What you need to know
- During CES 2024, Acer announced that the Nitro 17 budget-friendly gaming laptop will get a current-gen refresh.
- The 2024 model of the Nitro 17 will have 3 options for the CPU from Intel's Core i7 and i5 14th generation, along with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU.
- The refresh will also change the keyboard layout on the laptop to include Microsoft's new dedicated Copilot key.
If you're in the market for a new budget-friendly gaming laptop, the latest CES announcement from Acer may be for you.
The company has announced a refresh for its Nitro 17 gaming laptop, pairing Intel's latest Core 14th-gen processors with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs to harness the improved power for current-gen gaming and efficient productivity.
Improved hardware at a lower cost
Acer's current run of Nitro 17 gaming laptops (model number AN17-51) already feature 40-series NVIDIA GPUs, but they do lag behind with 13th-gen processors and cost around $300 more than the newly announced AN17-72 model. The latest refresh will provide a fresh alternative for a gaming laptop that can also be used for creative and productive endeavors at a more affordable price point that would appeal to more casual gamers and students.
The Nitro 17 refresh will be available with 3 options for CPU power: The Intel Core i7-14700HX, i7-14650HX, or i5-14450HX which will be bolstered by up to 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, 2 TB of NVMe storage, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The laptop will support full ray tracing, which is displayed on a 17-inch IPS QHD display at a resolution of 2560 × 1440 at 165 Hz.
Acer Nitro 17 gaming laptop specs
| Model number | AN17-72 |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Display | 17.3" IPS 16:9 QHD, 2560 x 1440p, 165 Hz, DCI-P3 100%, Nvidia Advanced Optimums capable |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-14700HX/i7-14650HX/i5-14450HX |
| Memory | Up to 32GB DDR5 |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 |
| Storage | Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD in Raid 0 |
| Dimensions | 400.2 (W) x 293.25 (D) x 27.9/28.9 (H) mm/ 15.76 X 11.55 x 1.1/1.14 inches |
| Weight | 3.2 kg (7.05 lbs) |
| Power | 90 Whr |
| Connectivity | Intel Killer DoubleShot Pro-Killer Wi-Fi 6E & Ethernet E3100G, Bluetooth 5.3 or above |
| Cooling | Liquid metal thermal grease, Vector heat pipes |
| Accessories | 4-zone RGB Keyboard |
| Audio | DTS X: Ultra Audio, Acer Purified Voice 2.0 AI Noise reduction |
AI-enhancements and the new Copilot key
Whether you love or hate AI, tech companies seem to be full steam ahead with the nascent technology. Microsoft has recently announced the first changes to Windows keyboards, which will now feature a dedicated Copilot key for easier access to Microsoft's AI-powered "intelligent assistant". Acer will be adopting the new keyboard layout and including a Copilot key on its line of refreshed Nitro 17 gaming laptops. Further AI-backed enhancements, including support for NVIDIA's DLSS 3.5 technology and Acer's own Purified Voice 2.0 noise reduction tech, will also be included in the new Nitro laptops.
Copilot is Microsoft's answer to the now-defunct Cortana virtual assistant, which does leave some room for concern over Microsoft's push to encourage manufacturers of laptops to include it in new devices. Microsoft has a history of throwing weight behind technology in its infancy, only to later abandon it without care when the tech doesn't catch on commercially. Has the tech community forgotten the loss of the Windows Phone, Microsoft Zune, Mixer, or even the kinect? It begs the question of whether these new "AI-enhanced laptops with dedicated Copilot keys" are at risk of becoming a relic, even though the hardware inside is still perfectly capable.
