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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a sizable display ideal for gaming and productivity, coupled with affordability and generous port accessibility, but it is heavy and less suited for frequent travel. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 provides exceptional build quality, a vibrant display, and powerful performance well-suited for professional creative work, along with better battery life, but comes with a premium price tag and restricted port variety. If budget constraints are a concern, the Acer is a great pick, especially for gaming, while the MacBook is a top choice for creatives needing high performance and portability. 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
- The Acer Nitro 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
- 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
- Good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has ample storage and a strong processor, but its screen quality and portability don't match up to the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023), which boasts a superior screen, lighter weight, and significantly longer battery life, making it better suited for general use. While the Acer is well-equipped for gaming with a high-refresh-rate display and a powerful graphics card, the MacBook Pro excels in display sharpness and color accuracy as well as in keyboard, speaker quality, and heat management, which are all especially beneficial for non-gaming general use.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
8.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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
8.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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
9.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 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 16's high-resolution and bright display offers crisp visuals and vibrant colors, surpassing the Acer Nitro 5 17, although both have commendable screen quality. In engineering and design, the MacBook excels due to its wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation critical for professional content creation, an area where the Acer provides decent but not top-tier performance. However, for 3D use cases, both laptops fall short as their refresh rates are low compared to specialized gaming laptops, making neither ideal for high-frame-rate gaming which demands smoother motion and quicker image refresh.
Battery
6.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.2in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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 2023) 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
$2,199
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) costs $2,199.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
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 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card, ideal for gaming and 3D applications, and a high screen refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth gameplay; however, it runs Windows, which supports a wide range of games.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $2,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 18 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 | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 487 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 16 (Late 2023)
See more
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 2023)
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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