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Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance in engineering tasks or gaming with high-quality graphics is your priority, the Acer Nitro 5 17 with its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card will serve you well but remember that it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MacBook Air is much more portable and offers significantly longer battery life, making it ideal for general use and tasks that can take advantage of its high-resolution display and efficient M1 processor, although it's less suited for heavy 3D rendering or intensive gaming. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- 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
7.7
6.2
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card and a high 360Hz screen refresh rate, which are very important for smooth gameplay and handling 3D graphics efficiently. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a comparatively less powerful Apple M1 integrated GPU with a 60Hz refresh rate, and since many popular games do not run on macOS, its suitability for gaming and 3D tasks is limited.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is particularly suitable for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, higher RAM capacity, and beefier dedicated GPU which are crucial for intensive tasks, albeit with a heavier build and larger screen that reduce its portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air (2020), while offering a high-quality screen and silent operation, has a less powerful integrated GPU and less RAM which might limit performance on very demanding engineering software, but gains an edge in portability and a higher-quality keyboard and speakers.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.5
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, and gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air has a better screen for content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its large screen and solid resolution and brightness, provides a clear and vivid display for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate reduces the smoothness needed for high-end gaming and 3D applications. The Apple MacBook Air (2020), known for its high-resolution Retina display and excellent color accuracy, offers an immersive experience for both general usage and professional design tasks, but it falls short for 3D content due to its standard refresh rate not being geared towards fast-paced visuals. Both laptops, while suitable for their respective strengths, may not satisfy users seeking the best experiences in 3D environments where high refresh rates are crucial.
Battery
6.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17's faster CPU and larger RAM make it well-suited for heavier tasks, while its ample storage and high-quality speakers add to a versatile user experience, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the lightweight Apple MacBook Air with its remarkable screen quality and long-lasting battery, making the MacBook Air ideal for on-the-go use and multimedia consumption.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for content creation.
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
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Air (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | November 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.36" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Apple M1 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 49.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 395 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9/10 | |
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 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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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