Acer's New Gaming Laptop Starts at $699 (With an RTX 2050)

Acer Nitro V 15
(Image credit: Acer)

Acer has announced a new budget gaming laptop, the Nitro V 15, with an enticing starting price of $699.99. In an uncertain economy that's still dealing with inflation, that's sure to get some attention on the store shelf, but to get that the company is using an old, low-end graphics card.

The base model, being sold at Costco, is powered by an Intel Core i5-13420H, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050. Yes, that's a 2050. With a "2" at the front. While some companies have been putting out budget laptops with 3050s at the low-end, the 2050 is a true surprise. A similar version is being sold on Acer's store  for $749.99.

For $769.99, you can bump up to an RTX 3050, while at $849.99 you finally get a current-gen RTX 4050. The top-end versions bump to an Core i7-13620H and double the RAM to 16GB. A $999.99 version at Acer has 512GB of storage, while the same specs at Newegg get you 1TB.

When asked about the RTX 2050, an Acer spokesperson told me: "The RTX 2050 GPU allows for a more attainable/attractive price point for some users, such as college users who want a PC for gaming as a second or third purpose.  They have school work that benefits from a little more ‘oomph’ with a discrete GPU, but may also play games occasionally or need it for photo or video editing, etc. So while those uses are not high-priority, they do value the capability."

The 15.6-inch, 16:9, 1080p, 144 Hz display is consistent across the lineup, at least among what's being released in the US. Globally, there will be options going to 165 Hz. Options in other markets include 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM,  though I'm told 32GB systems may eventually come to the US.

Acer Nitro V 15

(Image credit: Acer)

There are some features that are coming down from the standard Nitro 16 (one of the best gaming laptops under $1,000), like the NitroSense App, Wi-Fi 6, and Thunderbolt 4. It even bares a resemblance ot the Nitro 16's Miami Vice accent scheme. Seemingly, the V 15 is taking the old Nitro 5's spot in the lineup; the Nitro 5 was also a 15-inch device.

The Nitro V 15 is launching this month in Europe, the Middle east, and Africa beginning at €1,099. The North American launch will be in October.

Andrew E. Freedman

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.

  • HideOut
    Calling a new craptop with only 8GB of ram and a 2050 GPU in fall 2023 a gaming laptop is sad. But hey, thg gets the commision if you click on the link so go ahead!
    Reply
  • Roland Of Gilead
    HideOut said:
    Calling a new craptop with only 8GB of ram and a 2050 GPU in fall 2023 a gaming laptop is sad. But hey, thg gets the commision if you click on the link so go ahead!
    Bang on, A stutter box right from the get go!
    Reply
  • PEnns
    It's a sad (and possibly a very a slow) day when "experts" recommend laptops / computers with 8 GB of RAM.....and even dare to call it "a gaming" laptop!!

    It borders on being unethical. And there are many poor souls that fall for this travesty of a recommendation..
    Reply
  • Sluggotg
    The 2050 is about 10% faster than a 1050Ti, it is also about 10% slower than a 1650Ti. (Using PassMark's website for Graphics Benchmarks. It provides a great, general performance reference). That is really low end for Gaming. I would never buy a new gaming laptop that is that low end. Spend the extra for a the 3050 or 4050.

    I would hope this laptop has SODIMM slots, not soldered to the MB.

    If you are that tight on money, it would be a great idea to go to GOG, (Good Old Games) and buy some of the killer older games that would play great on it. (There is no DRM either, great site).
    Reply