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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023), consider your priorities. The Acer Nitro 5, which is less expensive, offers good gaming performance with dedicated graphics and a high refresh rate display, making it suitable for gaming and engineering applications. However, it has a lower screen resolution, is heavier, and has a shorter battery life. The MacBook Pro costs more but comes with a higher-resolution Mini LED display, longer battery life, and is lighter, making it highly portable with a premium build. It's suitable for intensive tasks like 3D rendering and engineering but is not designed with gaming in mind. 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 5 15
- The Acer Nitro 5 15 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
- Excellent for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Excellent 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
7.6
9.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts superior screen quality, portability, and battery life compared to the Acer Nitro 5 15, making it excellent for general use with its higher resolution and color accuracy, thinner and lighter design, and longer battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
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
7.5
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 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
6.9
9.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has sufficient resolution and brightness, making it viable for everyday tasks and some professional work, but its limited color gamut and refresh rate may fall short for specialized engineering/design needs and high-end gaming. The MacBook Pro 16 excels in screen quality with outstanding resolution, brightness, and color accuracy, serving general use and engineering/design tasks exceptionally well, yet its standard refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications where smoother motion is critical. While both laptops handle everyday use with ease, professionals and gamers might need to weigh the importance of color precision and fluid visuals against each laptop's offering.
Battery
5.5 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.2in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$2,423
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) costs $2,423.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.4
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) 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 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $2,423 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Apple M2 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 487 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 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 | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 15
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
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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 5 15 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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