The choice depends on your needs and budget. The Acer Aspire 1 is more budget-friendly and suitable for basic tasks such as browsing, office applications, and streaming. However, if you rely on your laptop for more demanding work like 3D rendering, software development, or gaming, and you're willing to invest more, the Acer Swift Edge 16 would be a better option due to its likely superior performance. The Swift Edge 16 may also have better build quality, battery life, and portability but consider that a sleeker design often comes at a premium. Remember, with laptops, higher cost usually reflects better performance and features, but not everyone needs top-of-the-line specs. 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 Aspire 1
The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift Edge 16.
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
5.8/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 excels in general use thanks to its powerful AMD Ryzen processor, ample 16GB of RAM, high-quality OLED screen, and lightweight design that improves portability, alongside a longer battery life. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 1 falls short due to its less capable Intel Celeron processor, limited 4GB of RAM, lower-tier TN panel screen, and shorter battery life, though it offers a silent, fanless operation which may appeal to users sensitive to noise.
Gaming and AI
5.6/10
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
5.5/10
8.1/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is suitable for engineering and design use due to its superior processing power, higher RAM capacity, and better GPU alongside a high-quality OLED screen, which provides sharp resolution and color accuracy. On the other hand, the Acer Aspire 1, outfitted with a less powerful CPU, minimal RAM, basic integrated graphics, and a lower-grade TN panel screen, falls short for demanding tasks and detailed visual work despite being somewhat more portable.
Content Creation
5.9/10
8.1/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
6.1/10
7.9/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
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
5.2/10
8.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Swift Edge 16's high resolution and bright display offer clear and vivid visuals, making it preferable over the Aspire 1, which has inferior resolution and brightness, leading to a less satisfying viewing experience. In the realm of engineering and design, the Swift Edge stands out for its wide color coverage, ensuring accurate color reproduction which is crucial for these fields, while the Aspire 1 lags with limited color range affecting the precision needed for professional work. Yet, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the Swift Edge's lower refresh rate hinders smooth motion rendering, which takes away from the immersive experience, despite its superior resolution and panel type compared to the Aspire 1.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.2/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$244
$820
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Acer Swift Edge 16 costs $820.
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Acer Swift Edge 16
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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.