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Updated January 16, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is tailored for gaming with a high-end graphics card, larger screen, and more storage, making it well-suited for intensive tasks but heavier and with less battery efficiency. The MacBook Air is lighter, with a fanless design for quiet operation, a higher resolution display, and better battery performance, ideal for everyday use and portability. Choose the Acer for demanding software and games but expect to carry more weight and plug in more often, or the MacBook Air for general productivity, travel friendliness, and if you prefer MacOS to Windows. 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 (2022)
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.4
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
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 (2022) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, which are crucial for demanding gaming and 3D applications, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) utilizes its own M2 GPU with a standard 60 Hz refresh rate, making it less optimal for such tasks especially since many popular games are incompatible with MacOS.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with a high-performance CPU, more RAM, and a dedicated powerful GPU, excels in engineering and design applications that require substantial computational power; its larger screen also provides a clearer and more detailed workspace.
Software Development
7.4
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 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
8.2
7.6
17.3in
SIZE
13.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air has a better screen for engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, while offering pleasant viewing for general tasks due to its decent resolution and brightness, falls short for gaming due to a lower refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. The MacBook Air, with its high-resolution display and strong color accuracy, excels in presenting vivid and precise colors for engineering and design applications, but its typical lower refresh rate limits its capability for rendering 3D content which benefits from higher refresh rates. Both laptops may struggle to satisfy users looking for the best 3D experience but serve well for general use and professional design work due to their high-quality displays.
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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent 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 (2022) 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a robust CPU and a significantly larger amount of RAM and storage for demanding tasks, alongside a high-quality display, but it is less portable and offers shorter battery life. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air is highly portable with a stellar battery life and excellent screen quality, although with less RAM and storage, which may limit performance with intensive applications.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Nitro 5 17 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.
Cost
$830
$839
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $839.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $839 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
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 | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 9.4/10 | |
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 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 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 (2022)
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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 (2022)
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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