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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 offers larger storage, more RAM, and a more gaming-oriented graphics card, lending itself better for gaming and engineering applications but falls short in portability due to its larger size and heavier weight. Conversely, the Apple MacBook Pro 14, while more portable and boasting a higher-quality display, has less storage and RAM, and might not handle intensive gaming or engineering tasks as well as the Acer. It has superior battery life, build quality, and speaker and webcam ratings, making it well-suited for general use, multimedia consumption, and creative work that benefits from its high-resolution, color-accurate screen. 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 17
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
- 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
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.7
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 17 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
7.4
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 17 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
7.4
9.2
17.3in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers high resolution and brightness, making it good for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate hampers the gaming experience. The MacBook Pro 14 possesses a display with excellent color accuracy, covering wider color gamuts essential for professional engineering and design, yet, like the Nitro, its refresh rate is not geared towards high-end gaming or smooth 3D rendering. Both laptops suit general use and technical applications well due to their panel quality and color range but may not satisfy gamers or 3D artists looking for fluid motion and fast-paced visual performance.
Battery
8.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.2in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$1,449
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,449.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17 is well suited for general use due to its ample RAM, high-performance CPU and dedicated graphics card, making it capable of handling a variety of tasks comfortably; however, it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 14, which offers exceptional screen quality and longer battery life, but not as much RAM, making it great for on-the-go use and media consumption.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a robust AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia GPU, making it suited for engineering and design tasks that require substantial processing and graphics power, albeit it has a larger form and less screen resolution compared to the MacBook Pro.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,449 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Apple M3 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 489 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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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 Nitro 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (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.
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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
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Laptops evaluated
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Recommendations made
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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
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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.
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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.
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