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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is generally less expensive and offers a large 17.3-inch screen, which is ideal for productivity and entertainment. However, it has lower performance due to its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, making it suitable for general use like browsing, office applications, and light photo editing. It is also less portable with a shorter battery life compared to the Swift X 16. The Acer Swift X 16, while more expensive, has a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, making it capable of handling intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and light gaming. It also boasts a higher resolution display, potentially better for creative work, and longer battery life. It's more compact and lighter, enhancing portability. If these features align with your needs and you're willing to invest more, the Swift X 16 would be the better choice. 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 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X 16.
Advantages of the Acer Swift X 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for general use, boasting a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Acer Aspire 5 17, ensuring smoother multitasking and higher performance in demanding applications. While both offer quality IPS screens, the Swift X 16's screen is sharper with better color coverage, and it also offers greater portability with less weight and longer battery life, although these come at a higher price point.
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Unknown
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16 boasts a superior discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, enhancing its gaming and 3D capabilities compared to the Acer Aspire 5 17, which relies on an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics chip and has a standard screen refresh rate. Additionally, the Swift X 16 offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and sharper screen quality, factors that contribute somewhat to the overall better gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with an Intel i5 CPU, integrated graphics, and a standard full HD screen, offers a fair experience for engineering and design due to moderate performance and display quality. In contrast, the Acer Swift X 16 steps up significantly with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and a higher resolution display with better color accuracy, making it very good for demanding engineering tasks and design work. The Swift X also benefits from a higher portability score, but both laptops have good keyboard quality, while the Swift X leads slightly in speaker quality and managing operating noise.
Content Creation
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
8.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 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
6.2
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with limited resolution and brightness, offers adequate screen visuals for daily tasks but falls short for more color-critical engineering and design work due to its mediocre color gamut coverage; for gaming and 3D, its lower refresh rate hampers smooth visuals. The Acer Swift X 16's higher resolution and brighter screen make it a solid choice for both general use and color-sensitive tasks, delivering vivid details and wide color gamut needed in professional design settings. However, its modest refresh rate, while satisfactory for everyday use, isn't ideal for the fast-paced, fluid imagery demanded by gaming and high-end 3D applications.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 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.
Build Quality
6.5
7.6
The Acer Swift X 16 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,250
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Acer Swift X 16 costs $1,250.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X 16 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Acer Swift X 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Acer Swift X 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 9.81" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 76 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 402 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Acer Swift X 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2023
"Acer’s Swift X 16 is an excellent choice for shoppers who want a 16-inch laptop and care more for performance than attractive design or long battery life. The Swift X 16’s gorgeous OLED display, spacious keyboard, and big touchpad make it pleasant to use in basic day-to-day tasks. It also has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which combine to deliver good performance in a wide variety of productivity applications and games. A few minor mistakes, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will turn off some shoppers, but those who can accept its shortcomings will find the Swift X 16 a versatile daily driver."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Acer Swift X 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.
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