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Updated January 12, 2024·
If prioritizing high-performance tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or heavy computational workloads, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 would be ideal due to its robust gaming hardware. However, it comes at the expense of bulk and reduced battery life, which could limit portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 finds its strength in a balance of performance, battery life, and portability, making it suitable for professionals in design, music production, and software development, who also value a sleek form factor. The MacBook Pro often comes with a higher price, reflecting its premium build quality and macOS ecosystem benefits. Choose the Acer if maximum performance for price is paramount, with less concern for weight and battery life, or the MacBook if you need a balance of good performance, portability, and longer battery life in a premium package. 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 (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
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 provides a robust CPU and larger RAM ideal for multitasking, alongside a high-quality IPS display conducive to prolonged use, but it is heavier and offers less battery life, affecting its portability. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023), on the other hand, boasts a high-resolution Mini LED screen for superior image quality and a lightweight design with a significantly longer battery life, enhancing its portability despite a less potent built-in GPU compared to the Acer, making it less suitable for graphic-intensive tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.7
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
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 (Late 2023) is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, with a high refresh rate GPU and screen, excels in gaming performance and offers a fluid visual experience which is crucial for intensive gaming and some 3D applications. On the other hand, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a high-quality screen and an integrated GPU that performs well in 3D tasks, it falls short for popular gaming due to its operating system's limited game support and lower screen refresh rate compared to the Acer.
Content Creation
7.7
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
8.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
489.0 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 Apple MacBook Pro 14's high-resolution display, which is notably bright and sharp, makes for an excellent visual experience, while the Acer Predator's display, although suitable, may not be as vibrant or clear. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro excels with its wide color gamut, reproducing more accurate colors crucial for detailed work, whereas the Predator, despite being good, falls a bit short in color accuracy and range. However, for 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the Acer Predator's faster refresh rate is better suited for fluid visuals, but the MacBook Pro is less optimal due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
5.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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 (Late 2023) 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
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 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.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Apple M3 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 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 | 17 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 | 489 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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
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 (Late 2023)
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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 (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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