The decision between the Acer Nitro 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 depends heavily on your needs and preferences. The Acer Nitro 16, typically being more expensive, offers high performance suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and demanding engineering software, but this might come with less portability and shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 13, while more affordable, is known for its portability, long battery life, and is often favored for general use and tasks like video editing or software development, particularly due to its optimized macOS software ecosystem. If your priorities lean towards intensive tasks and you don't mind the extra cost and weight, the Nitro might be the right choice. However, if you prefer a lighter device with longer battery life and you mainly handle everyday tasks or are embedded in the Apple ecosystem, the MacBook Pro may serve you better. 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 Nitro 16
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications because it houses a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and has a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which are crucial for fast-paced, visually intensive tasks. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) uses its own integrated M2 graphics and has a lower 60 Hz refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming, especially considering many popular games aren't compatible with its MacOS operating system.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 is equipped with a high-end graphics card, larger screen, and more RAM, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and design applications that require substantial processing power and detailed visual representation. In comparison, the Apple MacBook Pro 13, while offering outstanding screen quality and build, has a less powerful integrated GPU and less RAM, which could limit performance with very intensive tasks but benefits from superior portability and a quieter operating environment.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for general use, and gaming and AI.
If you prioritize vivid display and accurate colors for tasks like photo editing or graphic design, both the Acer Nitro 16 and MacBook Pro 13 offer displays with the necessary color range and clarity. For everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, their high-resolution panels and brightness levels provide a crisp and comfortable viewing experience. However, for gaming or 3D rendering that demand quick visual responsiveness, the lower refresh rates on these laptops could make fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to models designed specifically for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
20.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 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
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Acer Nitro 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 is suited for general use because of its ample storage and memory, respectable CPU and GPU for various tasks, and good screen quality, though it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to lighter options. The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is also great for general use, with an efficient CPU, excellent screen, keyboard, and speaker quality, alongside longer battery life and silent operation, but it offers less memory and storage which may be limiting for some users.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Acer Nitro 16 are both good for content creation.
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
7.7/10
7.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Acer Nitro 16 are both good for software development.
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.
Cost
$1,275
$1,219
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,275 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) costs $1,219.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) compare to other laptops
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
"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 Nitro 16 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.
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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