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Updated January 10, 2024·
To help you decide, you should consider the primary use for your laptop. The Acer Nitro 5 17, being less expensive, offers value for money and is tailored for gaming with a larger screen, but it is bulkier, which affects portability. The Apple MacBook Pro 14, while more costly, has powerful performance suitable for professional creative work, a high-quality display, and is more portable. If your priorities are gaming and saving money, the Acer may be the way to go. If you're a creative professional seeking performance and portability, and can invest more, the MacBook Pro is a strong choice. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is favored for general use due to its superior screen quality with high brightness and color accuracy, making for a vivid display, as well as its long battery life and enhanced portability thanks to its lighter weight and more compact design. In contrast, the Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a larger screen and a powerful CPU and GPU that excel in gaming performance, but it's less portable, has lower battery life, and the screen, while satisfactory, doesn't match the MacBook's quality.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.8
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card and a high 360 Hz screen refresh rate that appeals to gamers seeking top-notch performance and smooth visuals, particularly for fast-paced games. Conversely, the Apple MacBook Pro 14, while offering good 3D capabilities with its Apple M1 Pro GPU and a quality Mini LED display, has a lower screen refresh rate of 120 Hz and limited game availability due to its macOS ecosystem.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 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
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) 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
9.2
17.3in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Pro 14's high-resolution display and exceptional brightness offer clear and vivid visuals, making it stand out for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. The MacBook's display also excels in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut coverage, providing accurate color representation essential for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from high refresh rates, both laptops fall short, as they prioritize screen resolution and quality over the faster refresh rates that gamers usually seek.
Battery
6.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.2in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) 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 14 (2021) 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
$1,905
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, offers robust performance for engineering and design tasks, but is heavier and has a larger form factor which affects portability. Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 boasts a high-quality Mini LED screen and an efficient Apple M1 Pro CPU and GPU combination, delivering excellent performance with a more compact and lightweight design, contributing to its higher portability, but at a typically higher price point.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.6/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 14 (2021)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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