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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in engineering tasks, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor, would serve well, plus it's a premium business laptop with superior build quality, keyboard quality, and heat management. However, the Acer Swift 3 is less expensive, offering similar general performance with good battery life and portability. Both have the same amount of storage and RAM, but the ThinkPad has a slightly smaller screen with a higher resolution and aspect ratio, which may benefit productivity and content viewing. If portability and cost are significant concerns, the Swift 3 is advantageous, but if you prioritize performance and build, especially for work, the ThinkPad Z13 is the better fit. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
7.0
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 have screens with resolutions and brightness levels that provide clear and comfortable viewing for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming, which is ideal for general use. Their panels cover a range of colors important for precision in engineering and design work, though they may not support the widest color gamuts like more specialized monitors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops can make fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to laptops designed specifically for these purposes, which typically have higher refresh rates.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
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
6.3
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
9.1/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3 is equipped with an Intel Iris Xe graphics unit which provides a fair level of performance for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 includes an AMD Radeon 680M GPU, offering similar capabilities. Both laptops have screens with a 60Hz refresh rate which is basic for gaming; however, the ThinkPad has a slightly higher screen resolution and pixel density for improved screen quality, but this might not be a significant difference in the context of gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 with its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics is suitable for engineering and design due to its balance of performance and portability, featuring a quality screen and a backlit keyboard enhancing usability. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 takes it further with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and more powerful integrated graphics, offering a higher resolution and brighter display ideal for detailed design work, complemented by a highly regarded keyboard and solid build quality, although this comes with a slight dip in battery life compared to the Swift 3.
Content Creation
7.6
7.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 to have excellent portability, while the Acer Swift 3 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,000 | ||
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 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
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 | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.3" | |
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 | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 9.3/10 | |
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 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 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 | 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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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