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Updated January 12, 2024·
Selecting between the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) involves considering several factors. If a lower price is a priority and you primarily need a laptop for everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and casual media consumption, the Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good option. It offers a solid performance for its price range. However, if you require more power for professional work such as video editing, graphic design, or software development, and value a higher-quality display with better color accuracy, the MacBook Pro with its M1 Pro chip is more suitable. The MacBook Pro also has a longer battery life and boasts a more portable design, but it is significantly more expensive. It is also worth noting that the MacBook comes with macOS, which can be preferable for certain software applications, while the Acer runs Windows, which might be more familiar or necessary for certain 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 5 15
- The Acer Aspire 5 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
- 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
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 delivers superior performance for general use with a more powerful processor, better screen quality, and significantly longer battery life, making it an excellent choice for demanding tasks in a portable form factor. In comparison, the Acer Aspire 5 15 is less expensive and offers good general usability with respectable performance and a larger screen size, but its battery life and portability do not match the premium qualities of the MacBook Pro.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.8
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.6
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 provides superior engineering and design capabilities due to its Apple M1 Pro processor with integrated graphics that outperform the Intel i5 and Iris Xe graphics found in the Acer Aspire 5 15, alongside a higher quality Mini LED screen with better color accuracy and brightness. While the Acer Aspire 5 offers a good balance of performance and features for its price, the MacBook Pro excels with its screen quality and powerful chips, though it comes at a higher cost and with greater portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size.
Content Creation
7.3
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 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
7.3
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 5 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
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 comes with moderate panel quality, resolution, and brightness levels, sufficient for everyday tasks and work-related engineering software but may fall short for gaming and 3D due to lower refresh rates. Apple's MacBook Pro 14 boasts a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and wide color gamut coverage, making it ideal for detailed design work and general use, although its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for high-end 3D applications. The MacBook Pro typically carries a higher price tag, reflecting its superior screen characteristics, so it's best for those prioritizing visual quality and performance in design over gaming capabilities.
Battery
7.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$480
$1,905
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 7 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 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 | 275 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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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 5 15 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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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