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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choose the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 if you prioritize having a good balance between cost and gaming performance, as it offers a powerful processor and a higher tier graphics card suitable for gaming and intensive tasks. However, its battery life is shorter, and it is bulkier, which impacts portability. On the other hand, the Acer Swift X (2023) is better if you want a lighter and thinner laptop with a sharper display and longer battery life, making it more suitable for general use and mobility, but it comes with a slightly less powerful graphics card, making it less ideal for demanding games and applications. 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
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2023)
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.9
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, making it more suitable for gaming and 3D applications that demand faster rendering and smoother visuals, whereas the Acer Swift X (2023), though also good for gaming and 3D with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, offers a lower refresh rate of 120, which is still adequate but may not be as fluid during intensive gaming sessions.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a laptop with a high-resolution, bright display, like the Acer Swift X, makes text sharper and images vibrant, enhancing your everyday experience. Engineering and design professionals benefit significantly from a laptop like the Acer Swift X that offers wide color gamut coverage, ensuring accuracy in color-sensitive tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Acer Swift X may fall short due to their lower refresh rates, even if they have the necessary resolution and panel quality.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 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
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Acer Swift X (2023) costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers a powerful CPU and a higher-tier GPU suitable for demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Acer Swift X (2023), which boasts a high-resolution screen and excellent battery life, better serving those who need mobility and screen clarity for everyday tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design due to its powerful GPU, Nvidia RTX 4050, enabling better performance in graphics-intensive tasks, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is slightly less suited with its Nvidia RTX 3050, although it offers greater portability and higher resolution screen which enhances detail in design work. The Helios Neo 16 leans towards performance with more weight and thicker build affecting portability, while the Swift X (2023) balances between high-quality display, lower operating noise, and easier handling.
Content Creation
7.7
8.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be 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
7.9
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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 (2023) and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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 Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Acer Swift X (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Acer Swift X (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i5-13500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 76 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 390 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"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."
Acer Swift X (2023)
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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 Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Acer Swift X (2023)
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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