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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a budget-friendly laptop and is often less expensive than the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023). If the cost is a major factor for you, the Acer might be more appealing. Consider that the MacBook boasts better build quality, speaker quality, and a higher resolution Mini LED display, which makes it excellent for tasks requiring accurate color representation and crisp visuals, like photo and video editing. The MacBook also outshines the Swift in overall performance, making it better suited for more demanding engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks. The tradeoff is that the MacBook is heavier and has a higher price tag. If you value portability and are looking for a laptop mainly for general use like web browsing, document editing, and light media consumption, the Acer Swift 3 is a sensible and more affordable choice. Both have similar battery life, but the MacBook slightly edges out. Remember, the operating systems differ as well, so if you're used to or prefer MacOS or specific software available only on Apple devices, the MacBook Pro might be unavoidable despite the higher price. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
- 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
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with its Apple-designed GPU is more suited for 3D tasks due to its higher screen refresh rate and better screen quality, compared to the Acer Swift 3 which has an Intel Iris Xe GPU and a lower screen refresh rate and screen quality, but keep in mind that many popular games won't run on the MacBook Pro since it operates macOS. While the Acer Swift 3 is fair for gaming and may support a wider range of games due to Windows compatibility, its gaming experience is ultimately limited by its less powerful graphics and lower refresh rate display.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) outshines the Acer Swift 3 in terms of CPU, GPU, and screen quality which are crucial for engineering and design use, offering a higher resolution mini LED display, a more powerful Apple M2 Pro processor, and superior GPU performance, leading to a smoother and more detailed visual experience. While the Acer Swift 3 is lighter and may be more portable, the MacBook Pro provides better performance and a top-tier screen which are essential for demanding tasks, though it comes at a higher price and with more weight.
Content Creation
7.6
8.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) 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.
Software Development
7.6
8.4
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is 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.
Screen Quality
6.8
9.2
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift 3's screen provides sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and engineering work, where color precision and clarity are crucial, but falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate. The MacBook Pro 14's display offers superior resolution, top-tier brightness, and broad color gamuts, making it exceptional for both general use and color-sensitive engineering and design tasks. However, despite its high-quality visual characteristics, its standard refresh rate limits its 3D capabilities where higher rates are needed for smoother motion rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 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.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.2in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 3 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Apple M2 Pro (10C) | |
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 | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 489 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.6/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
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."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (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.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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