A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 is a budget-friendly option and is lighter, making it more portable for everyday use and travel. It also has a slightly longer battery life, which may be useful if you're often on the move. On the other hand, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14, while pricier, offers a higher resolution and taller screen with better color accuracy and contrast, which can enhance the viewing experience. Both have similar storage and memory, making them capable for general use, but for demanding tasks like 3D or engineering software, neither are specialized, though both are adequate. If a quality keyboard and webcam are important, the HP Dragonfly Pro has higher scores in those areas. 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14".
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
- Very good for general use
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
7.1
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have displays with resolutions and brightness levels that suit everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, making them good for general use. Their panels offer a decent range of colors, catering well to engineering and design work where precision in color representation is key. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they lack the high refresh rates preferred for smooth visuals, and while their resolution and panel types are adequate, they don't excel in the demanding arena of high framerate gaming or fast-paced 3D rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" provides a more premium experience for general use with its higher-quality keyboard, speakers, and display—featuring better brightness and color coverage—which enhances everyday tasks like browsing and multimedia consumption. On the other hand, while the Acer Swift 3 is lighter and offers long battery life, making it highly portable, it has a less impressive screen and lower-quality sound, which are tradeoffs for its more affordable price.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.6
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 is equipped with an Intel i5-1240P CPU and integrated graphics suitable for lighter engineering tasks, while its IPS screen offers a standard resolution that's adequate for design work, and its lightweight design enhances portability.
Content Creation
7.6
7.9
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Swift 3 are both good for content creation.
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
7.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Acer Swift 3 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | HP Dragonfly Pro 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.72'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U | |
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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 64.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 405 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.3/10 | |
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 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1440p | |
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 | 3 | |
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."
HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Brendan Nystedt | March 2023
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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