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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) depends on your priorities. The Acer is less expensive, has a larger screen, and includes a number pad, making it suitable for general use and budget-conscious consumers. However, it has less storage and shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro, which might be important for those who need more space and all-day battery without charging. The MacBook Pro offers superior build quality, a better keyboard, and higher screen resolution, which is ideal for creative work and engineering tasks, but this comes at a higher price and with less portability due to its smaller screen size. 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 15
- The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
20.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a higher-resolution display and a powerful Apple M1 chip, providing better screen quality and performance for general use compared to the Acer Aspire 3 15 which has a lower-resolution screen and a less powerful CPU. Additionally, the MacBook's lighter build and longer battery life offer better portability and usage time, making it more suitable for on-the-go users than the Acer Aspire 3 15, which has a larger screen and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.3
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is equipped with a dedicated AMD Radeon GPU which is more suitable for gaming compared to the integrated Apple M1 GPU in the MacBook Pro 13; both laptops have an equivalent screen refresh rate but the Mac's limited gaming library could be a drawback for those interested in popular game titles that are not available on MacOS.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.3
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers fair performance for engineering and design due to its adequate but not high-end AMD Ryzen CPU, standard RAM, and basic GPU which together may struggle with intensive tasks, along with a standard screen resolution and quality. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is better suited for engineering and design, thanks to its more powerful Apple M1 chip, higher screen resolution with superior color accuracy and brightness, although with the tradeoff of being higher-priced.
Content Creation
7.0
7.8
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.0
7.8
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
6.2
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has an adequate display for everyday tasks with respectable resolution and brightness, but it may lack the color accuracy and wide color gamuts needed for precise engineering and design work. The MacBook Pro 13 offers a high-resolution, bright display with excellent color reproduction that professionals in engineering and design will find superior, but since it’s not built with gaming in mind, its refresh rate is lower, making it less suitable for high-frame-rate 3D applications. Because of these characteristics, the Acer Aspire caters well to general users seeking value, while the MacBook Pro is tailored for creatives who prioritize screen fidelity over gaming performance.
Battery
9.5 Hours
20.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$1,249
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) costs $1,249.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $1,249 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 8.36" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Apple M1 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 20 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 58.2 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and it's easy to carry around. The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Its Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and integrated graphics can only handle simple tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, so it isn't ideal for students in more technical fields like 3D graphics. Unfortunately, the battery lasts only around six to seven hours of light use."
Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2022
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
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.
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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.
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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