Acer Nitro 5 - Nothing but Pain - Caught between Harvey Norman and Acer over The Acer Nitro 5 Being Dodgy

So, black friday sales purchased the nitro 5 on special, grabbed one for me and one for my father.

Had issues from the get go with them where harvey's sold us an incorrect model and so on but after lots of faffing around they sent us a giftcard to make up for it, so figured that would be over.

These things has always ran warm but figured the cooling in there was accurate. Well we were wrong on that, I started to experience the system locking up, crashing, deathscreens and so on.

I mainly use mine for work and gaming, got to a point where if i'm playing any game not even heavy intensive stuff, it's loud, it's running hot and anything after an hour is too much on it.

My father uses his for movies, he gets medical care multiple times a week where he relies on a laptop to watch movies off, again nothing strenuous he's there for a minimum of 4 hours ago, so having the laptop shut itself down after 2-3 hours for him is a huge pain in the pass when he can barely move while being treated.

So contact harvey's who handballed us to acer, acer claim no such issues known and try to fob us off.

Find others on ozb and reddit who have had exact same issues including a few people who claimed they went to harvey's and were offered an instant refund and took it.

Harvey's acted like this never happened until I linked them to the posts and we didn't really get anywhere and I laid into Acer who tried to claim that :

My fan must be faulty, so the system is not getting cold because the fan is simply not cooling it (yeah no).

Telling me to reflash a bios on there and a bunch of other sketchy crap that was beyond it and my alltime favorite, suggesting that I load custom settings into their intro sense program to have the fans (the fans they just said were broken) to run flat chat at all times.

We're not just talking during me playing gaming, we're talking even using word, or my father watching movies, which again he's in a ward full of other people wearing headphones, having a computer that sounds like a jet engine breaking the sound barrier isn't going to go down well.

Acer keep pretending that our issues are isolated (yet we're having the same issues from two identical laptops) and start to demand we send them in for 5-6 weeks to be inspected.

We'd already gotten rid of our previous laptops, we've got nothing to go back on, we need these for daily use, we can transfer to another laptop, but again acer keep doing the whole, nah we need those back in their current config or we're not doing anything.

I keep pressing acer and try to get them to admit that after seeing numerous posts of issues with the nitro 5 series that they obviously must know something and they eventually cave in an email and state that they are having cooling issues with my laptop that are a well known fault and yeah, take it back to harveys.

I press them again and say hey look, is it just this model? if I go back to harvey's and ask for them to swap it for a different model nitro 5 am I going to have any issues, are there any current nitro 5's that have no issues?

I get told they're experiencing issues with ALL their nitro 5 series at current due to the design.

So figured this would be good enough to go back to harvey's and have something done….. nope in the months since it's been back and forth emails which a lot of the time have been ignored until i've called them where they've tried to point the finger back at acer.

I've sent them in all the details and reference numbers about dealing with acer, and today I get them offering another gift card and no real solution.

So we're now stuck with two nitro 5's that if you load them up cold you've got an hour or two if you are doing anything more than internet browsing before things go to crap.

Acer have admitted they know about this issue with their entire lineup, yet instead of a recall they're pushing it back on harveys.

Harvey's havn't offered a solution and are blaming acer, yet they're still stocking their laptops and keep frequently putting this series on sale at a price point no other brand can seem to match and it's starting to seem there is a reason why.

I'm honestly at a point of not knowing what to do here, i've told harvey's i'm happy to swap these over for something comparable that's not this, they've stated that's not doable as acer have to provide an option for them and they're "Firm" on their policies (implying acer aren't playing ball here).

Acer keep telling me to go and get harvey to sort it.

Harvey's say all they're being left with is us sending the laptops away which again, can't be done.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

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  • +6

    So, if there is a fault, why haven't you asked HN to send it away for you, to send it away to be repaired or replaced by Acer? HN can't really touch it and add more thermal paste, without voiding warranty. Acer need to evaluate this first (like nearly every manufacturer) and see that there is no evidence of tampering, moisture, pest infestation etc.
    Acer generally take @ 2-3 weeks to be repaired in Sydney (though this may change due to CV19 etc). That is how long our Acer took, and it was delayed because they had to obtain 2 parts as the original diagnosis, didn't solve the issue.
    HN (or any other retailer), cannot swap over or obtain a refund without authority from the manufacturer, which in this case is Acer. You can contact fair trading etc, and they will then ask if you were offered the chance to have it evaluated by the manufacturer.

    • -1

      we need the computers for daily use. Can't be without them don't have any backup.

      We would transfer files onto a drive and put them on another device but again we just don't have the ability to get anything else in that can get the job done.

      Sending said computers off for 4-6 weeks just is not a possibility.

      • Most places will overquote at the moment, especially during this crazy period. Our Acer took 3 weeks, but we lost a few days due to Anzac Day, and Easter.

        • -2

          again even two days would be too much.

          I need mine for work, I also play competetively.

          He has hospital visits where he's lying there awake unable to do much atleast 3 times a week where he will usually go through 3-4 movies (albiet now with a cool down period in between them).

          • +4

            @typhoonadventure: If you play competitively, what desktop do you own?
            Also, ask your employer for a loan unit etc. IF they need you to do work on a PC, they should supply it. Remind them Tax Time is coming up.

            • -1

              @BewareOfThe Dog: Don't own a desktop, went completely over to laptops years ago. Found it way more cost effective to just get a new model laptop every 12-24 months.

              The gap between a laptop being able to play mainstream comp titles vs dumping a ton of money on a desktop closed a long time ago.

              Also if you were going to go down that route as well, good luck getting a graphics card for the last year.

              I hate to sound blunt on this one but i'm not really looking at going through why I don't want to play ball with their requirements and how its inconveniencing us.

              This is a product bought off the shelf failing at what it should be able to do in basic, the fact that they want the fans on it cranked up at all times to do things it should be able to do in a standard mode without crapping itself. and that they want to take 6 weeks to "chuck a look" when they can take 3-4 weeks to even reply to an email just isn't good enough.

              • @typhoonadventure: I think you are wasting your time.

                Just backup everything, and get the unit to Hardly Normals ASAP. And hopefully they can get it to Acer ASAP. And hopefully Acer can diagnose it ASAP. And hopefully they can attempt to reboot the system/flash new BIOS and Drivers, maybe replace the Thermal Compound, and check out the fans. And when they deem it "fit" (even if still broken) hopefully they can ship it back to Hardly Normals to you ASAP. And that both Hardly Normals and Acer can contact you about pick up ASAP.

                So there's a chance:
                - they might replace with a new unit
                - they might say sorry, he's your money back
                - they might flaff you around and you have to force a refund

                But Acer's reputation has been trending down for the past decade. Worse comes to worse, you might sell the laptop privately and sidegrade to something that works properly for your necessary specifications.

                • -1

                  @Kangal: I don't have sending it in as an option. Not having computers for a few days for us is bad, not having them for weeks just isn't doable.

                  We don't have backup computers or the ability to get them :(

                  • +12

                    @typhoonadventure: Unfortunately, you don't have a choice.
                    You need to ask for a loaner, which isn't a great idea imho. Or just use an older model. Otherwise you will have to buy a new one.

                    If you sit on this issue, it's not going to go away. It will get worse. And the longer the time, the more reluctantly they will be to help you. You may even end up with an expensive paperweight. Then you still can't get work done.

                    So get out of your current mindset. You HAVE to send it in, and do it quick. First backup everything, second look for a solution in the meantime.

                    • @Kangal: People have to get their head out of this mindset of we can just find or buy other computers, it's not an option.

                      You might be able to do it, awesome for you, we don't have that option or ability.

                      Acer have admitted fault in this, right now the issue is with them and harvey's playing pass the buck on it.

                      I was hoping to get some of the others who had purchased this model and had the similar issues to come forward on this one and let me know how things went with them including the people who claimed they'd been sorted out.

                      • +10

                        @typhoonadventure: Look, I am sympathetic to your plight.
                        You said you NEED it for WORK. Which takes priority over you from gaming. So get something that works in the interim. You can Loan Laptops from certain places, buy them from private sales and sell them shortly after, or just buy a good-quality model with the intention of keeping it for the future and getting a refund from the Acer.

                        The longer you keep thinking "no" the worse it becomes for you. You cannot hold unto it and expect things will be fine. So organise yourself, and then when it is possible send it in. But do it at haste, there have been many consumers burned by the warranty process in the past. Don't be another victim.

                        Or be one, I cannot make the decision for you. I wish you luck.

                      • +7

                        @typhoonadventure: For someone who relies so so much on 1 laptop for everything and not have a backup/disaster recovery is crazy.

                        It seems for someone like you, you need to have a backup plan to switch across at the drop of a hat.

                        I also rely on my laptop for a host of things and can't be down, for longer than a day, hence I have not one extra, but 2 identical laptops ready to go. Software, programs etc, all pre-installed.

                        Now this has happened and you have nothing to fall back on. Just like the massess who never run daily/weekly backups.

                        Time to get smart or you will be in a world of pain

                      • @typhoonadventure: You're in a bad place. This is your only option then that's it. So your only option is to manage the issue. I think you know what to do but just in case.

                        Things to manage the issue:
                        - run cool sense on max as advised
                        - buy a cooling pad to go under the laptop if you can afford it.
                        - throttle processing power in advance power options
                        - Disable dedicated graphics card driver in device manager

                        I don't think anyone is going to give you a refund out of a a few weeks from purchase without a chance to inspect it even if there is a widespread issue. I feel recalls are more for potential safety issues rather than bad products.

                        Almost all laptops I've had have had bad thermal management. The Acer nitro 5 I have actually seems better than most but not saying that is everyone's experience. I had a Toshiba that worked great with a cooling pad I used every day from very early on, one day I didn't use it and it shut down in an hour of running. Also would smell it when playing games. I also had a HP that very early on stopped working with graphical glitches, bad thermal connection to the heatsinks.

                        Laptops are generally crap and I've sort of accepted that and just do my best to manage issues especially when outside warranty.

                        If you had the issues you described and they were happy to look at it under warranty. I would 100% send it back.

                        Also make sure it is cooling. I had a lot of issues with mine that it would crash and reboot when loading some games. Turns out a lot of people have issues with NVIDIA/Intel laptops and disabling the drivers manually for which one I want to use helped alleviate that particular issue.

          • +2

            @typhoonadventure:

            I also play competetively.

            On a domestic retail machine.

            • -1

              @terrys: may shock you as well but you don't need nike shoes to go for a run.

              Contrary to a lot of marketting not everyone games on a desktop with the latest of everything with mad overclocking.

              Mate of mine who's playing two different games in league on a clapped out 970.

      • +3

        we need the computers for daily use. Can't be without them don't have any backup

        Should have bought laptops with 24/7 on site support then……

  • +1

    Silly question, but why did your father buy a gaming machine? It would most obviously use a fan, which people around hom would eventually find annoying, when dust creeps in etc. A Macbook Air would have been a better choice. They are as quiet as (No Fan).

    • he's old, stubborn and likes cool things. He also hates Apple with a passion.

      Before this I had him on a Dell G3. He watched blurays off an external drive as well as downloaded content through VLC media player.

      This laptop could do everthing he wanted and more with a better screen than the G3 had so after I showed him what I was getting he wanted one too.

      Apple are also insanely expensive and this price point was one he could stomach.

      • He cannot hate Apple more than me. I have been dealing with these selfish, ignorant twats for 32 years. 2 years ago I built a Ryzentosh, then July 30 last year I bought a MBPro. I use it for music, and as we don't earn enough to claim expenses, I can claim a Macbook on tax, compared to a Nord or Roland Jupiter Keyboard.
        I rate Windows a more logical and better OS than MacOS, just as Samsung Galaxy phones are far superior and better value for money than iPhones, however, I am responding to this on my Macbook.
        Foxconn employees in China are paid $3AU an hour to make iPhones, of which 40-50% of the components come from Samsung Vietnam, where employees are paid as much as $6AU an hour. Furthermore, the iPhone components are made from a lower grade, than what Samsung put in their S or Z series.

        • I had a mate go over and do their risk management profiles in the factories to meet targets and reduce lost hours.

          He summed it up for me in two words, suicide nets.

          • @typhoonadventure: Yes, the suicide nets, chain mesh and barbed wire have reduced suicides, as people jumping off buildings are not visible. Now they do it at home, and nobody knows any different. Like anything in a communist regime.

  • +2

    Ask to talk the the franchisee when you go to Harvey's and show him the run arround you have had and the acknowledgement from Acer in an email that the laptops have an issue and I bet it will be fixed.

    If the franchisee does not want to do anything then let him know you will be making a complaint to the state department that looks after complaints (you need to look up winch one it is in your state).

    • I hate conflict, what would be a way to tone this down to avoid a conflict, this feels like it would be going in for a fight.

      • +12

        In that case suck it up and buy another laptop.

        You will need to have conflict to get this fixed if no one is going to help you.

        • +1

          Agreed since hey buys new laptops every 12-24 for work and competitive gaming lol

      • Acer will, and must be compliant but only with your send8ng it back to them to properly evaluate. HN won't accept responsibility for this, and you will need to push Acer into doing the right thing. I have a lower end Acer that dropped its screen completely 2 weeks out of its Acer warranty. I mentioned consumer rights when talking with their tech support re the fault…they sent me a printable shipping label to send it back to Sydney (from Cairns). It came back with a new screen in around 10 days total time.
        I truly believe you won't get a better outcome than this…..in my firm opinion, it will be as good as it gets and, yes, I do fully understand things re your needs & wants. You'll need to compromise here, or you'll have a laptop that you find unusable. I would also reiterate what others have mentioned re cooling pads to place underneath the unit….unless you've already tried them, they could provide you with a workable solution more suitable to you. When I spoke with Acer, I had already found the issue was a commonly reported one online - obviously, you should do the same, if needed, to apply pressure.
        I wish you well, feel your pain and angst, but the outcome here is fairly clear. It's also a very valid point made by many, that with your needs re gaming, work & so on, is more than great enough to have a back up plan, whatever that might involve, to deal with such eventualities so that you need never be without the laptop/the means to keep gaming competitively etc
        I wish you a good outcome.

    • +2

      Franchisee will say, that the manufacturer needs to evaluate it. Unless he can convince the Acer Rep, to authorise a credit on it.

      • It will be quicker and get a resolution quicker than the buck passing that it going on.

        • All he can do is ask. :)

        • Some sales reps in some areas are better than others. It maybe a matter of seeing if the matter can be escalated.

        • +3

          I think if OP went to Fair Trading etc, they will say the unit has to be sent away to the manufacturer, to determine the unit is defective, and is to be repaired or replaced.

          • @BewareOfThe Dog: we've already had the manufacturer declare that it's a known issue and that the current nitro 5 series are suffering from it.

            That should be good enough to go yeah our bad, let's sort this out.

            It just seems like each side is now trying to push the sorting it part on to the other.

            I've made it dead clear we're not having another nitro 5 if it's the current model as acer have declared it's a known issue with no proper fix.

      • This is literally what i'm getting with each round, each side keeps saying its the others problem.

        • +1

          You are speaking with employees and not the franchisee (the boss).

          • @AndyC1: I find it really weird they're offering a gift card and no solution, it just seems like they want this to go away instead of being resolved.

            I'd be happy if they went, hey we've got something else here with comparable specs, copy your files off, wipe the laptops and we'll swap over, but they've not even offered an option for that.

            A few other users on here and reddit had the exact same issues and claim that harvey's gave them no issue and gave them a full refund.

            We've not even been offered that and this problem has been known about since the end of last year.

            • +1

              @typhoonadventure: Hn can't swap it over without authorisation unless they can duplicate this in store. Once they, swap it, they own it. Then they need acer to credit it, otherwise they have a 2nd hand unit with limited wty to sell. Do you have video evidence?

            • @typhoonadventure: HN usses franchisee model and each store and department within the store normally has a different owner (franchisee). The only store owned by Gerry is the one at Auburn in Sydney.

              Different franchisees will work slightly differently depending on what they jnow and what they have seen and what they have been told.

          • @AndyC1: Is the store large, or in the country? Meant for op.

  • -2

    so having the laptop shut itself down after 2-3 hours for him is a huge pain in the pass

    That's not faulty. It's normal.

    Can you get your dad a cheap tablet, borrow his laptop and then send off yours for repair?

    • hows that normal? its not running on battery, it's overheating

      • +2

        Okay. Probably should mention that.

    • +5

      That's not faulty. It's normal.

      Nice try Acer.

  • +3

    These days it's a lot easier to obtain a replacement, than it was 20 years ago, however, you will need to be without the unit for the time it takes. The time taken can be determined by staff on leave, public holidays, courier delays, how many jobs are in the queue before you. I know how frustrating this can be, having been on both sides of the fence. As frustrating as it can be, ask for the franchisee or store manager. Usually there is a sign near the counter. Otherwise lodge a complaint on the hn website, which will be referred back to the franchisee or 2ic.

  • +2

    It could even be something as silly as a windows setting. Otherwise, not enough paste on the CPU/gpu, or the fan is defective, shock are simple fixes by Acer.

    • They've already confirmed its a known issue to the nitro 5 series with no known fix.

      This implies it's defective by design.

      part of acer's initial reply after being pushed and them admitting knowing the issues with my model :

      "We would like you to know that there is series of overheating issues not just with the same Acer model you have. However, we take full responsibility about the issue because we provide necessary resolution to have it fixed"

      • +1

        Regrettably the necessary resolution will be for Acer to look at it, unless you can convince the hn franchisee/acer otherwise.

        • +1

          it's really not an option.

          I think i'm at the point of just having to insist on a refund and source alternatve laptops

      • +1

        mine seems OK

  • -1

    Internet says: clean your fans and put a heat sink over the PCH.

  • +5

    It might have been easier if the OP just called bewareofthedog and discussed this topic 🙂

    • :)

    • Beware of all the consumers who are watching this unfold.

  • Why don't you run a GPU benchmark and film it until it bluescreens ? They won't just refund or replace it on the spop without it going off to be checked for physical damage who's to say it doesn't have liquid damage all through it causing this issues ?

  • +2

    Based on both the original post and replies, it sounds like you won't reach a solution that will meet your requirements; as such, I'm not entirely sure what this community can do to assist (but it's great to see others trying to do so).

    The Nitro 5 is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest, machines in its category - I can see how the laptops have been frustrating you, but some of the issues you're experiencing (thermal management and battery life) could be a byproduct of the computer being made to sell at an aggressive price point (the CPU, GPU and display in these machines will represent the majority of the total BoM cost).

  • I had the GPU go on my Nitro 5, it was away for about 2 weeks, they're a lot faster than they quote.

  • Solution:
    - Backup your laptops
    - Buy a portable DVD player for your father and some DVDs for $1 each at garage sales or even a big box for free as many people want to clear them out. Or, buy a cheap Android tablet for him and a tablet stand, and load/unload movies for each time he needs to go in (assuming the memory won't be enough for several weeks worth)
    - Buy a $200 cheap laptop to get your work done
    - Give HN your laptops and get them to fix them
    - Sell the cheap laptop when you get your laptops back.

    You don't need to game every day, it will do you good to detox for a few weeks.

    Done.

    • -1

      unfortunately with his disabilites and comfort level it's not an option, he's content with having a laptop plugged in, a mouse put under his one free hand and choose what he watches and getting the nurse to change the discs if he's watching blurays.

      He's wont use a tablet or a portable dvd player, we tried to put them on him at the start of his treatment a couple of years ago and it just doesn't work for him.

      As for the rest of it, honestly it's just coming across as a lot of people passing judgment which I really don't appreciate.

      We're in a situation where purchased item isn't doing the basics of what it should, manufacturers admitted fault and we're having them and the retailer diddling back and forth playing not it. Theres nothing to be gained by sending them in and we have have the ability for alternatives.

      Theres no arguing that or moving around it, that's just how it is.

      Again was hoping to hear from other people who have been through similar situation with this laptop or retailer and their results, I don't mean any disrespect to anyone out of it but that's the only real information that's going to help here.

      • +3

        Theres nothing to be gained by sending them in and we have have the ability for alternatives.

        Yes there is, they get fixed. You don't really have a choice if you want working laptops.

        unfortunately with his disabilites and comfort level it's not an option, he's content with having a laptop plugged in, a mouse put under his one free hand and choose what he watches and getting the nurse to change the discs if he's watching blurays.

        Buy him a $200 laptop off gumtree or Facebook marketplace then - he doesn't need a gaming laptop. If he's very attached to his current laptop you can sell the $200 one when his comes back.

        An even better option - buy the $200 laptop for your father and send his in to be fixed, and use yours for work; then when your father's laptop comes back send yours in and use his for work, then when that's back go back to using yours, your father can have his back, and you can sell the $200 laptop. The only cost to this is that your father has to use a less powerful laptop for watching movies on (really doesn't sound that could possibly be a dealbreaker, you don't need a lot of power for watching movies), and you get working laptops back.

        You should really listen to the people in the thread that are telling you you will have to make a compromise if you want to have working laptops. The longer you put it off the worse the laptops will behave until they're totally dead and the less likely HN are going to be willing to get them fixed for you. There's no miracle that means you won't have to ever be without at least one of the laptops.

        • +2

          And the cheap notebook, probably has a built-in DVD player, whereas the Acer Nitro I assume doesn't and requires an external DVD drive?

  • +2

    As @silentsoar points out, these things are made to a price.
    That however does not mean the product escapes the consumer test of fitness for purpose.
    Given that these machines fail under conditions of average load, they fail to acceptably provide satisfactory usage.
    If you are not getting any joy from Acer or HN (who should ideally have just refunded and charged back to Acer), your next stop should have been to register a complaint with your relevant Consumer Affairs body.
    It's not too late to do this and I would suggest you stop trying to plead to the retailer or manufacturer and open a case.
    Normally, once the claim paperwork is received by Acer, they will find it expedient (cost effective) to simply close the matter in your favour.
    Never mess about with retailers or distributors, if you are experiencing problems with a product, all you need do is give them one chance to correct the issue.
    No further rectification steps are needed before you drag Consumer Affairs into the argument.
    You may have to return the machines for inspection which is an unavoidable exercise if the Acer distributor demands it (that is their right), so get a free Google account to back up your files.
    You will lose both machines if your claim is successful though.

    • Honestly if we can just get the ball rolling and get something else at the same time that will work fine. Honestly if HN had somethign similar to swap over to, would be more than happy to backup the data go in swap them and then spend the night getting them ready to be rolling again the next day.

    • your next stop should have been to register a complaint with your relevant Consumer Affairs body

      This isn't going to help. If HN are willing to send the laptops to Acer for repair that will be deemed a satisfactory solution and OP won't be able to make them do anything further.

      • The distributor/manufacturer has the legal right to attempt a rectification, though they only get one chance at it.
        If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved a refund is usual.
        My main point should be clarified though; it would appear this is a common fault with these laptops due to an engineering fault.
        Under these circumstances, the distributor will know there is no resolution for the problem so will usually refund once the claim paperwork arrives (the costs involved in disputation will outweigh the costs of refund or replacement with an upgraded unit).
        Go the Consumer Affairs route for a structured methodology offering a certain resolution.

  • +2

    OP, if you're going to buy another laptop for work in the interim probably best to do it now before the end of the current FY.

  • +1

    Op needs to wake up to himself.. Send it off for warranty and wait or buy a new laptop

  • Thread closed as requested by OP

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