TechRadar Verdict
The Acer Nitro 18 AI presents a compelling package for its price, delivering impressive gaming capabilities within a surprisingly slim profile. However, its substantial weight hinders portability, and issues with build quality and overall performance may diminish its appeal. In this competitive segment, a higher standard of quality control is generally expected, particularly when the Nitro 18 AI faces strong competition.
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Impressively thin
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Cool and quiet under load
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Great keyboard
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Very heavy
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Suspect build quality
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Some general performance concerns
Acer Nitro 18 AI: Two-minute review
The Acer Nitro 18 AI is a large gaming laptop designed to handle demanding AAA games. Its appearance is functional and understated, with the keyboard’s RGB backlighting being the most vibrant design element.
Despite its size, the Nitro 18 AI is notably thin. The rear protrusion, common on many large gaming laptops, is minimal, and its sides are generally free of additional bulges.
However, this laptop is not easily transportable due to its significant weight, which, combined with its 18-inch screen, makes it less portable than many top gaming laptop models.
The build quality was found to be less than ideal. The materials do not feel premium, and both the chassis and lid exhibit noticeable flex. Furthermore, the touchpad on the review unit showed signs of malfunction, occasionally failing to register clicks or taps, and sometimes registering a stuck left click.
Equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, the Nitro 18 AI handled AAA gaming effortlessly. Games like The Outer Worlds 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 achieved excellent frame rates, even at maximum settings.
The Nitro 18 AI also managed heat effectively, with even the warmest areas remaining only lukewarm. Fan noise, while present, was considerably quieter than many other laptops in its class, even when using Acer’s NitroSense utility app in Performance mode. Turbo mode increased fan volume, but it still remained relatively subdued compared to competitors.
However, some general performance issues were observed. Applications and windows occasionally froze, and one 3DMark gaming benchmark crashed before completion.
Additionally, a Windows security update failed to install after multiple attempts, which is a concern. While these issues might be resolved with future updates, such problems are unexpected for a device in this price range.
The WQXGA display resolution is sharp for its 18-inch size, rendering content with sufficient vibrancy, though it may appear slightly less vivid than displays on premium models. Reflections can occur, but brightness levels were generally adequate for clarity.
The keyboard on the Nitro 18 AI provides a satisfying experience for both gaming and typing. Keys are well-spaced, offering a snappy and tactile feel. A good selection of shortcuts is available on the top row, but the absence of an Fn Lock shortcut is a puzzling inconvenience.
Considering its specifications, the Nitro 18 AI’s price point is commendable. However, its drawbacks suggest it might not represent the absolute best value among gaming laptops. Many alternatives with similar specifications exist, and while potentially more expensive, they could offer a more reliable overall experience.
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Price & Availability
- Starts from £1,899 (about $2,500 / AU$3,840)
- Available in the UK
- Reasonable price for the spec
The Acer Nitro 18 AI is available starting from £1,899 in the UK and EMEA regions, with US availability yet to be announced.
Several configurations are offered within a narrow range. Most specifications involve binary choices: either a Ryzen 7 or 9 CPU, an RTX 5070 or 5070 Ti GPU, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, and 1TB or 2TB of storage.
Interestingly, pricing across models appears consistent, as different specs tend to balance each other out. For example, a model with an RTX 5070 Ti and 16GB RAM costs the same as one with an RTX 5070 and 32GB RAM.
The Nitro 18 AI’s cost is quite competitive compared to its rivals. Other gaming laptops featuring RTX 5070 GPUs can be significantly more expensive. For instance, an Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with comparable specifications, including the same RTX 5070 Ti, carries a considerably higher price, though it is recognized as one of the best thin and lightweight gaming laptops. Acer’s other large gaming laptop, the Predator Helios 18 AI, is also more expensive but was found to be a superior machine in most aspects during testing.
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Specs
Price: £1,899
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (10 cores, 2.0GHz)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 12GB
RAM: 16GB DDR5
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display: 18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10, 165Hz, IPS
Ports and Connectivity: 3x USB-A (1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB-C (1x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 4.0 Gen 1), 1x HDMI, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4
Battery: 90Wh
Dimensions: 1 x 15.8 x 12.2 inches (24.95 x 400.9 x 310.3mm)
Weight: 6.66lbs / 3.02kg
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Design
- Surprisingly thin
- Quite heavy, though
- Poor quality in places
Consistent with many gaming laptops, the Nitro 18 AI features a utilitarian black aesthetic. The keyboard’s RGB backlighting provides the only visual flair.
While a large machine, it occupies less desk space than expected. The Nitro 18 AI is relatively thin for its size, and the rear protrusion, common on high-end gaming laptops, is notably compact.
Beyond this, there are no other elements that disrupt the flat surfaces of its sides. Even the two long rubber feet underneath are surprisingly low-profile compared to similar models.
However, its weight is substantial, making it inconvenient for daily transport in a backpack. Despite its heft, the Nitro 18 AI does not feel as robust as one might hope. The base and lid exhibit a fair amount of flex, and the display hinge allows for slight wobble.
The materials used throughout the Nitro 18 AI do not convey a premium feel. The fan mode switch button, located in the top-left, is particularly disappointing, feeling cheap and awkward to press.
Fortunately, the keyboard offers a more premium experience. A good selection of Fn and other shortcuts are available, though the absence of an Fn lock shortcut is a notable omission, requiring a BIOS restart to toggle this function.
Given the generous physical space, the Nitro 18 AI provides an ample array of ports. These include three USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (supporting external displays), HDMI, RJ-45, a headset jack, and a microSD card reader.
Port placement is generally well-considered. The USB-A ports are distributed across both sides, while the USB-C ports, HDMI, and power adapter connection are conveniently located at the rear. The headset jack is also positioned close to the user.
However, the close proximity of the two right-side USB-A ports could pose issues with bulky peripheral connectors. Additionally, the card reader only supporting microSD format is a minor drawback, though many gaming laptops lack any form of card reader.
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Performance
- Impressive AAA performance
- Relatively cool and quiet
- General performance issues
Acer Nitro 18 AI Benchmarks
- Geekbench 6 (Multi Core): 13,342; (Single Core): 2,907
- Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 20,445;
- Cinebench R24 (Multi Core): 1,003; (Single Core): 116
- Crossmark Overall: 1,831
- 3DMark
- Night Raid: 65,007;
- Fire Strike: 32,176;
- Steel Nomad: 3,763;
- Solar Bay: 75,915;
- Solar Bay Unlimited: 76,117;
- Solar Bay Extreme: 14,801;
- Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 14,351
- BlackMagicDisk Read: 4,302MB/s; Write: 4,243MB/s
- Civilization VII
- (1080p, High): 177 FPS;
- (Max Resolution, AMD FSR 3, High): 124 FPS
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- (1080p, Highest, SMAA4x): 140 FPS;
- (Max Resolution, Balanced Upscaling, Highest): 152 FPS
- Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness
- (1080p, Ultra): 60 FPS;
- (Max Resolution, Ultra): 55 FPS
- Cyberpunk 2077
- (1080p, Ultra): 104 FPS;
- (Max resolution, Ultra, DLSS Balanced): 93 FPS;
- (1440p, DLSS Balanced, Ultra RT): 61 FPS
- Marvel Rivals
- (Max resolution, Balanced upscaling, Ultra): 70 FPS;
- (1200p, Low): 116 FPS
The Nitro 18 AI review unit, a top-spec model with an RTX 5070 Ti, capably handled modern AAA titles.
Frame rates in The Outer Worlds 2, played at its highest preset with Hardware Ray Tracing, DLSS Frame Generation, and DLSS Quality upscaling, consistently remained in the high 70s and low 80s. Switching to Balanced DLSS mode showed minimal difference.
When playing Cyberpunk 2077 at the highest Ray Tracing: Ultra preset with Balanced DLSS upscaling, average frame rates were around 30fps, occasionally reaching the low 40s. Enabling Frame Generation boosted these figures to between the high 50s and low 70s.
Heat management was excellent, with the keyboard and most of the base remaining relatively cool. Fan noise was impressively suppressed, even in NitroSense’s Performance mode.
The fan volume was low enough to clearly hear audio through the speakers, a rare feat for many gaming laptops. While Turbo mode increased fan noise, the Nitro 18 AI remained remarkably quiet compared to its competitors.
The Nitro 18 AI’s 2560 x 1600 resolution display provides ample sharpness for its 18-inch screen. Colors are reproduced accurately, though they may lack the vibrancy of some premium gaming monitors. Reflections can sometimes be visible, but the maximum brightness setting generally maintained clarity.
Concerns arose regarding the Nitro 18 AI’s general performance. Everyday applications like Windows Explorer and the Chrome browser occasionally froze. A 3DMark Fire Strike gaming benchmark also crashed mid-run, an unprecedented issue during testing. Furthermore, a Windows 11 security update repeatedly failed to install despite multiple attempts and restarts.
These issues might be OS-related and potentially fixable with future Windows or BIOS updates. However, their occurrence on a powerful and expensive gaming laptop like the Nitro 18 AI is troubling.
The touchpad was particularly problematic, frequently registering unintended clicks or remaining stuck in a clicked state. Conversely, many taps and clicks failed to register at all, suggesting a faulty unit and reinforcing concerns about the Nitro 18 AI’s build quality.
In contrast, the keyboard performed much better. Its comfortable layout, well-spaced keys, and sufficient travel and dampening made it satisfying to use. While not matching the tactility of the best gaming keyboard units, the keys were equally snappy due to their light actuation.
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Battery Life
- Reasonable longevity
- Quick to charge
The Nitro 18 AI features a substantial 90Wh battery, offering reasonable stamina for a gaming laptop. During a continuous movie playback test, it lasted five hours, outperforming Acer’s Predator Helios 18 AI, which has a larger 99Wh battery but only lasted three hours.
However, the Nitro 18 AI falls short of the Medion Erazer Beast 18, which achieved six hours. On the positive side, it charges quickly, reaching full capacity in just two hours.
Should I buy the Acer Nitro 18 AI?
Buy the Acer Nitro 18 AI if…
You want a large gaming laptop without the bulkFor an 18-inch gaming machine, the Nitro 18 AI is surprisingly thin and lacks the unsightly bulges of many of its rivals.
You want a great laptop keyboardThe keyboard on the Nitro 18 AI excels at both gaming and typing, thanks to its comfortable layout and responsiveness.
Don’t buy it if…
You want the best build qualityThe cheap-feeling materials and their flimsiness, combined with the touchpad issues experienced, all point to a less-than-stellar build quality.
You want reliable performanceAlthough it was great for gaming, some general performance issues marred the experience.
Acer Nitro 18 AI review: Also Consider
Acer Predator Helios 18 AIFor an even more powerful large-screen laptop, Acer offers the Predator Helios 18 AI. This model starts with an RTX 5080 (compared to the Nitro’s 5070) and can be configured with a 5090. While significantly more expensive than the Nitro 18 AI, its performance, display, and build quality were found to be superior. Read the full Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review.
Gigabyte Gaming A16 ProAt a similar price point to the Nitro 18 AI, the Gigabyte Gaming A16 Pro also features an RTX 5070 Ti. It delivers decent performance, and its 180-degree display is a unique feature in this category. While it can be noisy and is two inches smaller than the Nitro 18 AI, attractive discounts from third-party retailers might make it a worthwhile option. Read the full Gigabyte Gaming A16 Pro review.
How I tested the Acer Nitro 18 AI
- Tested for several days
- Used for gaming and other tasks
- Plenty of gaming laptop experience
The Acer Nitro 18 AI was tested over several days, involving both gaming and general entertainment use.
Various AAA titles, including The Outer Worlds 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, were played. Additionally, a suite of benchmark tests was conducted to evaluate the gaming machine’s overall performance.
The testing was conducted by an individual with extensive experience reviewing numerous gaming laptops across different specifications, form factors, and price points. This experience extends to over a decade of PC gaming and familiarity with various systems and components.
