When considering the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019), it's important to note their strengths. The Acer is geared towards high-end gaming with a powerful processor and graphics card, making it well-suited for demanding tasks such as 3D modeling or machine learning. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which could hinder portability. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, offers a sleek design, longer battery life, and is lighter, making it more portable. It's better for general use and suitable for creative tasks, given its high-resolution display, but it may not handle intensive engineering tasks as well as the Acer. The cost difference also reflects these capabilities, so if budget is a concern and you require less computational power, the MacBook Pro might be the better option. 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 Predator Helios 16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
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
8.5/10
6.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers superior CPU and GPU performance, which makes it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks, and while the MacBook Pro 16 also performs well due to its quality CPU and GPU, it shines particularly in screen quality and portability. You'll find the Helios 16 is better suited for the most intensive tasks and offers more storage, but for on-the-go professionals who value a sleek design, lighter weight, and high screen quality, the MacBook Pro stands out despite being an older model.
Screen Quality
8.8/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
477.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 offer crisp, bright displays with high resolution that make viewing text, images, and videos clear and comfortable. For engineering and design, the screens on both laptops cover a wide range of colors, providing the accuracy needed for professional photo editing, graphic design, and other color-sensitive work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial, the Acer's lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops means it might not deliver as fluid an experience.
Battery
6.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,599
$503
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,599 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) costs $503.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers strong performance with a high-refresh-rate screen and good heat management for an enjoyable general-use experience, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life than the MacBook Pro. Conversely, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 prioritizes portability and battery life, with a lighter frame and excellent build quality, making it easy to carry and use for longer periods, although its screen refresh rate and gaming capabilities are more limited.
Content Creation
8.2/10
8.0/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both very 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
7.9/10
7.9/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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 Predator Helios 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) compare to other laptops
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
"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 Predator Helios 16 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.
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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