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Updated January 10, 2024·
Selecting the Acer Aspire 3 15 will save you money and still offer decent performance for everyday tasks. However, its lower storage, RAM, and less powerful processor and GPU make it less suitable for intensive tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software. Its battery life is good, but it doesn't last as long as higher-end laptops. The MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is significantly more expensive but provides much better performance thanks to its more advanced processor and GPU. It also has a longer battery life, a higher-resolution Mini LED display with better color accuracy, and higher quality speakers, webcam, and build. It's heavier than the Aspire, but its premium features are better for professional creative work, intensive engineering tasks, and general use. Both lack a touchscreen, with the MacBook offering a superior overall screen experience. If your work is highly demanding or you prioritize screen quality and performance over cost, the MacBook Pro is the better choice. If portability, budget, and satisfactory performance for general use are your main concerns, the Aspire 3 could 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 15
- The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
- Excellent for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
9.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, while suitable for basic tasks with its satisfactory processor, memory, and screen quality, falls short of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)'s performance due to the latter's superior CPU, double the RAM, higher-resolution Mini LED screen, and significantly longer battery life. The MacBook Pro is also praised for its portability and overall build, including its keyboard and speakers, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of general-use scenarios despite being heavier and more expensive than the Acer.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
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 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
While the Acer Aspire 3 15's AMD Radeon 610M GPU and conventional 60Hz screen refresh rate offer a satisfactory gaming and 3D experience, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its powerful Apple M2 Pro integrated graphics and a higher 120Hz refresh rate provides a more fluid visual performance, which is better for 3D applications. However, take into account that many popular games are not compatible with macOS, potentially limiting the MacBook's gaming library compared to the Windows-based Acer.
Engineering and Design
5.9
8.8
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has modest specs with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, lesser RAM and GPU capabilities, and an IPS display, making it fair for engineering and design where CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality are very important; its strength lies in portability and silent operation.
Content Creation
7.0
9.1
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
7.0
8.9
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 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
6.2
9.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 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, with its fair screen quality, offers a balance suitable for everyday tasks and non-demanding engineering applications, but its display lacks the clarity and vividness needed for immersive gaming and detailed 3D work due to a lower refresh rate and less vibrant color range. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 excels in general use and engineering design because of its high-resolution display, bright screen, and wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color representation and crisp visuals for detailed designs. However, for 3D applications where fast motion is key, the MacBook Pro falls short due to a refresh rate that's not optimized for high-speed rendering, which is crucial for smooth motion in games and animations.
Battery
9.5 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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 16 (2023) 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
$2,423
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) costs $2,423.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.2in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $2,423 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Apple M2 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 487 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Dig into reviews and images
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 16 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (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.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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