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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or tasks that require advanced graphics and processing power, the Acer Nitro 5 17, despite being more expensive, offers better gaming performance due to its dedicated graphics card and gaming-centered hardware. However, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is known for its superior build quality, longer battery life, and macOS ecosystem, which is preferred for creative work like video editing and music production. Bear in mind, the MacBook Pro 16 is less optimal for gaming due to its operating system and typically less gaming-focused hardware. If portability is important, the MacBook Pro 16 is lighter and more portable compared to the bulkier Acer Nitro 5 17. 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 16 (Late 2019)
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good 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
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
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 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 boasts a high-refresh-rate display and a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications. Conversely, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a lower refresh rate and a less potent AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU, and it cannot run many popular games due to operating system limitations, thus providing a fair 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 boasts a high-performance CPU and top-tier GPU, making it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks, although its size and weight reduce its portability; in contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers excellent screen resolution and quality, with a lighter build and higher portability, but its older CPU and GPU make it less optimal for the most intensive tasks.
Software Development
7.4
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
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
7.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a vibrant display with good resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and watching media; however, its lower refresh rate may not provide the smooth visual experience desired for gaming. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 shines with a high-resolution display that has excellent color accuracy and a wide range of colors covering DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, making it ideal for engineering and design professionals who need true-to-life colors. While both laptops have quality displays for their respective uses, gamers and those working with 3D graphics might find the screens lacking due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has 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 16 (Late 2019) 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
$496
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) costs $496.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers robust performance with a strong CPU and ample RAM for multitasking, along with a substantial screen size and quality, making it good for general use at the expense of larger size and weight that impact portability. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 provides a balance of high-performance CPU, plenty of RAM, and superior screen quality with its higher resolution and color accuracy, all packed into a slimmer and lighter frame, giving it an edge in portability and longer battery life, suitable for general use that demands mobility and screen clarity.
Content Creation
7.8
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $496 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | October 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-9750H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 100 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 477 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 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 | 4 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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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 16 (Late 2019)
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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 17 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
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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