The Acer Nitro V 15 won't make anyone shout "Extreme!" but maybe "Extremely affordable!" For $949.99, this entry-level gaming laptop combines an AMD Ryzen 5 7000 processor, 16GB of memory, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics chip to get you in the door to mainstream gaming. The performance doesn’t stand above its station—the CPU is a little slow, and the 512GB solid-state drive a bit restrictive—but this is a reasonably priced system with many ports and long battery life. Another Nitro V 15 model we tested (specifically, ANV15-51-59MT), with the same RTX 4050 inside, is an even better deal for less money as long as it's available. However, if you can find this Acer model on sale, you'll enjoy a capable budget gaming laptop.

Acer's Nitro V 15 comes in various models, but for this review, we’re looking at the ANV15-41-R2Y3 loadout. This $949.99 configuration includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a GeForce RTX 4050 GPU running at 75 watts.

As with any gaming PC, your GPU dictates your gaming performance ceiling. I mean that in the most literal sense, as the RTX 4050 is the entry point into Nvidia's 40-series GPUs and, thus, the least potent current-generation graphics chip you'll find. That's part of the package when shopping at this price. The previous Intel-based Nitro model we reviewed also packed an RTX 4050, as did a Lenovo LOQ 15 model, though an even cheaper Lenovo LOQ 15 (15IAX9I) variant housed an Intel Arc A530M GPU.