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Updated January 12, 2024·
If affordability is a top concern and you also need a computer that can handle gaming or graphics-intensive tasks without breaking the bank, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is the better option, given it's usually much less expensive than the Apple MacBook Pro 14. However, the MacBook Pro offers a high-quality display and is known for powerful performance in professional creative software, making it well-suited for tasks like video editing and design work. The MacBook's build quality and operating system reflect its higher price point, potentially offering a more polished user experience. While the Acer is equipped for gaming with a dedicated graphics card, the MacBook Pro provides a smooth performance with its integrated graphics in a sleeker and more portable design. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro will likely have a longer battery life compared to the Acer, which is a significant advantage if you often work on the go. 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 Neo 16
- 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
7.6
8.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers a superior screen with higher resolution, better brightness, and color accuracy, alongside longer battery life and higher portability due to its lighter weight and smaller form factor, making it very good for general use .
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.8
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
165Hz
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 Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with a higher refresh rate display and an Nvidia RTX GPU, which outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 14's Apple M1 Pro GPU for gaming and offers better compatibility with popular PC games. Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro excels in screen quality with a Mini LED display and sharp resolution, important for 3D work, but it’s limited by game availability on macOS despite its capable hardware.
Content Creation
7.7
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1200
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 Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.5
8.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.8
9.2
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers a balance between resolution and brightness, but the Apple MacBook Pro 14 excels with its high-resolution display and superior brightness, enhancing readability and detail. When it comes to engineering and design, the MacBook Pro 14 stands out with its wide color gamuts, providing accurate color representation which is crucial for professionals, while the Helios Neo 16 still performs well but does not match the MacBook's range. However, for 3D applications, the Helios Neo 16 falls short due to its lower refresh rate, impacting smooth visuals crucial in gaming, while the MacBook Pro 14, despite its excellent display attributes, also lacks a high refresh rate, making neither ideal for high-end 3D gaming.
Battery
5.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 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
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$1,905
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 stands out for engineering and design with its powerful Intel processor and RTX GPU, which facilitate heavy computational tasks and graphical work, and a high-refresh-rate display ensures smooth visuals. Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels with its M1 Pro chip that offers great processing power and efficiency, illustrious Mini LED screen for precise color work, and higher portability due to its lesser weight and longer battery life. Both have adequate RAM and high-quality screens critical for engineering tasks but differ in GPU power and operating systems, which affects software compatibility and usage preference.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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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 Predator Helios Neo 16 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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