The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
7.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 excellent for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.3/10
9.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very 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
8.0/10
9.0/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is excellent for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very 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
8.8/10
9.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 14 for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.5 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very 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 14 (2023) 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.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
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.
Cost
$2,643
$2,619
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $2,643 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) costs $2,619.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) 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."
"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 Predator Helios 16 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (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.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.