A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a higher-resolution touchscreen with vibrant colors for media consumption or creative work, the Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its OLED display, would be a superior option. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3 is more affordable and offers longer battery life for those who value cost-effectiveness and longer usage between charging. For demanding tasks such as 3D rendering or engineering software, the Dell XPS 13 Plus has more RAM, which is beneficial, but keep in mind it is also less portable than the Acer Swift 3. 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 Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus outshines the Acer Swift 3 in general use mainly due to its higher-end CPU and double the RAM, which provide better multitasking and overall performance. Additionally, the XPS 13 Plus offers a superior OLED screen with higher resolution and better color representation, contributing to a more vibrant and crisp display, albeit with a slightly shorter battery life compared to the Swift 3.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a solid balance for engineering and design with a capable processor, sufficient RAM, and a good quality IPS screen; however, the Dell XPS 13 Plus steps up performance with a higher-end processor, double the RAM, and a superior OLED display which justifies its stronger suitability for more intensive tasks like engineering and design. While both are portable and have high-quality structures, the XPS 13 Plus offers better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, as well as a more premium experience with a better keyboard and less operating noise, important for lengthy design sessions.
Content Creation
7.6
8.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
8.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
8.4
14.0in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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 adequate resolution and brightness for day-to-day tasks, which makes it suitable for general use and engineering, where precision and clarity are key. However, its average refresh rate limits its potential for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is essential. The Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out with its high-quality display, offering wide color gamuts for accurate color representation in engineering and design work, though it too falls short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that isn't tailored for high frame rate demands.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good 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
$1,849
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is better for gaming and 3D tasks because it has a faster CPU and a higher resolution OLED screen, which delivers better color and image quality, compared to the Acer Swift 3 which has a lower-tier CPU and an IPS screen with lower resolution. Although both laptops have the same screen refresh rate and integrated graphics, the Dell's superior processing power and screen quality make it more suited for demanding visual applications.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to have excellent portability, while the Acer Swift 3 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 3 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Dell XPS 13 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 2.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 7.84" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-1280P | |
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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.4" | |
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 | 374 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 9.2/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 3
See more
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."
Dell XPS 13 Plus
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,995
Recommendations made
28,383
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
