Who does not want to have a good 17-inch gaming laptop that has 1TB SSD storage at an affordable price? Everyone knows that finding such a device is not always easy these days. More often than not, once we get one, we have to accept a lot of compromises. Well, is this Acer Nitro 5 AN517-54-77KG different? At what point though?
Let’s find that out right here.
First Impression
This updated Acer Nitro 5 17-inch model has become a revolution from other Acer’s gaming laptops from the past. This AN517-54-77KG variant merges the newest technology and features that can outperform its 17-inch competitors. Thanks to its superb combination of the latest Intel i7 CPU and competent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series Graphics.
My first impression of this device, aesthetically it is cleaner looking than the Predator line. It comes with a stunning shale black body with refined corners and there are no aggressive gaming attributes on it, no lighted Logo nor colorful stripes on its cover, simply a clean black chassis.
The Nitro 5 11th Generation i7 gaming laptop is, of course not the lightest notebook out there, but it is not that hefty that you cannot tuck it into your backpack. In fact, its weight is not far away from the weight of Acer Predator Helios models. It weighs 5.95 lbs or 2.19 kg vs 5.5 lbs or 2.49 kg with the Predator. However, Predator Helios is a 15-inch laptop! The plastic body helps to keep the weight lighter, however, it does not make this notebook feels cheap at all.
Primary Specs
| Product | Acer Nitro 5 AN517-54-77KG Gaming Laptop | Intel Core i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti Laptop GPU | 17.3" FHD 144Hz IPS Display | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB NVMe SSD | Killer Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit Keyboard |
| Display | 17.3″ Full-HD IPS screen (1920×1080) 144Hz Display
|
| Processor | 11th Generation i7-11800H with 8-Cores/16-Threads, 4.60GHz max. Turbo Boost Speed |
| Dedicated Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti |
| RAM (dual-channel) | 16GB DDR4 (expandable) |
| Storage | 1TB SSD (+ empty slots) |
| Ports | 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C; up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB Charging 5V; 3 A). |
| Miscellaneous | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, RJ-45 Network port, Bluetooth 5.1, 720p webcam, a Backlit Keyboard with numpad |
| Pros & Cons | VIEW |
How does this AN517-54-77KG perform?
In one word, it is fast!
The star of the show here is the most current 11th generation Intel i7 paired with the speedy DDR4 RAM for casual PC tasks or office works, and the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti for gaming. For a 17-inch unit with the older 10th Gen i7 CPU, take a look at this machine.
High-Speed CPU
The CPU of this laptop is the high-performance generation, with “H” in the CPU chip’s name, 11800H.
This chip has double cores and threads than its predecessor (8 vs 4-Cores and 16 vs 8-Threads) and has a 2.30 GHz base CPU speed. When needed, it is capable to maximize its speed up to 4.60 GHz. Paired with its high-speed SSD and the dual-channel (fast) 16GB onboard RAM, this laptop roars with power.
RTX 30-Series GPU
This Acer Nitro 5 AN517-54-77KG also houses the RTX 30-series GPU which is aimed for workflow and gaming laptops, the NVIDIA GeForce 3050 Ti. This Graphics card includes features like Ray-tracing, DLSS (Deep Learning Super-Sampling), and the intelligent AI that help to bring your game to be more realistic.
Games developers are creating games that have realistic effects now and in the future. And to take advantage of that feature, you will need to have a capable graphic card (RTX series) like the one that this laptop has. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Control will look more realistic with the RTX on. See the difference of Minecraft’s graphic below, when the RTX is on, your graphic looks more real.
Ray tracing is the holy grail of gaming graphics
NVIDIA
Essentially, you are getting an AI and Ray-Tracing ready gaming laptop, which also means a future-ready gaming device.
Not 512GB but 1TB SSD!
The speed of the 1TB SSD storage drive also contributes to the laptop’s gaming ability to react fast for daily workflow and of course, gaming. Windows OS starts time is a breeze, so is sleep/shutdown speed. Games and programs can load in seconds, thanks to SSD storage.
Moreover, 1TB SSD storage is huge, 1TB!! This storage capacity is rare at this price (around 1.1k at the moment). Most gaming laptops in this price range comes with max. 512GB storage, if not even the tiny 256GB. Like this one, for example, older GPU, non-RTX, and cost 500 bucks more with much less storage, 256GB.
Please note, prices can jump unexpectedly due to high demands, so we can’t guarantee you’ll get the same price when you read this review. Back to the SSD, even though it has a generous 1TB capacity, this machine also includes the empty slots to add your own storage should you need it later on. Just wow!
The size makes a difference
In addition to the fast performance, another nice feature of this AN517-54-77KG laptop is the 17-inch screen. We’ve mentioned above that it is not a lot heavier than the 15-inch Acer Predator Helios 300 family.
The 17-inch larger screen makes a difference if you care about visibility or the real estate of your screen. It’s an ideal size if you want to have a laptop as a desktop replacement where you game a lot or even watching movies.
In terms of cooling, most 17-inch laptops have superior cooling because it has more room inside when compared to the smaller-screen devices.
The screen of this 2021 17.3″ Acer Nitro AN517-54-77KG is a Full-HD 1080p 3ms IPS display that looks great and has a fast screen refresh rate of 144Hz. Due to its 1080p screen resolution, it also has better viewing angles compared with those screens with lower resolution. The 144Hz panel destroys any 60Hz monitors or screens as the difference is absolutely noticeable. The 144Hz is a lot smoother in games where you move a lot, like shooting or hunting. Watch the following demonstration video.
The Webcam, Keyboard & Battery Life
On the top bezel of the screen, you will locate the passable 720p (HD, not full-HD) built-in webcam. Although it is adequate for zoom meetings or chatting, I would recommend getting a better external webcam if you want high-quality webcam pictures. Literally, all laptops have the same quality of webcams. Some even do not include one though.
As you would expect for a 17-inch laptop, this also has a good-sized backlit keyboard. It’s a gaming-optimized keyboard with WASD lighting and dedicated keys on it. There are also separated Numeric keys. Although the backlit keyboard can be very helpful while typing or gaming in a dark room, it can be irritating to some. For that reason, the keyboard is designed so that you can turn the backlit lighting off if you don’t need it.
The Acer Nitro 5 AN517-54-77KG is a performance machine. It won’t behave like an ultrabook that has long battery life. So if you expect it to be different then you want to look for an ultrabook.
Is this good value?
Well, the gaming laptops world updates almost every day, so research before deciding is always a good step. After research, I found this laptop to be the best in its category in terms of price point and its specs. It beats a lot of laptops, also 2000 range laptops. And there are not too many 17-inch range gaming laptops in the market.
So if you are looking for an excellent gaming laptop with a larger 17-inch screen, with the newest Intel i7 CPU, beefy Graphics, and 1TB, yes 1TB (!!) SSD, this AN517-54-77KG is a really good value for its price, unless, of course, if you want to spend more.
