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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you are looking for high-end gaming or need a machine capable of handling demanding graphics tasks, the Acer Nitro 17, despite its higher cost, is a solid choice due to its dedicated gaming hardware. However, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 is known for a sleek design, better portability, long battery life, and strong performance in professional creative tasks like video editing and music production; plus, it's typically less expensive. Choose the Acer Nitro 17 for gaming or heavy graphical work, and the MacBook Pro 16 for creative tasks, easier carrying, and if budget is a consideration. 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 16 (Late 2019)
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.4
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
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 16 (Late 2019) 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.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.4
7.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 17 provides a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and engineering software but lacks the high refresh rates preferred for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. The MacBook Pro 16 offers exceptional color accuracy and high resolution, which benefits engineers and designers needing precise color representation, but similar to the Acer, its screen refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D tasks. While both laptops have strong screen qualities for general and professional use, gamers and 3D artists may need to look elsewhere to find displays optimized for their high-refresh-rate needs.
Battery
8.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has 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 16 (Late 2019) 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
$527
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) costs $527.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Acer Nitro 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.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $527 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-9750H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 100 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 477 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 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 | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
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 16 (Late 2019)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
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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