With all As we chat about the AI features of Intel’s new Core Ultra CPUs, it’s easy to forget that AMD has been busy doing AI too. AMD has equipped many of its Ryzen processors with neural processing units (NPUs) since mid-2023 and has continued to expand its AI offerings since then.
Acer’s latest Nitro 17 gaming laptop (model number AN17-42-R9TH) is built on an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, which sits near the top of AMD’s product line. If you use AI on the desktop, you’ll probably bypass the CPU entirely. With the Nitro 17’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics processor, everything from gaming to AI rendering gets a significant boost. Aside from the processors, Acer hasn’t pushed the specs to the limit: 16GB of RAM and a 1 terabyte solid-state drive are more or less basic options these days.
That’s just what’s under the hood. On the outside, the Nitro 17 is the beast you probably expected, with a 17.3-inch screen (resolution limited to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels), a daunting 34 millimeters thick, and a weight that tops out at 6.3 pounds. It’s the heaviest and thickest laptop I’ve tested since 2018, and without the power brick (another full pound).
Photography: Acer
This laptop has been designed for gamers; possibly 90s gamers, but gamers nonetheless. Sharp, angled corners abound from all angles. The screen is separated from the back of the laptop by about a centimeter and rests on a small riser that feels like a separate device screwed to the top of the chassis. It’s pretty much the same design as 2023, minus some graphic flourishes.
The responsive keyboard rests on a beveled tray and is color backlit with four tunable zones and a variety of modes that allow colors to move across the keys in various patterns. There’s a full-size numeric keypad and arrow keys along with custom keys, like a Copilot button and a Nitro key that launches Acer’s NitroSense software, allowing you to fine-tune every aspect of the laptop experience. Above the keyboard is a separate button that cycles through four power modes, from Quiet to Turbo, all exactly as they sound.
A tour of the sides and back of the laptop reveals a host of ports, including two USB-C ports (one USB 3.2, one USB 4), an HDMI connector, a microSD card slot, a full size and three USB ports. Ports A: one USB 3.2 and one USB 2.0. I can’t understand why there’s a creaky old USB 2.0 port on the device, but with so many connectivity options, it probably doesn’t matter much. Much of the rest of the space around the edges features various vents and grilles for the dual extractors. When they run, which is when there is a moderate load on the machine, they can get a little noisy, although I have encountered many noisier machines in recent years. I expected more from the unit’s speakers, although they are fine for casual entertainment and gaming.