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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is a good choice if you're looking for a larger screen and a dedicated numeric keypad, but it is heavier which makes it less portable, whereas the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is much lighter and has better screen quality and battery life, making it ideal for portability and long usage times. The MacBook Air also operates silently with no fan noise. However, the Aspire 5 will provide better connectivity with more types of ports and has a larger storage capacity out of the box. Both are similarly priced and can handle general use effectively, but for intensive engineering tasks or 3D applications, the MacBook Air with its M1 chip may have an edge in performance. 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 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Good for engineering and design
- Good 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
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a competent processor and graphics unit for light engineering and design tasks but may fall short in more demanding scenarios, with an ample screen size but lower screen quality. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers a more powerful custom processor with better graphics performance and higher screen resolution, coupled with superior portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it a better fit for engineering and design purposes.
Content Creation
7.2
7.8
6.9/10
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 Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (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
7.2
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Air (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
7.5
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 boasts a display that's acceptable for day-to-day tasks and sufficient for engineering software but falls short for gaming, where smooth motion provided by a high refresh rate is key. The Apple MacBook Air (2020) shines with its higher resolution and brightness, making it appealing for both regular use and engineering tasks that benefit from accurate color representation. However, both laptops lack the high refresh rate screens that are critical for a fluid 3D gaming experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, equipped with an Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, provides an adequate gaming experience on a larger screen, but its graphics capabilities are limited compared to specialized gaming hardware. The Apple MacBook Air (2020) features an Apple M1 GPU which is capable for 3D tasks, yet it may not support many popular games and also has a standard refresh rate, restricting high-end gaming performance.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Apple MacBook Air (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | November 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 2.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.36" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Apple M1 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 49.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 395 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 9/10 | |
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 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Apple MacBook Air (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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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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