A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is significantly less expensive and suitable for general use and light gaming, but it lacks the high-end features of the MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023). The MacBook Pro, although more expensive, offers better performance for intensive tasks such as engineering work, 3D modeling, or machine learning thanks to its powerful Apple M3 chip. It also boasts superior display quality, with a Mini LED screen that offers high brightness and a wide color gamut, which is essential for professionals in video editing or design. Additionally, the MacBook Pro provides a longer battery life for extended use on the go. If portability, top-tier screen quality, and high performance are essential and cost is less of a concern, the MacBook Pro is the better choice. Conversely, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option for everyday tasks and lighter workloads, the Acer Aspire 3 14 should be sufficient. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 3 14
- The Acer Aspire 3 14 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a superior processor, more vibrant and higher resolution screen, and longer battery life, which enhances its performance, visual experience, and usability on the go, making it good for general use. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 3 offers fair general use capabilities with a decent processor and adequate screen quality, but its shorter battery life and more basic screen don't match the MacBook’s premium features, although it maintains good portability and silent operation.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.7
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, sporting an AMD Radeon 610M GPU and a standard 60Hz screen, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D applications, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14, equipped with the stronger Apple M3 GPU and a higher refresh rate Mini LED screen offering 120HZ, provides better performance for 3D tasks. However, the MacBook Pro's MacOS limits the availability of popular games compared to Acer's Windows platform.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.1
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers a fair level of engineering and design performance, equipped with an AMD processor and graphics, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14's higher suitability for engineering and design tasks is attributed to Apple's M3 processor and integrated 10-core GPU, which deliver superior performance. Additionally, the MacBook Pro boasts a higher-quality Mini LED screen with greater resolution and brightness, enhancing visual detail crucial for design work.
Content Creation
7.2
8.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.1
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.1
9.2
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 3's fair screen quality stems from its adequate resolution and brightness, which are sufficient for daily tasks, while the MacBook Pro excels with a high-resolution, bright display with more vibrant colors. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro's superior screen supports a wider range of colors, crucial for accuracy in visual work, whereas the Acer's display is adequate but less precise in color reproduction. For 3D work, the MacBook Pro's poor refresh rate limits its ability to smoothly render fast-moving images, despite its high resolution and panel quality, while the Acer's lower screen capabilities also make it less ideal for such tasks.
Battery
9.5 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$434
$1,649
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,649.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Acer Aspire 3 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,649 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Apple M3 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 489 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Acer Aspire 3 14 vs. ASUS Vivobook 17
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 3 14 vs. HP Envy x360 15"
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 3 14 vs. HP 15" Laptop
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) vs. ASUS ROG Flow Z13
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) vs. Acer Predator Helios 16
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
