Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) 18" VS Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14" (Apple M5 / 32GB RAM / 2TB)

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ both offer distinct design characteristics suited to their respective types. The Acer Predator is built for gaming with a larger form factor, weighing 3500 g and a volume of 3570.103 cm³. In contrast, the MacBook Pro is much lighter at 1550 g and more compact with a volume of 1034.28 cm³, reflecting its focus on productivity.

Both laptops feature a backlit keyboard, making them suitable for low-light environments. However, they differ significantly in size, with the Acer being much wider (401 mm vs 312 mm), taller (307 mm vs 221 mm), and thicker (29 mm vs 15 mm) than the MacBook Pro. These differences contribute to a more substantial build for the Acer, compared to the sleeker, thinner profile of the MacBook Pro.

Neither laptop is weather-sealed (splashproof), nor do they have a rugged build. Both also use active cooling systems, as neither features a fanless design. While both devices are functional for their intended purposes, the Acer Predator is designed for a larger gaming setup, while the MacBook Pro offers a more portable, lightweight option for professional use.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ both feature high-quality displays, though they differ in a few key areas. The Acer Predator has a larger 18″ screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 px, offering a pixel density of 251 ppi. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has a smaller 14.2″ screen with a resolution of 3024 x 1964 px, resulting in a slightly higher pixel density of 253 ppi.

In terms of display technology, the Acer uses an IPS, LCD, LED-backlit display, while the MacBook Pro opts for a Mini-LED display, which is known for its improved contrast and deeper blacks. Both screens offer a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals, but the Acer includes an anti-reflection coating, which the MacBook Pro lacks. Additionally, the Acer supports up to 4 external displays, while the MacBook Pro supports 2 external displays.

Neither laptop has a touch screen, but the differences in display type, size, and supported displays may cater to different user preferences depending on whether you prioritize larger screen space and more external display options or a more compact, high-quality display with better contrast for content creation and professional work.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ both offer powerful performance, though they differ in several areas. The Acer Predator comes with 64GB of RAM, whereas the MacBook Pro has 32GB of RAM. Both devices use flash storage, and both feature 2048GB of internal storage, which is an NVMe SSD for fast data access. The Acer’s maximum memory capacity is 192GB, while the MacBook Pro can support up to 64GB.

In terms of processing power, the Acer Predator is equipped with a CPU featuring 8 cores at 2.7 GHz and 16 cores at 2.1 GHz, providing a total of 24 threads. The MacBook Pro has 4 cores running at 4.6 GHz and 6 cores at 3.2 GHz, for a total of 10 threads. This results in a difference in the number of CPU threads, with the Acer having more, though the MacBook Pro’s higher base clock speeds could provide faster performance for some tasks.

Both laptops support multithreading and 64-bit operations, and they each use the same DDR5 memory version. The Acer Predator uses a 4 nm semiconductor size, while the MacBook Pro uses a slightly smaller 3 nm semiconductor. Neither device supports XeSS (XMX), a technology not present in either model.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ offer different connectivity options. The Acer Predator features a total of 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A ports, and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-A port. It also includes 1 HDMI output, 1 RJ45 port, and supports Bluetooth 5.4. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has 4 USB 4 40Gbps ports (Thunderbolt 4), offering a faster data transfer rate than the Acer's USB options. It also has 1 HDMI output but lacks USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports altogether. The MacBook Pro uses Bluetooth 5.3, which is slightly older than the Acer's 5.4.

Both laptops support Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), along with older versions down to Wi-Fi 4. However, the Acer Predator supports a wider range of Wi-Fi protocols, including Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). Both devices have external memory slots and support AirPlay, though neither includes a VGA connector or a mini DisplayPort output.

One notable difference is the RJ45 port: the Acer Predator includes 1, while the MacBook Pro does not have any RJ45 ports. The MacBook Pro, however, provides a higher number of Thunderbolt 4 ports compared to the Acer’s lack of Thunderbolt 4 support.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ have notable differences in battery performance. The Acer Predator offers a battery life of 5.5 hours, supported by a 99 Wh battery. The MacBook Pro, however, provides a much longer battery life of 16 hours, despite having a smaller 72.4 Wh battery.

Both laptops feature sleep-and-charge USB ports, allowing for convenient charging while the devices are in sleep mode. However, the Acer Predator does not come with a MagSafe power adapter, while the MacBook Pro does include one, providing a different approach to charging.

These differences in battery life and charging methods highlight the MacBook Pro's emphasis on longer endurance and more flexible charging, while the Acer Predator focuses more on performance with a slightly larger battery but shorter run time.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ have several key features in common, such as stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm audio jack socket. However, they differ in several advanced features. The Acer Predator supports both ray tracing and DLSS, which are typically used for enhanced gaming graphics, while the MacBook Pro does not support these technologies.

On the other hand, the MacBook Pro has Dolby Atmos support for a more immersive sound experience, while the Acer does not. Additionally, the MacBook Pro includes a fingerprint scanner, 3 microphones, 3D facial recognition, and voice command support, all of which the Acer Predator lacks. The Acer Predator only has 1 microphone, no fingerprint scanner, and does not utilize 3D facial recognition or voice commands.

Both laptops come with a front camera and lack S/PDIF Out, gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, compass, and an optical disc drive. These differences in features highlight the Acer Predator’s gaming focus and the MacBook Pro’s more advanced user interface and security features.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (2025) and Apple MacBook Pro (2025) 14″ differ in several technical aspects. The Acer Predator has a clock multiplier of 27, while the MacBook Pro has a higher clock multiplier of 46. The Acer also supports ECC memory, while the MacBook Pro does not. The maximum memory bandwidth on the Acer is much higher at 811.5 GB/s, compared to 153 GB/s on the MacBook Pro.

Both laptops are classified as laptops and use big.LITTLE technology, but the Acer comes with an unlocked multiplier, offering more overclocking potential, which the MacBook Pro lacks. The L2 cache on the Acer is also larger at 40 MB, while the MacBook Pro has 16 MB. Both products have integrated graphics and support the NX bit, a security feature.

In terms of RAM speed, both devices support up to 6400 MHz. The difference in ECC memory support, clock multiplier, memory bandwidth, and L2 cache size may appeal to different user needs, with the Acer Predator designed for more intensive tasks requiring higher memory bandwidth and overclocking capabilities.