Introduction

Yo what up its Leo your LA gaming guru Peep this review on the Acer Nitro 5 (2022 15.6Inch 12th Gen Core). I know my rigs and Im here to drop some knowledge.

Acer Nitro 5

This Acer Nitro 5 aint gonna break the bank clocking in comfortably under a grand. For the price its a solid choice if youre just jumpin into the gaming scene in 2025.

Word is this machine packs a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU and a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. That combo can handle most mainstream games without too much drama.

Plus you get a smooth 144Hz display which means less blur when the action gets wild. This is key for keepin your eye on the prize in those fastpaced online battles.

design

Now peep the design. Acer went for a cleaner look with this one. Forget those extra flashy colours you used to see on budget gaming laptops.

This new Nitro 5 rocks a more chill vibe almost lookin like a regular laptop. Even the lid is smooth ditchin those muscle car lines from older models.

 The version you might find at Best Buy even has a slightly different super lowkey design.

With its mostly black body and subtle red accents it wont scream gamer if youre pullin it out at a coffee spot or in class. Trust me lookin clean is always a good move in LA.

RGB backlight

The build feels pretty decent too. Yeah the whole thing is plastic but it holds up without feelin flimsy during regular use. Its a bit on the chunky side which actually adds to its sturdiness.

The keyboard aint bad either the keys got a nice bounce to em. And bonus its got RGB backlighting that you can customize in four different zones.

The touchpad does the job nothin too fancy but reliable. Overall the build is solid for what youre payin.

Full HD display

When it comes to luggin this beast around its not the lightest weighin in at 5.51 pounds. It measures about 1.06 by 14.1 by 10.7 inches.

So while you probably wouldnt wanna carry it everywhere all day its not ridiculously bulky for a gaming laptop. The 15.6inch display is that goto size for a gaming rig that still has some portability.

 Its a Full HD (1920by1080pixel) IPS panel with that sweet 144Hz refresh rate.

That high refresh rate means smoother visuals as long as the CPU and GPU can keep up. For an entrylevel gaming laptop in 2025 this screen setup hits the sweet spot.

You get a solid selection of ports on this thing. On the left theres a headphone jack a USB 3.2 TypeA port and an Ethernet port.

That Ethernet jack is a clutch addition especially for gamers who want that stable wired connection. The right side packs two more USBA 3.2 ports.

 And on the back youll find the power jack an HDMI video output and a USBC port. Connectivity wise youre pretty much covered for your gaming peripherals and external displays in 2025.

performance

Now lets talk performance. Our test unit had a 12th Gen Core i512500H processor 16GB of RAM an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a 512GB SSD.

For under $900 thats a decent starting point for gaming in todays world. The GPU is solid for the price 16GB of RAM is a plus and 12th Gen Intel is still a relevant platform in 2025.

This specific model runs at 95 watts which affects how hard it can push the components during gaming.

Acer does offer a more powerful 140watt version with an RTX 3060 but thatll cost you more.

If youre serious about hittin that smooth 60 frames per second (fps) in demanding AAA titles that RTX 3060 upgrade might be worth the extra cash even in 2025.

However it bumps the price out of that real budget zone.

In our benchmark tests the Core i5 held its own for everyday tasks even keepin up with some higherend CPUs in certain areas.

So for regular use when youre not fraggin noobs this Nitro 5 feels quick enough. When it comes to the real deal gaming the RTX 3050 Ti does a respectable job for its price.

 You might not be able to crank every setting to max and still get a consistent 60fps in all games but dialin down some of those visual settings to medium should give you perfectly playable frame rates.

If youre a frame rate fanatic though youll probably wanna step up to an RTX 3060 or better to see a significant jump in performance.

battery life

The battery life on this thing is actually a solid win. We clocked around seven hours of video playback on a single charge.

Thats pretty good for a budget gaming laptop which often skimps on battery life.

So you can probably get through a decent amount of nongaming tasks without constantly huntin for an outlet. Just keep in mind that gaming on battery will drain it much faster.

Personal suggestion

Bottom line the Acer Nitro 5 (2022) might not be the top dog in any performance charts but for its price its hard to complain.

 Its one of the most affordable modern gaming laptops out there and it offers a good baseline of components and features for entrylevel gaming in 2025.

That 144Hz display is a musthave for modern gaming and its great to see it at this price point. You also get a decent number of ports to hook up your gear.

The 512GB SSD might fill up quick with a bunch of big games but thats a common compromise even on pricier base models.

If you absolutely need to hit 60fps on ultra settings in every game you should probably look at an RTX 3060powered machine like the MSI Katana GF66.

But if youre lookin to get into PC gaming without droppin a fortune the Nitro 5 is still a seriously attractive and budgetfriendly option in 2025.

Stay tuned for more real talk on gaming gear from your boy Leo right here in the heart of LA

Resource

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/acer-nitro-5-2022-12th-gen-core

All Images and featured image used in this article was owned by pcmag and respective creators..