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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers more storage and a superior gaming-grade GPU, making it ideal for intensive gaming and engineering tasks. However, its larger screen and heavier build mean less portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 is more portable and provides a higher-resolution display with better color accuracy, suitable for tasks like photo editing. It also offers longer battery life and runs silently since it doesn't have a fan. The Apple MacBook Pro usually costs more and may not perform as well in highly demanding tasks due to its less powerful hardware compared to the Acer Nitro 5. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.3
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 Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its dedicated graphics card and a high refresh rate display, offers a more immersive and smooth gaming experience, crucial for 3D performance. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 13 prioritizes a high-quality screen and efficient CPU, but its less powerful integrated graphics and the limitation of many popular games not running on macOS make it less suitable for gaming.
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 Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-performance AMD CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, making it a strong choice for engineering and design tasks that require robust processing and graphics capabilities, alongside a larger screen offering a standard full HD resolution; however, it is heavier and less portable than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020), which also has a high-quality Retina display with better resolution, a capable Apple M1 chip that sufficiently handles engineering tasks, and is lighter with a fanless operation for quiet use. While both have IPS screens with good color coverage, the MacBook's is superior in sharpness and brightness, and it offers better portability, speaker quality, and keyboard, which are somewhat important, but its lower RAM and absence of a dedicated GPU limit its potential for more intensive engineering work compared to the Acer.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.6
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 13 for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen for engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5's screen, while ample in size for multitasking and has decent resolution and brightness, falls short for gaming due to its limited refresh rate, affecting the fluidity of fast-paced visuals. The MacBook Pro's screen shines across general use and engineering tasks with its high resolution, brightness, and color accuracy, but the lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming displays affects its performance in 3D environments. Neither laptop's display is optimized for 3D applications where high refresh rates are critical to render smooth motion and quick on-screen actions.
Battery
6.0 Hours
20.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (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 Pro 13 (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
$1,249
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) costs $1,249.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
20.0 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 Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17's powerful AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU make it suitable for general use and beyond, including gaming, complemented by a large 17-inch screen. Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) ensures a high-quality, portable experience with its efficient M1 chip that contributes to excellent battery life and a high-resolution IPS display, along with a silent, fanless design.
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 Pro 13 (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
7.8
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 Pro 13 (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 Pro 13 (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,249 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3 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 | 20 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 58.2 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 | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
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 Pro 13 (2020)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2022
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (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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