display is dull and lacks color accuracy. The poor brightness levels make it almost unusable outdoors. If you’re into content creation or want a good visual experience, this screen will disappoint you.
The speakers are terrible—low volume, no bass, and distorted sound at high levels. You’ll need external speakers or headphones for a decent audio experience.
The Acer Nitro 5 Core i5 9th Gen is not a good choice for serious gamers or professionals. Overheating, poor battery life, sluggish performance, and a subpar display make this laptop feel outdated and overpriced. There are better alternatives in this price range, such as Lenovo Legion or ASUS TUF series, which offer much better performance and reliability.
Rating: 2/5 – A frustrating experience, better avoid it!