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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If budget is a concern and general use is the priority, the Acer Swift 14 may suit you with its significantly lower cost compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16. It's lighter and offers impressive portability coupled with solid performance for everyday tasks. However, if you require a machine with a higher resolution OLED screen, more storage, and double the RAM for more intensive tasks like 3D rendering and engineering applications, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 could be worth the investment. Both offer touchscreens and high-quality displays, but the Lenovo stands out in this regard. Keep in mind, the ThinkPad is heavier and has a shorter battery life, affecting its portability. 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 Swift 14
- Excellent portability
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
8.5
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Acer's good screen resolution and brightness, along with a suitable panel type, offer crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks, while the Lenovo's higher resolution and stellar brightness provide an even more vivid and sharp display. In engineering and design, the Lenovo stands out with its superior color accuracy, covering a wider range of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spectrums, essential for professional photo and video editing, whereas the Acer, while adequate, doesn't match Lenovo's color performance. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, neither laptop excels due to their lower refresh rates, limiting smooth motion and responsiveness, although the resolution and panel type still contribute to a decent visual experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Excellent
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift 14 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift 14, with its lighter weight and powerful Intel CPU, provides excellent portability and solid performance for general use, benefitting from good screen quality and a commendable battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a more substantial OLED screen, greater RAM, and a higher-capacity battery, making it a robust choice for intensive tasks, though it is less portable due to its heavier weight.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.7
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 14 is equipped with an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a 60Hz IPS screen, suitable for casual gaming and 3D applications within a lightweight frame, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boasts a discrete AMD RX 6500M GPU and a 60Hz OLED screen for better gaming and 3D performance but with increased weight and potentially shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 14 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is better for engineering and design because it offers double the storage, double the RAM, a more powerful dedicated GPU, and a higher-resolution OLED screen compared to the Acer Swift 14's standard integrated graphics and IPS screen. The ThinkPad Z16 is also heavier and slightly thicker, which may impact portability, but it makes up for it with a robust display and superior computing power which are very important for engineering tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift 14 are both very 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
8.2
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift 14 are both very 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 Swift 14 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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