Choosing between the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 depends on your priorities. The Acer Aspire 5 offers more storage and a larger 17-inch screen, suitable for multitasking and entertainment, but it's bulkier and heavier, meaning less portability. In contrast, the MacBook Pro is more expensive but provides better performance for demanding tasks like 3D, machine learning, and engineering, along with remarkable build quality and battery life that surpass the Acer. The MacBook's display also boasts higher quality with better color accuracy and sharpness, making it ideal for professional creative work. It's lighter, enhancing portability. If budget is a concern, or you prefer a Windows environment with ample storage, the Acer Aspire might serve you well, but if you're seeking high performance, a top-notch display, and better portability with macOS, and can afford the higher price, the MacBook Pro is the better choice. 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 Pro 13 (2022).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
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
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
7.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with an Intel i5 processor and Intel Iris Xe graphics, which may not match the performance of the Apple MacBook Pro 13’s M2 chip and its integrated 10-core GPU for demanding engineering software. Additionally, the MacBook's higher resolution and color-accurate display will benefit design applications, although the Aspire offers a larger screen and options like a number pad, which might be preferred for certain engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
7.2/10
7.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
6.2/10
7.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 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 offers an adequately bright and clear display suitable for browsing, streaming, and productivity, but lacks the color precision and wider color gamut needed for professional engineering and design work. The MacBook Pro 13's high-resolution screen with its exceptional color accuracy excels in providing the fine detail and color fidelity that engineers and designers require. However, both laptops have screens with refresh rates that are lower than what's desired for smooth 3D gaming, where fast-moving visuals are best served by high refresh rate displays.
Battery
7.0 Hours
20.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 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
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
$1,219
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) costs $1,219.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
6.2/10
6.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's Intel Iris Xe graphics are adequate for gaming and 3D tasks, but it's limited by a standard refresh rate and average display quality; meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro 13's M2 GPU can handle 3D workloads, but its suitability for gaming is compromised as many popular games are unavailable for macOS, despite its higher-quality display.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 5 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
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.
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
109,695
Recommendations made
23,768
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.