The Acer Swift 3 is a more budget-friendly option and is lighter, making it more portable than the HP Spectre x360. The Swift also runs cool and quiet, which can be comfortable for long use. However, the Spectre x360 has higher performance capabilities, a brighter and more colorful screen with a higher resolution, and a longer battery life; it may be better suited for tasks that require more power such as engineering or creative work. Moreover, the Spectre x360's build and speaker quality are superior, and it includes features like a facial recognition system. If portability and cost are your main concerns, the Swift will serve you well, but if you need a powerhouse for demanding applications and value screen quality, the Spectre may justify its higher price tag. 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 HP Spectre x360
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.0/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Swift 3 is suitable for engineering and design primarily due to its solid CPU and ample RAM for multitasking, but compared to the HP Spectre x360, it falls short in screen resolution and GPU, which can be critical for detail-oriented work. While both have capable CPUs and sufficient RAM for design tasks, the HP Spectre x360 offers a higher-resolution screen and a more powerful CPU, making it better suited for complex engineering simulations and high-resolution graphic design, though it's heavier and less portable than the Acer Swift 3.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Spectre x360 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
7.6/10
8.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 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
6.8/10
7.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The HP Spectre x360 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift 3 and HP Spectre x360 both have panels with adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring a sharp and clear display, but the Spectre offers superior vibrancy and contrast that elevate the viewing experience. In the realm of engineering and design, the HP Spectre x360 stands out with its wider color gamut, displaying more accurate and richer colors, making it preferable for detailed graphical work. However, neither is ideal for Gaming and 3D tasks due to their lower refresh rate as opposed to dedicated gaming laptops, with both providing less fluid images and slower response times, which can detract from the immersive experience those applications require.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the HP Spectre x360 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The HP Spectre x360 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
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the HP Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The HP Spectre x360 is rated higher for general use compared to the Acer Swift 3 because it has a more powerful processor, a larger and brighter screen with higher resolution and pixel density for better image quality, and a significantly larger battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3, with a less powerful Intel i5 CPU and lower screen quality, is fair for gaming and 3D, while the HP Spectre x360 offers better performance with a superior Intel i7 CPU and higher screen quality, making it good for those applications. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, which affects gaming and 3D performance, but the better GPU in the HP Spectre x360 also contributes to its higher suitability for these tasks.
Battery
12.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift 3 and the HP Spectre x360 compare to other laptops
"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."
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the HP Spectre x360
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.
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
131,295
Recommendations made
28,448
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.