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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is less expensive and offers a budget-friendly option with sufficient performance for basic tasks, a larger 15.6-inch screen, and fanless operation for silent use. However, it has limited storage, lower RAM, and a less powerful processor paired with basic integrated graphics which may not be suitable for intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Acer Swift X is higher priced but provides significantly higher storage, double the RAM, a more powerful processor, dedicated Nvidia graphics for advanced work like 3D, machine learning, and gaming, and has a longer battery life. It also has a slightly more portable build with improved screen quality and color accuracy, making it better suited for both professional and high-performance use cases. 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 X (2021).
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2021)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1's lesser RAM and basic Intel Celeron processor contribute to its poorer performance for general use, compounded by its lower-quality TN screen and shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the Acer Swift X features more RAM and a powerful AMD Ryzen processor, alongside a high-quality IPS display and greater battery capacity that enhance its performance and user experience for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.3
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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
7.0
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its basic Intel Celeron processor, integrated graphics, and TN screen, lacks the necessary power and display quality for demanding engineering and design tasks, while the Acer Swift X (2021) has a more robust AMD Ryzen CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and higher quality IPS screen, making it well-suited for those applications.
Content Creation
5.9
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) is 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
7.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 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 Acer Aspire 1 may disappoint with its display due to less vibrant colors and lower brightness, affecting everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. The Acer Swift X, on the other hand, provides a better visual experience for general use and is well-suited for engineering and design thanks to its higher resolution and wider color gamut, ensuring more accurate color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from quick screen refreshes, neither laptop is ideal, but the Acer Aspire 1's limitations are more pronounced since it likely has the lowest refresh rate of the two.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift X has 10 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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
$580
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Acer Swift X (2021) costs $580.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Acer Swift X (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 372 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"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."
Acer Swift X (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Acer Swift X (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.
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