The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is better suited for gaming and performance-heavy tasks due to its more powerful graphics card, while the Acer Swift 14 offers higher display resolution and portability with a lighter and thinner design. If gaming or computationally intensive applications are a priority and you don't mind a slightly heavier and bulkier laptop, the Helios Neo 16 might serve you well. However, if you need a more portable laptop for everyday use with a sharper screen for productivity and media consumption, and you're willing to pay more, then the Swift 14 could 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 Predator Helios Neo 16
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Swift 14
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
458.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 is rated higher for general use due to its excellent battery life and portability, superior screen quality with higher resolution and pixel density, as well as outstanding heat management, making it easy to carry and comfortable for long use. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, while also good for general tasks, is less portable due to its greater weight and size, has lower battery life, and though it has a good screen, it isn't as sharp or bright as the Swift 14's.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.7/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 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.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.5/10
8.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.8/10
7.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
458.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 14 for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 has a better screen for engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Swift 14 provide high resolution and brightness, with panel types that make text and images clear and vibrant. In engineering and design, the Acer Swift 14 excels with superior color accuracy, offering a wider range of colors, which is crucial for precise visual work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Predator's lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for the fast-moving visuals that these activities demand, compared to laptops with higher refresh rates that provide smoother on-screen motion.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 14 has 9 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
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Acer Swift 14 costs $1,400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Swift 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Acer Swift 14 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Acer Swift 14
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.
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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