Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-55M1 Troubleshooting

Important Note

In all cases for troubleshooting, the first thing that should be checked is if any Windows updates are available. Yes, even the optional ones! Most of the time the issue can be solved with updates so make it the first step! This can be performed by going into Settings, then Updates, then checking for updates.

Some users have experienced an unexpected decline in performance in comparison to other products.

Since the release of the device, there have been quite a few BIOS-level fixes. The most recent one can be downloaded at this link here.

To update the BIOS, open the downloaded zip archive, as well as the application in it. The application will give on-screen instructions on how the BIOS will be updated. Additionally, make sure the laptop is plugged into power throughout this process.

Make sure that the graphics driver is updated by opening GeForce Experience and checking for updates. If GeForce Experience does not exist on the computer, the application can be downloaded here.

If there aren't any updates or the performance was not improved, the driver can also be uninstalled and reinstalled. Open Settings and go into the Apps section. Find the NVIDIA Driver package and uninstalled it. The display may flash a few times and is normal. Once uninstalled, install GeForce Experience to find the most recent driver for the system.

In some cases, the power draw of the computer is limited and is hindering the performance. Open Settings and search for "Power & Sleep." On the bottom or the right side of the menu, there is a button for "additional power settings." This will open another window to be able to choose a power plan. Make sure this power plan is on "performance" instead of "battery saver."

The display will appear to be "faded" in a separate area. A photo example of this can be found here.

Check the left, right, and top sides of the device for an HDMI output. This model has an HDMI port on the right side of the device. Use an HDMI cable to plug the laptop into a TV or monitor with an HDMI input. HDMI is the only display output that exists on the device. If the projection on the secondary display does not have the "fading" effect, this is a hardware issue with the display, and it needs to be repaired.

To double-check, a second HDMI cable can be tested on the connection. The first one could be faulty, and using a second one gives insurance on the issue.

Since the release of the device, there have been quite a few BIOS-level fixes. The most recent one can be downloaded at this link here.

To update the BIOS, open the downloaded zip archive, as well as the application in it. The application will give on-screen instructions on how the BIOS will be updated. Additionally, make sure the laptop is plugged into power throughout this process.

Make sure that the graphics driver is updated by opening GeForce Experience and checking for updates. If GeForce Experience does not exist on the computer, the application can be downloaded here.

If there aren't any updates or the performance was not improved, the driver can also be uninstalled and reinstalled. Open Settings and go into the Apps section. Find the NVIDIA Driver package and uninstalled it. The display may flash a few times and is normal. Once uninstalled, install GeForce Experience to find the most recent driver for the system.

Windows has an option to "refresh" where it will remove all applications from the system, but keep personal files. It also reinstalled a fresh version of Windows. Go into Settings, and in the search bar type "refresh." The first option will be a "reset this pc" prompt, and pick the option to keep all of your files. The on-screen instructions will guide you through the rest of the process.

If all else fails, you may be experiencing "artifacting." Artifacting is a visual error when the encoding of data fails. The graphics card is what encodes this data, and transmits it to the display. Check the warranty on your device here, and consider sending it out for service.

Some users have experienced the "clicking" or complete absence of sounds coming from the device.

Since the release of the device, there have been quite a few BIOS-level fixes. The most recent one can be downloaded at this link here.

To update the BIOS, open the downloaded zip archive, as well as the application in it. The application will give on-screen instructions on how the BIOS will be updated. Additionally, make sure the laptop is plugged into power throughout this process.

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows start menu and click the "Device Manager" option. Uninstall the "Realtek Audio Driver" from the Audio dropdown menu. Once uninstalled, restart the computer. The driver will be replaced with a default driver that Windows has saved.

Alternatively, repeat the same steps by uninstalling the driver, but do NOT restart. On the Acer support page for this device which can be found here, download the most recent "Realtek Audio Driver." Open and install the package by following the on-screen instructions, and restart the computer.

The network will randomly drop out from the device and disconnect, to then reconnect seconds later.

If possible, try running the device on a completely different network. Doing this will diagnose whether the local network or the device is the issue.

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows start menu and click the "Device Manager" option. Uninstall the "Intel Wireless Driver" from the Network Adapters dropdown menu. Once uninstalled, restart the computer. The driver will be replaced with a default driver that Windows has saved.

Alternatively, repeat the same steps by uninstalling the driver, but do NOT restart. On the Acer support page for this device which can be found here, download the most recent "Wireless LAN Intel Driver." Open and install the package by following the on-screen instructions, and restart the computer.

The touchpad is not functioning correctly and the cursor cannot be moved.

This device has a way to enable and disable the touchpad with a press of a button. Press Fn and F7 together to toggle on/off the touchpad. Test to see if it works!

Open Settings and search for the "Touchpad" menu. At the bottom of the menu, there is a button to reset all touchpad settings. Click that button and restart the computer.

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows start menu and click the "Device Manager" option. Uninstall the "Synaptics/ELANTECH Touchpad Driver" from the Interface dropdown menu. Once uninstalled, restart the computer. The driver will be replaced with a default driver that Windows has saved.

Alternatively, repeat the same steps by uninstalling the driver, but do NOT restart. On the Acer support page for this device which can be found here, download the most recent "Touchpad Driver." There are two versions depending on the manufacturer of the touchpad. When uninstalling, if the driver said "Synaptics" or "ELANTECH," the same driver needs to be reinstalled. The drivers are not cross-compatible. Open and install the package by following the on-screen instructions, and restart the computer.