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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a larger screen and a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it suitable for gaming and engineering tasks, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life. In contrast, the Acer Swift X (2021) is much more portable with its lighter weight and longer battery life, but it has a smaller display, less power, and reduced storage capacity, making it ideal for general use and moderate productivity tasks. Consider the Nitro if gaming and high-performance tasks are a priority, or the Swift X for more mobile, everyday use. 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 17
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2021)
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.3
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers better gaming and 3D capabilities mainly because it has a more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4050, and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz compared to the Acer Swift X (2021), which has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz. While both have good screen quality and capable CPUs, the GPU and refresh rate are more crucial for smooth, responsive gameplay and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17, with its higher RAM and advanced CPU and GPU, is suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, though it is less portable due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the Acer Swift X (2021) provides a balance between performance, with a competent CPU and GPU and reasonable RAM, and portability, with a lighter weight and a higher-quality screen, making it a versatile option for engineering and design on the go.
Screen Quality
7.4
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17 and Swift X both offer displays with adequate resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, and word processing, which all benefit from clear and bright screens. For engineering and design, both laptops have good color accuracy, ensuring that designers and engineers see consistent and true-to-life colors, crucial for their detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, which rely heavily on fluid motion and fast refresh rates, both models fall short as they do not prioritize screen refresh rate, which could lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 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
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$580
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Acer Swift X (2021) costs $580.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers solid performance and a large, quality screen suitable for general use, with a high-refresh-rate display and powerful CPU and GPU, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life. The Acer Swift X (2021), while more portable with a longer battery life, has a smaller but brighter screen and less powerful CPU and GPU, making it well-suited for general use where portability and longevity off the charger are prioritized.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
7.9/10
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 Nitro 17 and Acer Swift X (2021) 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
7.4
7.3
7.9/10
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 Nitro 17 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Nitro 17 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 17 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Acer Swift X (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 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 | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 372 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
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 Nitro 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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