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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a budget-friendly option that is much lighter and offers good portability with satisfactory general use performance. It has a touch-enabled display and longer battery life, which makes it suitable for on-the-go usage and everyday tasks. Meanwhile, the Apple MacBook Pro is significantly more expensive, heavier, and offers a Mini LED display with a higher resolution. It excels in performance for professional work like 3D rendering or machine learning and has superior build quality, speaker and webcam quality. Choose the Acer if you need something more affordable and portable for general use, or pick the MacBook Pro if you require top-notch performance and premium features for intensive tasks. 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
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
- Excellent 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
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
9.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its higher RAM, superior screen quality, longer battery life, and better keyboard and speaker quality compared to the Acer Swift 3, which offers good portability and heat management but doesn't match the MacBook Pro's overall performance and premium build.
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
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 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 has an integrated Intel GPU and a standard refresh rate screen, which provides modest 3D and gaming capabilities compared to dedicated gaming laptops, while the MacBook Pro with its more powerful Apple GPU and higher refresh rate Mini LED screen offers better performance in 3D applications; however, its gaming potential is limited by the lesser availability of popular games for its operating system.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The MacBook Pro 16, with its more powerful M1 Pro chip and significantly higher RAM capacity, offers superior performance for engineering and design tasks over the Acer Swift 3's Intel i5 processor and lower RAM. Additionally, the MacBook Pro's sharper, higher-quality Mini LED screen outmatches the Swift 3's IPS display, translating to better visual clarity for design work, although the Swift is generally more portable given its lighter weight and smaller size.
Content Creation
7.6
8.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
8.9
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
9.4
14.0in
SIZE
16.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 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 has a decent display with satisfactory resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but it falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate which is key for smooth visuals in these applications. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) boasts a high-resolution screen with exceptional brightness and wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for professionals in engineering and design but is not ideal for gaming or 3D modeling because of its standard refresh rate that cannot match the fluid motion required for those activities. For gaming or working with 3D applications, you'd benefit from a device with a display that combines a higher refresh rate with good resolution and a panel type that supports fast motion without blur, which neither of these models provide.
Battery
12.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.2in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
$1,949
$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 16 (2021) costs $1,949.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 497 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
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 | 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 16 (2021)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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