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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Swift 3 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 involves several tradeoffs. The Acer Swift 3 is less expensive and slightly lighter, making it a more budget-friendly and portable option. It also has a good battery life and a touchscreen, which the HP model lacks. However, the EliteBook 845 G9, while more expensive and heavier, offers a higher resolution screen with a better aspect ratio and superior color accuracy, which can be vital for tasks that require precise color work like photo editing. The EliteBook also has higher build quality, better speakers, and a webcam, and comes with Windows 11 Pro, whereas the Swift 3 has Windows 11 Home. Both laptops have the same amount of RAM and storage, ensuring capable performance for general use and engineering tasks, but the EliteBook is part of HP's premium business line that might appeal more to professional environments. 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 EliteBook 845 G9.
Advantages of the HP EliteBook 845 G9
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good 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
402.0 nits
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 have panels with resolutions and brightness levels that suffice for daily tasks and productivity, offering clarity and comfort for general usage. Both laptops cover adequate color gamuts, which are crucial for professional engineering and design work, ensuring that colors are represented accurately and vividly. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens may not provide the high refresh rates preferred for smooth motion, making them less ideal for fast-paced visuals and rendering despite having decent resolution and panel type.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
8.0
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
$740
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 costs $740.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 offers satisfactory performance for general use with its Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch IPS touchscreen, which make it a good option for day-to-day tasks, complemented by a relatively light weight and long battery life for better portability. On the other hand, the HP EliteBook 845 G9, with its AMD Ryzen processor and 16GB of RAM, provides a similar level of performance; it distinguishes itself with a slightly better screen resolution, a sturdy build suitable for business environments, and enhanced speaker and keyboard quality, though it's slightly heavier which may affect portability.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.3
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both rated as fair for gaming and 3D likely because they use integrated GPUs which cannot handle intensive gaming as well as dedicated ones and have standard screen refresh rates that are not optimal for fast-paced gaming. While their CPUs and screen qualities are decent, these factors only contribute somewhat to the gaming and 3D experience, which relies heavily on GPU performance and a higher screen refresh rate for smooth action.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both equipped with capable processors and graphics solutions, ample RAM, and high-quality screens that make them suitable for engineering and design tasks. The Swift 3 offers a slight edge in portability and battery life, while the EliteBook 845 G9 has a higher screen resolution and additional features like Ethernet and a better keyboard, which may appeal to professionals who prioritize connectivity and typing comfort.
Content Creation
7.6
7.6
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
7.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 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.
Battery
12.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 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.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | HP EliteBook 845 G9 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $740 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.76'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.09 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.42" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.82" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 5 6650U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 51 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 | 402 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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 | N/A | |
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 EliteBook 845 G9
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | July 2022
"The high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the HP EliteBook 845 G9
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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