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Updated January 10, 2024·
In choosing between the Acer Swift 3 and the Acer Swift X (2023), consider your needs and budget. The Swift 3 is less expensive and offers good general performance with a touch screen, lightweight design, and longer battery life, ideal for everyday tasks and portability. The Swift X, while costing more, boasts a more powerful processor, a dedicated graphics card making it suitable for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering applications, and it supports hardware ray tracing for better gaming experiences, but has a slightly heavier build and shorter battery life. Neither is explicitly designed for intensive gaming, despite the Swift X's better graphics capabilities. 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 3
- The Acer Swift 3 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2023).
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2023)
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is better for gaming and 3D because it has a superior Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, compared to the Acer Swift 3's Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe graphics and a 60Hz screen refresh rate. These features significantly enhance gaming and 3D performance, with smoother visuals and better graphics handling.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.0
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3, with its Intel i5-1240P CPU, integrated Iris Xe graphics, and 14-inch 1080p IPS screen, is suitable for engineering and design tasks that do not require intensive graphics processing, while the Acer Swift X (2023) steps up performance for such applications with a more powerful Intel i5-13500H CPU, discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and a higher resolution 14.5-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display, making it better for graphics-heavy engineering work.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.0
14.0in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift 3, with its decent resolution and brightness, is suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and streaming, but its limited color gamut and lower refresh rate aren't ideal for specialized uses like engineering, design, or gaming. The Acer Swift X steps up with a higher resolution and brightness, enhancing visual detail and visibility for general use and professional design work, although with a restricted color gamut, it may not fully satisfy professionals relying on precise color accuracy. Neither laptop is optimal for gaming or 3D modeling due to their poor refresh rates, which could result in less smooth visuals during fast-paced activities or rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.5in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Swift X (2023) both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Acer Swift X (2023) costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a balance of performance with its Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics suitable for everyday tasks, complemented by a touch-enabled screen and impressive battery life, making it highly portable and convenient for general use. In contrast, the Acer Swift X (2023) steps up with a more powerful i5 CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, handling more demanding applications while maintaining a high-resolution screen, albeit with a slight compromise on battery life and increased weight, yet still prioritizing features essential for general use.
Content Creation
7.6
8.0
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
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 Swift 3 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
7.6
7.9
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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 Swift 3 and the Acer Swift X (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Acer Swift X (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i5-13500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 76 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 390 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 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 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."
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 Swift 3 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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