Acer Targets Casual and Budget Gaming with the Nitro 5

If there is one segment of the gaming market that needs a
little love, it is the casual and budget gaming market. Acer has now taken
notice and created the new Nitro 5, a gaming laptop that has been
designed with the casual and budget gamers in mind.

So far, we know that this Acer laptop will start at $800 and
go up from there and it features a wide range of specs that you can choose
from. So far Acer has remained quiet about what $800 will get you, but even the
lower end systems on the spec sheet should play most games today moderately
well or better, depending on what you choose and how much you spend.

The first thing you will you notice about this system is
there are a lot of choices. If you look at just the processor, you will be able
to choose from the AMD FX, A10 and A12 CPUs. Of course, Intel fans haven’t been
left out, either. If you prefer Intel, you can choose from an Intel Core i5 or
a Core i7 for the heart of your computer.

On the memory side of things, all of the different systems
will be able to hold a maximum of 32GB of RAM, although there has been no word
on exactly how much RAM will ship with the different machines. However, it’s
safe to assume if you go with the introductory model you can expect 8GB of RAM
in the machine.

Just like the processors and memory, you have several
different storage options. By default it appears it will come with one SSD
drive, although we have no idea what size it will be. We do know that you will
be able to customize it with multiple SSD drives or even one SSD and a standard
hard drive up to 2TB in size.

There is only one option for the screen. All of the Nitro 5
models will come with a 15.6-inch, Full-HD screen running 1920 x 1080. While we
wish there was an option for a 4k display, we all must remember that this model
is targeted at budget users. For the price, this screen is a nice addition
especially when you consider that it will even be included on the budget
models.

Graphics wise the Nitro 5 has options ranging from the
GeForce GTX 960M through to the new GTX 1060M. Although it puts makes a big impact
through it’s sleek design, in terms of raw power it is still overpasses by
other options on the market which feature GTX 1060.

The Nitro 5 includes one USB-C 3.1 port, a USB 3.0 port, and
two USB ports. On top of that, you will get a gigabit Ethernet port and an HDMI
2.0 port along with 802.11AC wireless. While many would have preferred more USB
3.0 ports, you can at least run your slower devices on the older ports or use
them for a keyboard and mouse that you will probably want anyway if you plan on
doing a lot of gaming.

One look at the design and you will see that it is
unmistakably a gaming machine. It features a matte black finish with sharp
lines and bright lights. They keyboard is lit with red LED backlighting to give
it that coveted gaming machine appearance. While it may not be as sleek and
streamlined as some of the other Acer models, such as the Aspire V, it’s
definitely no slouch in the looks department.

Unfortunately, we don’t really know what specs the low end
Nitro 5 will have. However, if you know anything about hardware, you can
probably guess. Many experts believe the system will ship with an AMD processor
and Radeon card along with 8GB of RAM. Still, no one knows for sure what you
will get for that price, although can rest assured they will need to pull out
all the tricks in the back to compete with the stiff competition on the market. Until Acer
releases more, the Internet will continue to speculate what $800 can get you
these days.

The casual and budget gaming segment is one that has often
been ignored by the big gaming machine makers. Still, it’s a huge segment of
the market, and it seems Acer is realizing the potential. The Nitro 5 is hands
down one of the most affordable machines for budget gamers and its design and
hardware doesn’t disappoint. If you are in the market for a budget gaming
machine, then you may want to consider the Nitro 5. It will be available in
North America in July with other international releases to follow shortly
after.