Affordable gaming laptops are getting powerful
The budget gaming laptop scene has come a long way. Thanks to big performance gains in both CPUs and GPUs over the last few years, you can now hit seriously high frame rates at 1080p without paying premium Alienware money. The Acer Nitro V15 is a great example of this trend. It is not as refined or powerful as a flagship machine, but it delivers strong gaming performance for the price, along with a few compromises you should know about.
The model reviewed here pairs an Intel Core i7 13620H processor with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU, 16 GB of DDR4 memory and a 1 TB SSD. It is built around a 15.6 inch 1080p IPS display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, which is a sweet spot for modern mid range gaming hardware.
On paper this is a very capable spec for a budget friendly gaming laptop, especially around the 1000 dollar or 1000 pound mark. In practice the Nitro V15 performs well, but it also runs hot and loud, and cuts a few corners on the display and memory to keep costs down.
Specs, design and thermals
The heart of the Nitro V15 is Intel’s Core i7 13620H, a 10 core Raptor Lake chip with four performance cores and six efficiency cores for a total of 16 threads. It can turbo up to 4.9 GHz, which keeps it competitive in modern games and CPU heavy tasks.
The downside is heat. This is not one of Intel’s new cooler running Core Ultra chips. Under gaming load in Turbo mode, the CPU happily climbs to its 100 degree Celsius maximum. That is within spec and will not instantly harm the processor, but it means there is no thermal headroom left and the cooling system has to work hard. The result is a laptop that can sound like a small jet when you are pushing high frame rates.
The RTX 5060 runs cooler than the CPU, but still gets into the high seventies and mid eighties under load. Compared to another budget machine like the Asus TUF Gaming A16, the Nitro V15 runs hotter on both CPU and GPU, which explains the aggressive fan behavior.
Physically the Nitro V15 sticks to the classic chunky 15.6 inch gaming laptop formula. It weighs just over 2.1 kg, so it is portable enough to move around but not something you will want to carry every day like an ultrabook. The chassis uses a plastic shell over a metal frame, with a black finish, bold Nitro branding and a pattern across the lid that gives it a bit of personality.
The orange keyboard backlight matches the copper colored cooling fins visible through the vents, and there are rubber feet to lift the underside for better airflow on a desk. It is clearly designed to live on a table most of the time rather than your lap.
Ports are solid for a budget device. You get one USB4 Type C port, three USB 3.2 Type A ports, full size HDMI, Ethernet and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Wireless is handled by Wi Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which is current enough for most gamers. The USB C port does not support charging though, so you are stuck with a traditional power brick that has a large connector, and you will want to bring it because gaming battery life is only around two hours.
Display and gaming performance
The Nitro V15’s 15.6 inch IPS panel is a mixed bag. On the good side it is 1080p at 165 Hz, which pairs perfectly with the RTX 5060 for esports and high refresh single player games. Motion looks smooth, and the resolution is sensible for this tier of GPU.
Where it falls short is color quality. Measured with a colorimeter, it only covers around 66 percent of the sRGB color space and about 50 percent of DCI P3. This makes the image look somewhat washed out compared to better IPS panels or OLED displays. It is fine for gaming and everyday use, but creators or anyone picky about color accuracy will notice the limitations. Brightness tops out at around 300 nits, which is acceptable for indoor use but not outstanding.
Internally Acer has also saved money by sticking with DDR4 memory instead of DDR5. In most games this will not be a deal breaker, but it does mean you miss out on some extra bandwidth and future proofing. The PCIe 4.0 SSD offers decent transfer speeds without being especially fast, but the 1 TB capacity in the reviewed configuration is very welcome. Some cheaper Nitro variants only ship with 512 GB which can fill up quickly with modern game installs.
In actual games though the Nitro V15 punches above its price. At 1080p the RTX 5060 can really stretch its legs, especially when you enable Nvidia’s DLSS and Frame Generation features.
- Cyberpunk 2077 with DLSS and 2x Multi Frame Generation can hit close to 80 frames per second at Ray Tracing Ultra.
- Increase Frame Generation to 4x and you can see frame rates jump to over 140 frames per second, still with ray tracing enabled.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 runs around 48 frames per second at native settings and can easily be boosted by enabling DLSS.
- Black Myth Wukong lands around 60 frames per second at 1080p.
- Metro Exodus with ray tracing also sits close to 60 frames per second.
On the CPU side, Cinebench 2024 scores show that the i7 13620H can even beat Intel’s newer Core Ultra 9 in some tests, proving that despite its age and heat output it is still a strong performer for the money.
The keyboard itself is comfortable and feels decent for gaming. The weak point on the experience side is the audio. The built in speakers can produce noticeable crackling, at least on the review sample, which will push most gamers towards a headset or external speakers. That is common for gaming laptops anyway, but it is still a downside worth noting.
Is the Acer Nitro V15 worth it?
Value is where the Nitro V15 becomes interesting. At around 1050 dollars or pounds, it offers an RTX 5060, solid CPU performance, a 165 Hz screen and a 1 TB SSD. That is a lot of gaming power for the price, especially if your main target is high frame rate 1080p gaming.
However the competition is fierce in this segment. The Gigabyte Gaming A16 offers a very similar configuration, but with more RAM and a taller 16:10 display for only a little more money. The Asus TUF A14 costs more again, but gives you a lighter chassis, higher resolution screen and a higher wattage 110 W RTX 5060.
The Nitro V15 makes the most sense if keeping costs down is your top priority and you care most about raw frame rates. It is a serious budget gaming laptop that can deliver excellent performance in modern titles, especially when you lean on DLSS and Frame Generation. Just be ready for a hotter and louder experience, a fairly average display and the need for a headset.
If you accept those tradeoffs, the Acer Nitro V15 is a very capable entry point into modern PC gaming that proves budget machines can still pack a real punch.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/gaming-laptops/acer-nitro-v15-2025-review/
