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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 15 offers good gaming performance at a lower price point, with powerful components like an Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card, making it a strong choice for gaming and other demanding tasks. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which could be a drawback for those needing portability. The MacBook Pro 16, while more expensive, has premium features such as a higher resolution Mini LED display, longer battery life, and superior build quality, making it more suited for professional creative work, and is lighter for on-the-go use. Choose the Acer for gaming and cost savings or the MacBook for premium experience and creative tasks. 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 (Late 2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (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
- Good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.8
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 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers a superior general use experience with a higher resolution and brighter Mini LED screen, a more powerful CPU and GPU, longer battery life, and a lighter, thinner design, enhancing portability and comfort for extended use.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 15, equipped with an Intel i5 processor, Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, and a 1080p IPS screen, offers solid performance for engineering tasks at a potentially lower price point, but the Apple MacBook Pro 16's Apple M3 Pro chip, higher GPU core count, and superior Mini LED display with a higher resolution contribute to its capability of handling more intensive engineering and design workloads with better screen quality. However, the MacBook Pro 16 offers improved portability and less operating noise, which may be important for users who prioritize mobility and a quiet working environment.
Content Creation
7.5
8.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 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.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 16's high-resolution, bright display, and superior panel type offer crisp, vivid visuals, making it excellent for everyday tasks, whereas the Acer Nitro 5 15's display, though good, may not be as vibrant or sharp. In engineering and design work, color accuracy is essential; the MacBook Pro's wide color gamut coverage ensures that designers see accurate colors, which may not be as precise on the Nitro 5. However, the Acer Nitro 5 may fall short for 3D tasks and gaming due to its lower refresh rate, which affects the smoothness of motion, whereas the MacBook Pro's poorer suitability for 3D relates to its standard refresh rate, which is less ideal for high-speed rendering despite its high resolution and quality panel.
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 (Late 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 (Late 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
$2,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) costs $2,299.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is designed with gaming in mind, featuring a high-refresh-rate screen and a dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card, key factors for smooth gameplay and graphics-intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 is superior in screen quality with its Mini LED display, but it runs MacOS which limits the availability of popular games, despite its capable Apple-designed GPU.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $2,299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | November 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 M3 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 18 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 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 (Late 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 (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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