Acer’s Nitro 17 gaming laptops are getting a refresh with 14th-gen Intel and 40-series NVIDIA graphics
The gaming laptop will also be bolstered by Microsoft Copilot, with a new dedicated AI key.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
If you’re in the market for a new budget-friendly gaming laptop,the latest CES announcementfrom Acer may be for you.
The company has announced a refresh for its Nitro 17 gaming laptop, pairing Intel’s latestCore 14th-gen processorswith NVIDIAGeForce RTX 40-series GPUsto 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: TheIntel 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
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 adedicated Copilot keyfor 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 theWindows Phone,Microsoft Zune,Mixer, or even thekinect? 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.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Cole is the resident Call of Duty know-it-all and indie game enthusiast for Windows Central. She’s a lifelong artist with two decades of experience in digital painting, and she will happily talk your ear off about budget pen displays.
