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 Spin 14 offers a budget-friendly option with decent performance for general use and a touchscreen for flexibility in use cases, but it may not handle intensive engineering tasks or demanding graphics applications as well as other options. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) commands a premium price, delivering superior performance across the board, including intensive engineering and creative tasks, with exceptional display quality and a longer battery life. The MacBook Pro is less portable due to its larger size and weight, but it compensates with a robust build and advanced features such as hardware ray tracing and a high refresh rate display, making it suitable for professional and demanding tasks. 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 Spin 14
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good 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
6.5
8.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers superior performance with its advanced processor and more RAM, leading to smoother multi-tasking and demanding applications, paired with an exceptional screen that excels in color accuracy and brightness, important for tasks that require image precision. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is more affordable and still decent for basic tasks with less impressive but fair screen quality and sufficient performance for casual use, and it's lighter and acts as a 2-in-1 convertible for added versatility.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
1920 x 1200
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 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks due to its less powerful Intel UHD Graphics Xe paired with a lower screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is suitable for basic computing but may struggle with high-end gaming or advanced 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
5.9
8.9
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.0
8.9
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 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
6.9
8.9
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
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
14.0in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Pro offers a superior screen with higher resolution and brightness, enhancing clarity and visibility, while the Aspire 3 Spin provides adequate display quality for everyday tasks. In engineering and design tasks, the MacBook Pro excels with wider color gamut coverage, ensuring more accurate color representation, which is crucial for professional work; the Aspire's screen is passable but lacks this extensive color range. However, both fall short for 3D applications as they don't offer high refresh rates needed for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios, though they may still deliver satisfactory resolution and panel quality.
Battery
8.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.2in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$2,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) costs $2,299.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$418 | $2,299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-N305 | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 18 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 487 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 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 | No | 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 Spin 14
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
See more
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 Spin 14 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (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 Spin 14 vs. ASUS Vivobook 14
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 vs. HP 15" Laptop
VS
Compare Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 vs. HP 14" Laptop
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) vs. ASUS ROG Strix G18
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) vs. Acer Predator Helios 16
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) vs. Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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
109,395
Recommendations made
23,703
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
