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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger screen and is a bit heavier, which is excellent for productivity and watching videos but less convenient for travel. Its performance is solid for general use and lighter engineering tasks. The Acer Swift X (2021) is more compact and lighter, making it highly portable with better battery life, suited for on-the-go use. Its stronger graphics capabilities are beneficial for 3D tasks, machine learning, and gaming. If you prioritize portability and higher-end graphics, the Swift X may be your choice, whereas if you prefer a larger display and don't need advanced graphics, the Aspire 5 could be ideal. 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 (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
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 provides an adequate display for tasks like browsing and document editing due to its resolution and size, but it might not deliver the vivid colors and sharpness desired by engineers and designers. The Acer Swift X offers a better visual experience with a higher resolution and brighter display, alongside a wider color range, which is vital for precision in creative work. However, both laptops have displays with lower refresh rates, making them less suitable for gaming and 3D work where smoother motion is key.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 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 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
$580
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Acer Swift X (2021) costs $580.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a large screen and good keyboard quality, making it suitable for general activities that benefit from a spacious display and comfortable typing experience, but with its larger size and heavier weight, it is less portable and has shorter battery life than the Acer Swift X (2021).
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.3
3.7/10
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 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU which is less powerful for gaming and intensive 3D applications compared to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU found in the Acer Swift X (2021); although they both have the same screen refresh rate of 60Hz, the Swift X's superior GPU makes it a better choice for these tasks despite the Aspire 5's larger screen which might offer a better view.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
8.0 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 17 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X is better suited for engineering and design due to its stronger Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and superior screen quality, crucial for tasks requiring graphical processing and color accuracy. The Aspire 5 17, with its Intel i5-1335U Iris Xe graphics, is less powerful and has a lower-quality screen, but offers a larger display and full-size keyboard, which might benefit extended work sessions or those preferring a bigger viewing area.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Aspire 5 17 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 17 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Acer Swift X (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 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 | 50.3 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 372 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 (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 17 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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