Are you aware that half of the gaming community consists of women? They aren’t merely gamers; they’re casual ones. Consequently, Acer believes they warrant a laptop exclusively for them—or at least that’s what they conveyed during their IFA briefing. The message and its execution were awkward enough to deserve a skeptical glance, yet I chose to trust Acer when I laid eyes on the Nitro V 14. That was a mistake.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. For an introductory, budget-friendly gaming laptop like the Nitro series, the V 14 is quite impressive. It boasts a robust snow-white plastic design with a turquoise “N,” identical to the hue found on Acer’s top-tier Predator series of gaming laptops. The keys are illuminated with turquoise lighting, offering a striking appearance. I was set to appreciate this device until I examined its specifications.

Scheduled for release, the Nitro V 14 will feature a 14.5-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh, and a 3-millisecond response period. For resolution options, you have the choice between a 1920 x 1200 panel or a 2560 x 1600 display. This is a promising beginning, even an excellent one. The machine includes a MUX switch, up to an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, with a maximum of 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and up to 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD. Everything thus far appears promising.

Yet I slammed on the brakes when I saw the dedicated graphics component. This laptop supports a maximum of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. So let me confirm this, Acer. Are you implying that females can only manage lesser GPUs? That they can’t harness the strength of a 4060 or heaven forbid a 4090? Since age four, I’ve been part of the gaming world, and I am not pleased that only the most basic specifications are offered to me. A 4050 will handle my beloved Hades II but won’t run Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, or any of the graphically demanding titles I cherish. Please don’t underestimate me, Acer.

It’s already 2024, Acer; let’s move away from simplistic marketing tactics. Especially since your announcement promotes the V 14 to “gamers, students, and professionals seeking an elegant and highly mobile gaming laptop capable of managing productivity tasks effortlessly…” When uncertain, always remember LLPG—Ladies Love Powerful Graphics.