Gaming
Acer announces new Nitro 17 gaming laptop
Mumbai: Acer has announced the Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-72) gaming laptop, unlocking improved performance, immersive experiences, plus essential features for playing and multi-tasking on the go. The device is powered by the latest Intel® Core™ 14th gen processors, featuring Intel’s Performance Hybrid Architecture with improved power and core frequencies to manage workloads efficiently. At the same time, NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. Built for Microsoft Copilot and the next wave of computing, the Nitro laptop provides access to Copilot in Windows via a dedicated Copilot key, making it even easier to harness the power of AI to assist with productivity and creativity tasks.
Users can feast their eyes on immersive visuals and pristine colors on the device’s 17-inch QHD display with a fast 165 Hz refresh rate and support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature. The Nitro 17 is further supported by an advanced cooling system, AI-assisted communication features, and NitroSense™ software for full device control. To top it all off, the Windows 11 gaming laptop is shipped with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of high-quality games to be explored with friends on PC, console, or cloud.
Acer Nitro 17: All-around Gaming Experiences Made Accessible
Acer’s Nitro laptop line gets a significant upgrade with the addition of up to an Intel Core i7 processor 14700HX and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, a powerful combination in a budget-friendly gaming device. Casual gamers and students can expect a fluid experience gaming, streaming, or working thanks to Intel’s latest and fastest mobile gaming processors that seamlessly allocate power to optimize device performance. Built with the ultra-efficient NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, the GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU powers the laptop’s breathtaking graphics with AI-enhanced DLSS 3.5 technology and full ray tracing. GeForce RTX technologies are supported in more than 500 popular games and applications, including blockbuster games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2. As an everyday AI companion, Copilot in Windows lends a hand to accelerate work, creation, and play on the gaming laptop with just one click of the dedicated Copilot key. To let users get the most out of demanding games and applications by reducing load time, the Nitro 17 also supports up to 32 GB of DDR5 5600 MHz memory and up to 2 TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
Players can expect stunning frames and exceptional details when playing their favorite games on the Nitro laptop’s 17.3-inch QHD display (2560 x 1440) which boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio, 165 Hz[1] refresh rate and 3 ms overdrive response time, and eye-popping colors from DCI-P3 100% color gamut. Plus, support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature solidifies frames and allows for dynamic graphics switching without having to reboot the device. The laptop utilizes a streamlined thermal design with the integration of dual fan quad-intake and quad exhaust systems, vector heat pipes, and liquid metal thermal grease on the CPU to minimize throttle and help the components operate at full capacity for longer productivity.
When streaming or communicating in-game, Acer PurifiedVoice™ 2.0 with a three-microphone setup harnesses the power of AI to filter unwanted ambient noise and lets the users’ voices stand out through its speakers with DTS:X® Ultra, while the HD webcam utilizes the Acer PurifiedView’s™ AI-powered solutions for enhanced on-screen experiences with automatic framing, eye-contact, and background blur. An integrated NitroSense and mode switch key lets players exercise greater control by instantly giving access to customize the laptop’s 4-zone RGB keyboard lighting and an overview of the laptop’s performance, temperature, power meters, and more in real-time. For lightning-fast and high-quality connectivity, the Nitro 17 provides a full-fledged range of ports; two Type C USB with Thunderbolt™ 4, HDMI 2.1, and a Micro SD card reader. It also comes with Killer DoubleShot™ Pro Ethernet E3100G and Wi-Fi 6E compatibility for seamless network connections.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
