Acer Nitro 5 vs ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
102 facts in comparison
Based on 806 Reddit opinions. SCAR 18ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 leads by 19 points.
806 opinions
SCAR 18 leads by 19pts
VS
55%
C-
Based on
1,003 Redditors
Acer Nitro 5
~$749
548 opinions
tldr; Legacy budget gaming workhorse. RTX 3050-3070 options. Gets hot and loud but proven reliability at entry-level price.
Check pricesVS
Reddit's Pick
74%
B-
Based on
636 Redditors
Winner
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
~$2,699
258 opinions
tldr; 18-inch esports monster with RTX 4080/4090. 240Hz display, mechanical keyboard. Top performance but loud and heavy.
Check prices🎮GAM
🖥️DIS
🌡️THE
🔋BAT
🔧BUI
50
Points
63
Points
Score by Category
Gaming Performance
76%91%
Display
48%88%
Thermals & Noise
26%65%
Battery Life
23%50%
Build & Portability
29%39%
Why is Strix SCAR 18 better than Acer Nitro 5?
- Higher Reddit score (74% vs 55%)
- Better thermals (65% vs 26%)
- Better build quality (39% vs 29%)
- Better display (88% vs 48%)
- Better gaming performance (91% vs 76%)
- Better battery (50% vs 23%)
- Massive 18-inch screen
- Optical mechanical keyboard
Based on 1,639 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the SCAR 18ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
Winning by 19 points (74% vs 55%)
Better thermals
Better build quality
Better display
High confidence (1,639 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 1,639 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Nitro 5
5.5/10
1,003 mentions
SCAR 18
7.4/10
636 mentions
THERMALS
Nitro 52.6/10
SCAR 186.5/10
BUILD QUALITY
Nitro 52.9/10
SCAR 183.9/10
DISPLAY
Nitro 54.8/10
SCAR 188.8/10
GAMING PERFORMANCE
Nitro 57.6/10
SCAR 189.1/10
VALUE
Nitro 59.6/10
SCAR 184.2/10
BATTERY LIFE
Nitro 52.3/10
SCAR 185.0/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Nitro 5 | SCAR 18 |
|---|---|---|
Thermals | 26% | 65% |
Build Quality | 29% | 39% |
Display | 48% | 88% |
Gaming Performance | 76% | 91% |
Value | 96% | 42% |
Battery Life | 23% | 50% |
Category Wins
Nitro 5: 1|SCAR 18: 5
Head to Head
Nitro 5: 1|SCAR 18: 5
ThermalsSCAR 18
Nitro 526%
SCAR 1865%
Build QualitySCAR 18
Nitro 529%
SCAR 1839%
DisplaySCAR 18
Nitro 548%
SCAR 1888%
Gaming PerformanceSCAR 18
Nitro 576%
SCAR 1891%
ValueNitro 5
Nitro 596%
SCAR 1842%
Battery LifeSCAR 18
Nitro 523%
SCAR 1850%
Nitro 5
55%
74%
SCAR 18
Nitro 555%
SCAR 1874%
Clear winner - SCAR 18 leads by 19 points
Key Specs
| Spec | Acer Nitro 5 | ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | acer | ASUS |
| Manufacturer | Acer | ASUS |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Weight | 4.66 pounds | 6.28 Pounds |
| Height | 9.44 inches | 11.73 inches |
Key Highlights
Acer Nitro 5
💰 Very affordable older models
🌡️ Known to run hot
🔇 Gets loud under load
📌 Decent 1080p gaming
📏 Upgradeable RAM and storage
Some users report issues (25% negative)
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18Winner
📌 Massive 18-inch screen
📌 Optical mechanical keyboard
📌 Up to 240Hz refresh rate
🔇 Gets very loud under load
⚖️ Heavy desktop replacement
Topic Battles
Nitro 5: 0|Tied: 0|SCAR 18: 5
🎮Gaming Performance
SCAR 18 winsNitro 5
76%
SCAR 18
91%
🖥️Display
SCAR 18 winsNitro 5
48%
SCAR 18
88%
🌡️Thermals & Noise
SCAR 18 winsNitro 5
26%
SCAR 18
65%
🔋Battery Life
SCAR 18 winsNitro 5
23%
SCAR 18
50%
🔧Build & Portability
SCAR 18 winsNitro 5
29%
SCAR 18
39%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
Best Praise
+38 pts“Forgive me for my really scuffed setup, I was just so excited to get this up and running already. But I felt extremely lucky yesterday to have found this amazing deal on the Scar 18. I went to Best Buy to finally get a gaming laptop after using a Surface Pro 7 for years now. SP7 just wasn't able to handle my photo and video editing needs anymore along with the games I wanted to play. I was already dead-set on the Scar 18, but found that there were no new models in stock. But the amazing employee kept digging until we noticed an open box unit labeled as "fair". At first I was a little hesitant since I didn't want a used device, but when I inspected it, it looked almost unused. According to the employee, it was a display model that was stored back in. I've spent a day with it now and I'm very happy to say that nothing is wrong with it. Even the battery's still pretty decent. Hopefully I can setup my desk with it soon so I can make it look more presentable.”
r/GamingLaptops
ViewTop Criticism
+29 pts“>the worse decision in my life I'd say dropping out of school prematurely was the worst decision yet as a next step write a book: "How Asus Rog Scar 18 (2025) has destroyed my life". Benchmarks and pictures inside”
r/GamingLaptops
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Acer Nitro 5
Best Praise
+102 pts“I purchased a Acer nitro 5 / i5 cpu / rtx 3050 4gb / 16gb ram back in late 2021 for my son. He has been able to run every game with no issue. 5 nights at Freddy security breach, suicide squad, gta 5, also use it with steam vr on oculus quest 2 to play payday 2 in vr and many other vr games. If that’s what you can afford bro shit works great. If you can afford something a bit better you should go for that then. Bst of luck to you!”
r/GamingLaptops
ViewTop Criticism
+13 pts“Easily the MSI, the ACER is not even a fully powered 5070ti AND you're paying $300 more.”
r/GamingLaptops
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
Acer Nitro 5
SCAR 18
📈Historical Price Data
Acer Nitro 5
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
Acer Nitro 5
All-time low: $579.99(2025-11)
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18
All-time low: $2537.06(2025-09)
$0 below 90-day avg
Which is Better?
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 Wins
74%
18
vs
55%
5
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 leads by 19 points based on 1,639 Reddit opinions.
Why SCAR 18Winner
- 📌 Massive 18-inch screen
- 📌 Optical mechanical keyboard
- 📌 Up to 240Hz refresh rate
Why Nitro 5
- Better Value for Money (96% vs 42%)
- More discussed (1,003 vs 636)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
30%Positive
Positive
30%Neutral
59%Negative
11%Based on 636 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
29%Positive
Positive
29%Neutral
46%Negative
25%Based on 1,003 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 or Acer Nitro 5?
Based on 1,639 Reddit comments, ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 is the preferred choice with 74% positive sentiment vs Acer Nitro 5's 55%. ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 leads by 19 percentage points.
Should I buy ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 or Acer Nitro 5?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 has stronger approval ratings (74% vs 55%). However, Acer Nitro 5 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18?
Reddit users highlight: Massive 18-inch screen. Optical mechanical keyboard. Up to 240Hz refresh rate. With 636 mentions and 74% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Acer Nitro 5?
Reddit users highlight: Very affordable older models. Known to run hot. Gets loud under load. With 1,003 mentions and 55% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,639 Reddit comments: 636 about ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 and 1,003 about Acer Nitro 5. Data was sourced from Gaming Laptops community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
806 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/26/2026