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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a good choice if you're looking for something more affordable and portable, usually suitable for general use such as web browsing, light productivity tasks, and media consumption. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, on the other hand, is designed for high performance in tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, but it is more expensive and heavier, making it less portable. The battery life is also typically shorter given the more powerful hardware it packs. If your work involves intensive engineering software or you're a content creator or gamer, the Zenbook Pro 16X can be worth the extra cost. If most of your laptop use is more on the casual side and you prefer something lighter and easier to carry around, the Acer Swift 3 would be a sensible choice. 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 ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
- 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
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
7.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 is equipped with an Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe GPU which offers moderate graphics performance suitable for less demanding games and 3D tasks, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its higher graphical capabilities.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.6
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3, with an Intel i5 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics, provides sufficient capabilities for engineering and design, while its IPS screen offers decent quality visuals. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X boasts a superior Intel i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, coupled with a high-resolution OLED display, making it exceptionally well-suited for more demanding engineering and design tasks where performance and screen quality are pivotal.
Content Creation
7.6
8.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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 provides a balance of resolution and brightness that suits everyday tasks and professional design work, yet its lower refresh rate diminishes the experience in fast-paced gaming scenarios. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers a superior visual experience for both general and engineering use with its high resolution and breadth of color representation, but like the Acer, it falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate not optimal for 3D gaming where smooth motion is crucial. For those prioritizing work or general media over gaming, the ASUS presents a compelling case, though at a premium, while the Acer offers a more cost-effective solution without sacrificing too much on visual fidelity for general and professional use.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 3 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 5.29 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-12700H | |
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 | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 96 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 354 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
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."
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marc Herter, Alex Wätzel | November 2023
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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