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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 is more budget-friendly and suitable for gaming with a high-refresh-rate screen and dedicated graphics, but it's less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers top-tier build quality, a high-resolution mini LED screen with better color accuracy, making it more suited for professional creative work and general use. It also has longer battery life and is significantly lighter, enhancing its portability. However, the MacBook is more expensive and doesn't have a gaming appearance or features like ray tracing and DLSS, which are more tailored for gaming experiences. 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
- The Acer Nitro 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
- Excellent 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
- Good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
9.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) stands out in general use primarily for its higher quality screen, greater portability due to its lower weight, and longer battery life, complemented by more RAM for smoother multitasking and performance through the Apple M1 Pro chip, which is highly optimized for the macOS environment.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its superior main processor and graphics unit, more RAM, and a higher-quality display with greater resolution and brightness, which is essential for detailed work. In contrast, the Acer Nitro 17, while powerful with its decent CPU and GPU, falls short with less RAM and lower screen quality, but offers a larger screen size and is designed with gaming aesthetics, possibly doubling as a gaming and work machine.
Content Creation
7.8
8.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
8.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
9.4
17.3in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
Acer Nitro 17's good general-use screen quality stems from a satisfactory panel type, resolution, and brightness, making it pleasant for everyday tasks, but its lower refresh rate detracts from the gaming and 3D experience where smoother motion is key. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 stands out with a superior screen that boasts excellent brightness, resolution, and a panel type that delivers vibrant colors and sharp images for both general use and professional engineering and design work due to its wide color gamut coverage. However, like the Acer, the MacBook Pro's lower refresh rate means it's less optimal for 3D applications that benefit from higher rates for more fluid visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
16.2in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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 (2021) 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
$1,949
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) costs $1,949.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
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 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 497 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 (2021)
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 (2021)
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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