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Updated January 12, 2024·
The choice between the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Acer Swift X depends on your priorities. If saving money while still having decent performance for everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and media consumption is important to you, the Acer Aspire 5 15 may be the better option. However, if you're looking for higher performance for tasks such as video editing, 3D design, machine learning, or gaming, and are willing to invest a bit more, the Acer Swift X would be a more suitable choice. The Swift X generally offers better processing power and graphics performance, which may justify the higher price tag for users with those needs. Additionally, consider the portability factor, as the Swift X is likely to be lighter and more compact, making it easier to carry around, whereas the Aspire 5 15 might be bulkier. Battery life is also a key factor; the Swift X may offer longer battery life, which could be important if you're frequently mobile. 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 5 15
- The Acer Aspire 5 15 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2021).
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2021)
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Acer Swift X boasts a screen with higher resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant visuals, while the Acer Aspire 5's display is less vivid and dimmer, impacting the overall viewing experience. In engineering and design, the Swift X's screen covers a wider range of color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation necessary for detailed work, unlike the Aspire 5 which has limited color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes or animations.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 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
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$580
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $700 and the Acer Swift X (2021) costs $580.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 offers good performance with ample RAM for multitasking, a quality IPS screen, and a reasonable battery life, making it well-suited for general use, with factors like weight and slightly larger size affecting its portability.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.3
2.4/10
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
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
6.6
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2021) to be good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 15, built with a capable processor and integrated graphics, provides a solid foundation for engineering and design tasks, along with a larger screen; however, the Acer Swift X (2021) stands out with a more powerful dedicated GPU, making it a more suitable choice for graphics-intensive work despite having less RAM. While the Aspire 5 is slightly heavier and thus less portable, both offer good screen quality and have sufficient storage, while the Swift X’s superior screen brightness and color coverage benefit design work, yet both may fall short in areas like speaker and build quality.
Content Creation
7.3
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 15 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 15 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | Acer Swift X (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 372 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
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 5 15 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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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.
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