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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a laptop for gaming or intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, the Acer Nitro 16 with its powerful processor and high-end graphics card offers superior performance. However, it is heavier and less portable than the Acer Swift 3. On the other hand, the Swift 3 is lighter, offers a more compact design, and better battery life, making it ideal for general use and carrying around. While both have similar RAM and storage, the Swift 3 is more budget-friendly but might not handle demanding tasks as well as the Nitro 16. 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 Nitro 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.3
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
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
8.2
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 is very well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, dedicated Nvidia GPU, large high-resolution screen and high refresh rate, which facilitates better performance for demanding applications and multitasking. However, the Acer Swift 3's portability, touch-enabled screen and competent CPU and integrated graphics make it a good but less powerful choice for such tasks, balancing between performance and mobility.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 16 likely boasts a higher resolution and brightness with a panel type that renders sharp, vibrant images, making it very suitable for both general use and detailed engineering work where clarity is key. Its very good screen for engineering may also result from a wide color gamut that ensures accuracy in color-critical applications. However, its suitability for gaming and 3D tasks falls short due to a lower refresh rate, which is critical for the smooth rendering of fast-paced visuals; gamers and 3D professionals prefer screens that refresh quickly to avoid motion blur and provide real-time feedback.
Battery
9.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,275
$500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,275 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers a more powerful CPU and GPU, making it suitable for more demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which might affect portability; it also has a higher resolution, larger screen which improves visual experience but contributes to the weight.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Swift 3 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
7.7
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Swift 3 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Swift 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Acer Swift 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,275 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Acer Swift 3
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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