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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you are conscious about the price and want a computer primarily for general use, the Acer Swift 3 is a more affordable option that provides sufficient performance for everyday tasks. However, for more demanding activities like 3D graphics, machine learning, or gaming, the Acer Swift X 16, despite its higher price, includes a dedicated graphics card and a higher resolution screen, offering superior performance and visual experience. The Swift X 16 also typically has a larger battery, which may result in better battery life, but it is also heavier, affecting portability. The final decision should align with your priorities, whether they are financial, performance-related, or based on the need for portability and battery life. 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
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Acer Swift X 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Unknown
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 has a fair performance for gaming and 3D due to its integrated Intel GPU and standard screen refresh rate which is suitable for casual gaming but not ideal for high-end games or professional 3D work. In contrast, the Acer Swift X 16 is better equipped with a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, enhancing gaming and 3D rendering capabilities for more demanding tasks and smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design use due to its more robust AMD Ryzen 7 processor, higher quality Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and superior screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which are key for tasks requiring high computing power and detailed visuals.
Content Creation
7.6
8.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is 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.
Screen Quality
6.8
8.2
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 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's screen offers clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work like engineering, but it falls short in the color coverage required for professional design tasks and lacks the high refresh rate needed for smooth 3D and gaming experiences. In contrast, the Acer Swift X 16 offers enhanced color accuracy and a wider color gamut, making it better for design and engineering where color fidelity is crucial. However, like the Swift 3, the Swift X 16 also doesn’t cater to the needs of gamers or 3D professionals due to a lower refresh rate that can't deliver the fluid visuals usually preferred in those fields.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$1,250
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Acer Swift X 16 costs $1,250.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use due to its solid CPU and ample RAM, combined with touch-enabled screen quality for interactive tasks, all packaged in a highly portable and long battery life design. The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use as it offers a more powerful CPU and superior screen quality with higher resolution, but these come at the cost of added weight and reduced portability due to a larger screen size, as well as a shorter battery life.
Software Development
7.6
8.0
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift 3 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Acer Swift X 16 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 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Acer Swift X 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.81" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 76 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 402 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 16
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PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2023
"Acer’s Swift X 16 is an excellent choice for shoppers who want a 16-inch laptop and care more for performance than attractive design or long battery life. The Swift X 16’s gorgeous OLED display, spacious keyboard, and big touchpad make it pleasant to use in basic day-to-day tasks. It also has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which combine to deliver good performance in a wide variety of productivity applications and games. A few minor mistakes, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will turn off some shoppers, but those who can accept its shortcomings will find the Swift X 16 a versatile daily driver."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Acer Swift X 16
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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